Fans of Sufjan Stevens are being urged not to buy his new album on Amazon – by the singer’s own label.
The rise of the internet has changed the way we consume music. Shattering the grip of the high street, online shopping has given birth to retail giants such as the web based outlet Amazon.
A colossal force in shopping, Amazon recently decided to charge an extremely low price for the new Sufjan Stevens album. His first in five years, ‘The Age Of Adz’ is a wonderful return from the maverick songwriter.
However Sufjan Stevens’ label Asthmatic Kitty has written to fans asking them to shop elsewhere. In a quite clear letter to fans, the imprint explained that it simply believed that its music was worth more than Amazon were charging.
“We have it on good authority that Amazon will be selling ‘The Age of Adz’ for a very low price on release date, not unlike they did with Arcade Fire’s recent (and really terrific) ‘The Suburbs’,” reads the letter.
“We have mixed feelings about discounted pricing. Like we said, we love getting good music into the hands of good people, and when a price is low, more people buy. A low price will introduce a lot of people to Sufjan’s music and to this wonderful album. For that, we’re grateful.”
“But we also feel like the work that our artists produce is worth more than a cost of a latte. We value the skill, love, and time they’ve put into making their records. And we feel that our work too, in promotion and distribution, is also valuable and worthwhile.”
Amazon’s low pricing techniques has been instrumental in sending indie acts into the upper echelons of the Billboard charts. Both Vampire Weekend and Arcade Fire have benefited from the scheme, enjoying massive first week sales.
However Asthmatic Kitty clearly believe that there is more to life than chart placings, and finished the letter by pointing out other distribution points.
“So you might wonder why we’d ‘allow’ Amazon to sell it for lower than that. There are several reasons why, but mostly? It’s because we believe in you. We trust you and in your ability to make your own choice.”
