The U.S. iTunes Store now features Next Big Thing, a group of albums from emerging artists priced at either $5.99 or $6.99. Many are available as iTunes Plus songs, Apple’s non-DRM-encrypted format.
“iTunes has a fine selection of artists who we think have the true grit (or pure luck) it takes to become the next big thing,” reads the introductory information on the Next Big Thing page.
The artists run the gamut from from alternative artists like LCD Soundsystem and Peter Bjorn and John to world artists like Brazilian singer Céu and Jesse and Joy. All told, more than three dozen albums are listed, all priced at $6.99 or less.