At a time when the economics of purchasing music doesn’t seem worth the cost (for consumer or artist), Anjuno‘s business model offers a compelling option. Billed as the “world’s first pick-your-price digital media community”, Anjuno allows content creators (musicians, authors, etc.) to upload their work so that fans can peruse, and hopefully download. There is no set cost for downloading, one need only determine how much they feel the content is worth (or how much they are wiling to pay), which may often be nothing at all. Anjuno’s hope is that this system will hopefully 1) cut down on piracy, and 2) give the artists a greater share of the profits than what they would typically receive via mainstream distribution channels. (Anjuno takes a commission of 15% per sale, far less than record labels or publishers.) This un-pricing purchase plan is not new. Several popular artists have used this tactic as a way of promoting new releases, most recently Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead, for Ghosts I-IV and In Rainbows, respectively. However, Anjuno offers a sustaining system, not merely a promotional tool.
The site is pretty easy to use and navigate. The only drawback that I see for some is the limited content on the site. Don’t let this be a deterrent to you because there is a lot of good music that is well worth a listen. Check it out for yourself.