iPod owners in Great Britain can now download the Band Aid 20 single from the iTunes Music Store after Apple Computer reached agreement with the charity and its record label over its price. The single, priced at GB�0.79, is currently only available through the UK iTMS (see screen shot below) and not available in the U.S., Apple’s largest online music store market, or any of its 11 other international markets.
In a prepared statement obtained by The Mac Observer, Apple’s UK offices said, “Apple is pleased to offer the Band Aid 20 single on the iTunes Music Store to raise funds for the plight of hunger and poverty in Africa. Since all songs on iTunes are �0.79, we’ve decided to sell it for �0.79 and Apple will donate an additional �0.70 for each downloaded song to the Band Aid Charitable Trust.”
A copy of the original 1984 song is also available for download at 79p. More than 72,000 copies of the new Band Aid single were sold on its first day of release on Monday, according to sales figures.
Apple has come under criticism for not selling the single Do They Know It’s Christmas?, which is part of a charity program which is raising money to fight hunger in Africa. Universal Music, the record company behind the single, said last week the issue was the song’s �1.49 price, which is almost double the 79p Apple charges for all singles on its U.K. store. Universal Music did not release a statement about the apparent new understanding and a company spokesperson did not immediately return calls to TMO.