Coldplay on iTunes vs. Amazon
The Apple iTunes Store and Amazon MP3 will each let you buy a pre-release track from Coldplay’s soon-to-be-released album, Viva La Vida. But, strangely, they are each offering different tracks.
The Apple iTunes Store, in a potential flex of marketshare power, is offering the album’s title track, Viva La Vida. Amazon MP3 is offering a different track called Violet Hill (and not mentioning the overall Viva La Vida album on that page).
However, you can’t yet get the Viva La Vida track on Amazon MP3 and you can’t yet get the Violet Hill track on the Apple iTunes Store. But, apparently both will be available in both places on May 20th.
All I can guess is that Coldplay and/or Capitol Records are getting paid by Apple and Amazon for the rights to exclusive tracks on each store. And, that’s lovely for them. But, it’s kinda frustrating to make fans go to different online stores for different tracks. And, I thought labels usually promoted one track at a time to nurture hits and build momentum for an album. Strange.