If the static, physical album is dying, why not offer a more dynamic, digitally-oriented release? One the does more than just mimic its CD counterpart, and spans a broader time horizon? That is the essence behind the iTunes Pass, at least on its maiden voyage with Depeche Mode.
So, will it make an impact? Every experiment deserves a jog around the track, though the iTunes Pass will probably be limited by two critical factors: a reliance on unrealistic scarcity, and a target audience of a mostly-niche superfan.
The iTunes Pass is a variation on a theme, not a paradigm-shattering concept. It focuses on rather aggressive price tags for content that is rarely unique, but instead readily-available across the web. In fact, most paid content is not only duplicated on free channels, it is often beaten by free channels - by weeks, and sometimes more. Is that worth paying for?
Actually, yes, a certain percentage of Depeche Mode (or other artist) superfans will pay for the polished versions. Delivered without hassle, on time and with proper metadata and encoding.
But what happens when an "exclusive" remix - or more realistically, the entire album - is beaten by a leak? In 2009, the leak date IS the release date, and the most dedicated fans are likely to race towards a slipped copy. Was that worth $18.99, especially when leaks often happen weeks ahead of scheduled in-stores? If it's available over there, it's available everywhere, and that makes the scarcity proposition less tenable. That goes for a straight-ahead single or album download, as well as a more complicated proposition like the iTunes Pass.
The other issue is one of audience size. How many superfans are really out there? That depends on the band, and groups that properly target and cultivate superfans can be successful. Trent Reznor scored millions through this approach, but is the superfan a scalable market for major labels? In many cases, the superfan group is simply too small to generate substantial cash, at least in amounts required by a major media company. But that is an experiment that EMI Music - and other majors - are embarking on.
And make no mistake, EMI digerati Douglas Merrill and Cory Ondrejka will be watching the numbers on this concept. Both are professed data nuts, and students of a story told in numbers. Indeed, lessons will be learned, and there is an audience (however limited) for this sort of approach.
But the bigger battle is one that remains nearly impossible to win, no matter how much data is involved. Majors desperately want to preserve windowing, they want to be able to engage the fan through discrete releases and marketing build-ups. That would explain the thinking behind the iTunes Pass, though media consumption has quickly evolved past structured release approaches.
Instead, the window has been smashed, and fans are now accustomed to getting content whenever they want, whenever it is leaked, and at little or no cost. Indeed, they already have their pass, in the form of a broadband internet connection, and most see little need to pay more.
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