Apple's U2 'box set' a sign of shifting music pricing?

[Mac Reporter]

It may be a small, $149 step, but Apple Computer's introduction of a U2 "digital box set"--a downloadable compilation of every song the band has ever recorded--could portend a shift in online-music pricing.

Since the launch of Apple's iTunes store in April 2003, the price of digital music has gravitated, with few exceptions, to 99 cents per song, following the Mac maker's unwavering lead. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been adamant that a consistent price is important to help consumers understand the new world of online music.

Apple's U2 bundle, which includes an extra 25 unreleased tracks such as demos and live songs, costs $149. At ordinary $9.99 album pricing on iTunes, the collection would cost about $185. If purchased by the individual track, it would run more than $425.

CD box sets top out at seven or eight albums, Jobs said. But "we can just break through those limitations...and do something that has no physical limitations."

Read more at CNET News.com.