While albums are not always a guarantee for the top 10 (it hasn't been in the past - a number from previous years have yet to get their first ones out), it is definitely a solid foot in the door. If Clive Davis and his companies don't want to pick you up, you have at least some national face time. You're different than someone who comes in off the street when trying to talk to someone about a deal. That's a plus.

The iTunes thing is new this year - at least it is the first time it has been prominently pushed each week. In past years, there was usually one CD put out near the end of the season that had one performance by each of the Top 10 on it. With this tie-in with iTunes, these folks have a chance to get quite a few tracks out there for the world to hear, download, etc. They win because they get more exposure with full-length songs. Idol wins because it gets more programming tie-ins. iTunes wins because it gets some folks taking advantage of impulse downloads. Clearly Idol has tapped into their core viewing audience - one that is into the technology and downloads. Plus, it allows them to better see who might be more marketable - which could help further influence offers of record deals down the road.

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