Apple launched a new music sales format called iTunes Pass that wraps extras with an upcoming album by Depeche Mode for a premium price. For an extra $9 on top of the album's price of $10, fans will get added singles and video exclusives in the weeks leading up to the band's release of Sounds of the Universe.
The offer is yet another experiment in digital delivery as the music industry struggles with declining CD sales. Performers like Nine Inch Nails have given music away to promote their work, others like Radiohead let fans choose how much to pay for a download. Most of the experimentation has been done by bands independent of labels, while Depeche Mode's is in concert with its studio, EMI Music.
It's an effort "to better understand music consumers and help create stronger connections between fans and artists," said an EMI executive.
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