As much as I want to like the iTunes Music Store, it continually disappoints me. It’s really easy to buy music, yes, and it’s often quite cheap. But in the Australian version, there’s so much weird crap that leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
For example, I checked out the new “The Dears” album today, and look what I found:
Uh, great. Two of the same thing, one half again as expensive. What’s the difference? The first is a regular iTMS album at the normal price:
The second has an EP stuck on the end (note the track numbering):
So, I could either buy the album at $17, and buy the tracks to the EP individually at $1.70 each for a grand total of $23.80. Or I could skip the hassle and buy them all at once for $27.04?!?!
What’s worse, their first album is only available for $33.98, which includes their “Protest” EP. Why even bundle them together in the first place? The US store doesn’t, and lists the album for US$10, the EP for US$4.00.
It’s senseless things like this that really makes me wonder how incompetent the Australian iTMS people are, or whether it’s some stupid music labels thing. Don’t even get me started on how Sigur Rós is represented in the iTMS. The whole thing’s ridiculous.