thoughtcrumbs

iTunes in meatspace

So, we've seen the ads and know that Pepsi is giving away iTunes under a third of its bottlecaps. Now, Target also carries pre-paid iTunes gift cards, ostensibly for people who are uncomfortable entering a credit card number online, but really just further cementing the valuable link between online and physical retailers. Conversely, Amazon started listing products available at local stores, such as Office Depot, for immediate pickup. Coupling the two arenas in this way fosters a much-needed feeling of comfort and stability for technophobic shoppers and makes a handy shortcut for the more tech savvy who just NEED IT NOW. Hopefully the relationship will further promote the use of digital music, and Apple has shown that with clever marketing, it is possible to make a profit selling songs at $0.99. Sure, the profit comes from selling iPods, and if every online music vendor followed that model we'd end up with a nightmarish myriad of harward standards and copyright-protection schemes. But, the seed for digital music sales is now planted, and here's wishing we get a healthy tree with juicy MP3s dripping from every branch.