Amazon Throws Its Toys Out The Pram Because iTunes Got Beyoncé Album First



She may have the fastest selling album in iTunes history, but not everyone is happy with Beyoncé’s success — and it’s not just limited to brick-and-mortar stores either.

Responding to Beyoncé’s iTunes exclusive, Amazon has joined Target in announcing that it will not stock physical copies of the Beyoncé album (although the album is available from Amazon’s online US MP3 store if a customer searches for it).

According to Billboard, iTunes has 41 per cent of the US retail music market, versus a combined 14 per cent for Amazon and Target.

However, while physical albums sales have more than halved since 2007, it is also worth noting that they (surprisingly) still represent $13 billion yearly sales in the US, versus $10 billion for digital sales.

Beyoncé is unlikely to be phased by the reaction to her iTunes triumph, but the reaction from retailers such as Amazon and Target could nonetheless make less established acts think twice about replicating the iTunes exclusive approach to releasing their music.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald