“All five of the major music companies are discussing ways to boost the price of single-song downloads on hot releases – to anywhere from $1.25 to as much as $2.49. It isn’t clear how or when such a price hike would take place, and it could still be months away.
Sales of such singles – prices have remained at 99 cents – still account for the majority of online music sales.
The industry is also mulling other ways to charge more for online singles.
One option under consideration is bundling hit songs with less-desirable tracks. Another possibility is charging more for a single track if it is available online before the broader release of the entire album from which it is taken.
