February 17, 2009

By By Ann Donahue, L.A.

Starting Wednesday (Feb. 18), "American Idol" fans can buy performance tracks from the show's 36 semifinalists on iTunes, and starting March 11, videos of the top 12 finalists also will be available for purchase.

In addition, starting today fans can pre-order performances from their favorite contestants; they will be downloaded automatically the day after the show airs.

Each song track will cost 99 cents; no price was given for the cost to download a video.

"We broke records last year on 'American Idol' with the number of downloads we sold. This year, with such a talented group of singers and a proven partnership with iTunes, we hope to be even more successful and break even more records," said show creator and 19 Entertainment Founder/CEO Simon Fuller in a statement.

Fox will provide links to "Idol" downloads from AmericanIdol.com.

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