Direct to iTunes

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers have released their "Greatest Hits" album on iTunes. It's interesting that their management agency initially tried to stop this, arguing that per-track online sales should be discouraged to preserve the album format. Albums are valuable because they 1) bundle tracks (to increase the overall willingness to pay) and 2) increase profits by making the physical media distribution more efficient. Digital per-track sales erode both of these effects. It's worth thinking about what the "single" based music act looks like -- more experimentation? More one-off collaboration? More corporate sponsorship?