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Best Buy wants a piece of the online music downloads

With Apple dominating the rest of the field with its iTunes Music Store (88% marketshare) and its iPod music players (between 75% - 80% marketshare), everyone else is left to fight over the table scraps. Microsoft has already announced its Zune Marketplace music store which will be tightly integrated with its Zune music player. Today we hear that Best Buy is teaming up with RealNetworks and SanDisk to launch the Best Buy Digital Music Store.

The digital music player that Best Buy will be promoting with its new store is the SanDisk Sansa e200R Rhapsody. The music store will be based around the current Rhapsody 4.0 service and will incorporate Rhapsody DNA. Songs will be downloadable for 99 cents apiece and a music subscription plan will be available for $14.99 per month. Prices for the Sansa players will range from $149 for 2GB model to $249 for the 8GB model.

Best Buy is a giant in its own right in the retail sector and it offloads its fair share of music players to the buying public. It remains to be seen whether its clout in selling players will translate into booming business in selling music.

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Hmm...
By therealnickdanger on 10/5/2006 1:54:49 PM , Rating: 2
I like Best Buy (I actually work there part-time), and I like Sansa players, but I can't stand Real. I think this will be a huge deal though. I'm that dude that stands at the front and puts stickers on returns (it's easy and kinda fun) and I see the same thing every day: iPods returned and other MP3 players going out. iPods are already sort of unpopular at my store (and we're one of the highest revenue stores in the company).

I wonder if this will be seen by Apple as direct competition. I know for a fact that employees will be directed to sell only MP3 players that work with Rhapsody, so this will severly cripple iPod sales at Best Buy. Naturally, the customers that only want an iPod will still buy one, but probably not without a hassle.




RE: Hmm...
By h0kiez on 10/5/2006 2:00:37 PM , Rating: 2
Best Buy needs to do the same thing that others need to do (and aren't doing...I'm talking to you MS & Zune)...they need to bundle a giftcard for $10 or $20 worth of music with the players. That would get people using their DL service...and people are very "sticky" once they've started using one service (hence iTunes' continued success).


RE: Hmm...
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 10/5/2006 3:41:14 PM , Rating: 2
Keep dreaming. I worked at Best Buy last year, thank god I got a REAL job shortly thereafter. Yea the wireless/pda department will push the players that work with best buy's service, but the majority of people in there that have a clue come in and say "Where's the iPods" and wont be talked out of getting one. On the other hand Best Buy should be sued for alot of the shady stuff it does to customers, lets start with that Product Service Plan scam........


RE: Hmm...
By Pete84 on 10/6/2006 1:43:54 AM , Rating: 2
Freaky, I'm a front door dude as well.

Our store is ok in the numbers department, but wow, talk about apathy. It will be interesting to see how the managers get the troops to sell this.


I think...
By archcommus on 10/5/2006 1:49:58 PM , Rating: 4
I think we need to end this trend of one music store per brand of music player. Just doesn't make any sense.

Luckily I don't need or want any of these devices.

And, $249 for an 8 GB model? No thanks.




RE: I think...
By h0kiez on 10/5/2006 1:57:04 PM , Rating: 2
Totally agreed. They should band together, otherwise they have no hope. Anyway, as far as the trend ending...it will, but not until Best Buy is convinced that they have a losing proposition. Most online music stores will eventually close IMHO.


Rethink
By onecrazyguy on 10/5/2006 4:14:37 PM , Rating: 2
Have you guys checked out the price of the Sansa players?
You'll be surprised...they're actually affordable! They dropped the price about a month ago.




No Thanks
By underline21 on 10/6/2006 6:26:23 AM , Rating: 2
I wouldn't pay a dime for anything associated with Real Network...




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