Look, I know we've had a great relationship for going on five years now, and I know that we've both changed in that time, but after today's visit, I'm afraid I don't know you anymore.
It really comes down to the money. I used to get a lot of bang for my buck with you. In fact, when I started, we're talking songs were as low as 17 cents ... based on how I purchased and paid ... and there were lots of other options.
Lots of great music at cheap prices ... albums as low as $3.00 and exclusive tracks that nobody else had, not to mention that there were bands that nobody else had in a digital format.
Then, as you grew, you got more expensive .. but you were still the best bargain around ... even at 40 or 50 cents, you were great. Your catalog was expanding, your exclusive tracks and impressive collections of whole discographies were amazing to me.
Then you had to big-time us.
Adding Columbia and RCA and all sorts of major labels that, quite frankly, none of us wanted. As a bunch of introverts who would stare at our own shoes, mixed with the occasional extrovert who stared at other people's shoes, we wanted our indie rock legal, and cheap.
We wanted Ryan Adams, not Bryan Adams. Bruce Cockburn, not Bruce Springsteen.
The final straw, though, was switching from download credits to actual cash ... I'd rather get my 30 credits at 50 cents a month than a flat out $12 dollars and 89 cent songs.
You've become Amazon without the selection. iTunes without the iPod. I see you heading down the same road as the download services once offered by WalMart and Sony and Napster ... you went from a niche player that ruled your market to the smallest fish in your pond.
And I'm taking my tackle box and leaving. Good luck to you.
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