Shameful Sony Music Raised Whitney Album Prices Immediately After Death

Posted by Kevin Farrell on Feb 13, 2012 in Oh Hell No! | 9 comments

Sony Music is turning grief into gold after raising prices on Whitney Houston albums immediately following news of her death.

Sony Music has come under fire after it increased the price of a Whitney Houston album on Apple’s iTunes Store hours after the singer was found dead.

The music giant is understood to have lifted the wholesale price of Houston’s greatest hits album, The Ultimate Collection, at about 4am California time on Sunday. This meant that the iTunes retail price of the album automatically increased from £4.99 to £7.99.

Houston’s The Ultimate Collection, originally released in 1997, was the second top-selling album on iTunes on Monday morning. Apple returned the album to its original price late on Sunday.

The change happened when Sony Music, which owns the rights to much of Houston’s back catalogue, increased the wholesale price of The Ultimate Collection. This automatically boosted the retail price of the popular album, although Apple is responsible setting the price paid by music fans.

Gross.

A Sony insider claimed in his company’s defense that the price gouging wasn’t in response to Houston’s death. No, no, no – the albums were just priced incorrectly in the first place. For years. And nobody noticed. Until she died and album purchases exploded.

Like we said, gross.

Apple, to their credit has restored the album to its original pricing on iTunes.

What do you think of this money-grabbing move by Sony?

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GADJBI5TDUDOT2M7SL3W6Q6KY4 Trip

gross
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=655997575 Daniel Campbell

At a time in which the recording industry is trying to combat piracy, you would think that they would make wiser decisions/choices in situations like this.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1365158124 Bill Hart

Shameful!!!
http://www.facebook.com/Dani.Soleil Daniel Chapman

I’m sorry, but I really don’t get what the big fuss is over. Companies do this ALL the time and really, its a legitimate way to make money. Is it sad that Whitney has passed on? Of course, and we’re all sad to see such a talent leave us. However, when has a celebrity ever died and the entertainment industry hasn’t come out with remembrance merchandise, re-released content, and yes, even price adjustments. This is a company, it is their job to make money so they can continue to produce. I personally, am not going to vilify them for their choice or even pretend like I’m shocked.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=655997575 Daniel Campbell

Shocked, no. Absolutely not. In the old days you could even justify it with supply + demand. However, when the industry is trying to combat being painted as a bloated, opportunistic, bully then it is unfortunate. They try to paint piraters and people who download as the element that is causing the moralistic unraveling of capitalism. If they want to continue to maintain a leading role in the digital age then they should set an example of responsible capitalizing by ensuring the raising of prices is directly in line with the supply chain that the demand is putting pressure on. I would also like to point out, this raise was against existing merchandise.
http://www.facebook.com/marianne.ibbotson Marianne Ibbotson

Thing is, you can make money without being so incredibly disrespectful to your dead artist, simply by leaving the prices alone. The surge in popularity of her stuff after her death *alone* would have them raking it in, they don’t need to raise prices to achieve that. The only way I’d consider this respectable was if the increased price went towards Whitney’s family, which you can be sure it won’t.

http://www.facebook.com/adam.w.rhine Adam Rhine

There is nothing wrong with what they did. They’re a business. They’re here to make money. They made a good business decision. They can raise or lower the prices of any of their artists anytime for any reason. You can’t prove it’s connecting to anything. You only have inconclusive circumstantial happenstance.

The price of Michael Jackson songs went up after his death. The price of Van Gogh paintings went up after his death. As is the nature of making money.
*Puts on Rainboe Dash glasses*
DEAL WITH IT BRO.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=38423830 William N. Cate III

Time to go pirate some music.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Grey-Diamond/1547664306 Grey Diamond

Whats all the fuss about it. If you were really a fan of whitney houston you wouldve buy the cd long time ago. So to me it sound more like ” You wanna be an hypocrit ? Then pay for it” I dont listen to her music and Im not gonna make a sad face in front of everyone to feel like Im a part of something.

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