Amazon preparing to overhaul its MP3 Store?
updated 11:20 pm EDT, Tue July 13, 2010
Company said to be on hiring spree
Amazon is allegedly preparing for a major overhaul of its MP3 Store. The online retailer is claimed to be set to relaunch the store's APIs and web services, unnamed sources have told TechCrunch. The sources also claim partners have been asked to delay Amazon MP3 integrations until the revamped portal has been launched.
Aside from the unconfirmed reports, Amazon's job listings contain a variety of relevant positions. A page referenced on the MP3 Store's Twitter account contains over a dozen entries for positions in engineering and business departments. Jobs range from Web Applications Manager, to various engineers for mobile endeavors on platforms such as Android.
Recent data gathered by NPD Group suggests iTunes accounts for 28 percent of all music distribution in the US. Amazon's share was said to be 12 percent, including physical CDs and digital copies of albums or tracks. Billboard numbers point to a much lower number, just 1.3 percent, for Amazon's MP3 business as a separate entity.
Amazon has yet to publicly disclose plans to relaunch its MP3 Store. While tighter integration in third-party devices seems like a likely focus, full details regarding the possible changes remain unclear.
