Digital Samplers Bring Fans Into the Franchise

by | Feb 14, 2008

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Cortney Harding of Billboard writes in the Feb. 9 print issue about digital-only EPs becoming something of a trend as labels seek answers to the album sales riddle.

Last week Lil Wayne’s “The Leak,” Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black B-Sides” and Taylor Swift’s “Live form Soho” all appeared in the top 10 of the Top Digital Albums chart.

Cameo Carlson of Universal says, “We all know the album model has changed, but there is still fear about the single-track model. These digital-only EPs are a middle-ground and really a win for everybody.”

Given many EPs cost under five bucks, I’m extremely open to sampling new-to-me artists via this format. In fact, I’ve been collecting EPs ever since giving my credit card information to Apple. Just today, I picked up two more, “The Battle” by Caitlin Cary and “Live at Sirius Studios” by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.

In the case of Potter, I liked what I heard so much, I went back to purchase the band’s 2007 release, “This is Somehwere.”