Sufjan Stevens' Label Decries Amazon's Bulk Discounting

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It may not be a furious war of words but Sufjan Stevens' label has taken to wagging their finger at online retailer Amazon. With a new album, 'The Age of Adz,' ready to be released in October, the singer-songwriter's Asthmatic Kitty Records has issued an e-mail to fans claiming that Amazon's bulk discount scheme is devaluing the work of artists.

The e-mail said, "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."

It added, "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."

To this end, Asthmatic Kitty have recommended that check out alternative retailers and distributors such as Bandcamp which allows artists to sell directly to fans. With the business model in the music industry in a constant state of flux, the effect of the e-mail may point to your another form of distribution that, while not directly emulating Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' example, may yet directly benefit the artist.