amazon shop
didn't seem like it would be launched this week, but they did. amazon.com are now selling mp3 downloads. here is a link.
here is an article on the basics. 2.3 million songs, not bad. it seems waaaay better than itunes japan (yeah, i'm being sarcastic). i can't buy anything from the store because i am in tokyo at the moment (they don't want my money it seems). maybe i'll try a few tricks later and see if i can fool them.
i did wander about the store and all in all, it gave me a good impression. i think there are issues with sorting out the database and everything, especially integrating the mp3's with the cd versions of the same. but with amazon, you can actually go to amazon.com, type in whatever artist name that strikes yer fancy, search, and then they will sell you a cd version or a mp3 version. that's er, cool (i never say cool, so that was a rare moment).
what i would like to see though, is more fun in the shopping experience. music is an experience, so i think sellers should try to sell more than just music. sorry to sound like a middle aged git, but regain that excitment of being in a record store, with vinyl, books, magazines, etc. there's a lot amazon can do to offer that experience and it's all pretty much there, the dots aren't connected yet. say for example if i went to amazon to buy a goodies dvd. i do my shopping ladida, then amazon starts recommending me motorbikin' by chris spedding (i think he played on some goodies tunes, or was that the wombles?). then chris spedding might lead me to wilco johnson and dr. feelgood, then to ian dury, then to pub rock, then to punk, then to lots of music and books and all that with scantily clad women down a coalmine, eating fine crunchy frog chocolate with baked beans on toast. ugh, typing that gave me heartburn just now.
oh, and i dunno about thr 256kbps resolution on the mp3's. i'm used to mp3's now, so i can't really handle anything lower than 320kbps myserlf, but maybe i'm being snobbish.
i hope this store does well, because it's more than just selling a download, you can buy related items to a lawnmower. that sounds like an american mall concept.......... dunno if i like that, but time will prove itself....... so when's it happening in japan then?
it kind of reflects on what i've been thinking since sunday, which is cultural divide.