Planning on hitting Apple’s iTunes store today to grab some new (or old) tunes?

While you’re browsing you may think twice before making your purchasing decisions, especially if you’re looking for tunes that are all over the airwaves these days.

Apple’s tiered pricing, which bumps up popular songs by 30 cents and scales down unpopular tunes by 30 cents—to get us to 0.69, 0.99 and $1.29 per song—goes into effect today, having been announced back in January.

Personally I’m more of a fan of ripping my own CDs and using iTunes as a server with Apple Lossless or 320 kbps MP3 formats, but occasionally I’ll browse for some individual tunes or guilty pleasures.

With a quick glance it looks like you’ll be hard-pressed to find some of those 69-cent treasures (Gizmodo has little luck as well), while new releases and Top 40-type tunes will most certainly cost you the full $1.29.

Heck, if the deep cuts from Foreigner’s Agent Provocateur don’t cut you the 30-cent reduction, I don’t know what will. OK - actually Apple has done us a favor and put together well-worn cuts like Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran,” Springsteen’s “Cover Me,” Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” and more into a “Great Songs at a Great Price” package, all 69 cents apiece. Meanwhile, new Zeppelin compilation material is running $1.29.

So are you guys still shopping despite the extra price? Or maybe digging through iTunes’ bargain bin to fill gaps in your collection?

Arlen Schweiger - Editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen writes about home technology installations and product news and reviews for electronichouse.com and Electronic House magazine.