Is Apple’s 99 cent pricing good for consumers?

It’s hard to argue with the success of Apple’s iTunes music store. Billions of songs have been purchased at 99 cents each. Earlier this year music companies wanted Apple to agree to a variable pricing model which would reduce the price from 99 cents for older songs but increase the cost of newer, more popular songs to say, $1.39. I’m not sure this is a good thing for those of us who don’t purchase a lot of Britney Spears or Coldplay. Most of the music I purchase isn’t the newer, mainstream stuff so I’d probably pay less than 99 cents for the type of music I like.

But Jobs and Apple prevailed and it appears we’re stuck with the 99 cent song for a while.