Here is my latest pet peeve:

When an artist has an "exclusive" or "deluxe" CD version of their latest release available only from their website, but there are download bonus tracks available on Amazon or itunes.

Michael Buble did that with his last album, offering a package with special remixes, and packaging, but there were still download-only bonus tracks out there.

Also, I just ordered the latest deluxe version of Melissa Auf Der Mar's latest work, which includes a CD, DVD, LP, and 45, but there is still a bonus track on Amazon that is not included -- what is up with that?

I don't mind paying extra for a "deluxe" version, but I really think the version made available directly from the artist should include ALL of the tracks being released...

Thoughts?

I don't buy directly from artist websites after being burned (no pun intended) once too often by CD-Rs which they insisted were "real CDs". Although I love the idea of musicians keeping as large a percentage as possible of the profits from sales of their recordings, I have to say that most of them are gifted only in the area of music, not in running websites or home businesses ... so I just stopped buying direct.

And yeh, I've also experienced the "deluxe" website-only edition which ends up missing tracks that are released commercially.

(Sadly ... I think that the current music business model for many labels and artists deliberately relies on multiple purchases of the same title in order to make sufficient profits.)