iTunes to go?

16Mar/054

eHomeUpgrade | Is Apple Working on a Subscription-Based iTunes Music Service?

Y’know, I don’t like the idea of renting music. I like to be able to keep and back up what I buy. I wouldn’t rent a movie from Blockbuster or Netflix and keep it around for ever. That’s not cost efficient. I’d rather just buy it.

One thing I’d like iTunes to go to impliment would be to give me a discount on the songs I buy if I have downloaded them from their music rental service. I’m not sure what the exact pricing equation should be. Half-off sounds good to me. Maybe it could be related to how long you keep the song. Say you are paying $15/month and you keep 15 songs for one month. Maybe they could let you buy them for free at that point? Maybe the longer you keep them, the lower the price would go. Each song could have a timer attached to it?

I’m sure a suggestion like that would give the accountants at Apple or Napster fits. Maybe half-off the cost of the song after 2 months would work better?

Filed under: Technology Leave a comment

Kevin Schumacher

The difference between renting a movie or a game at Blockbuster and the subscription service of Napster is that you aren’t renting 1 song or even 15…you are renting several hundred thousand for one fee.

I’m not a fan at all of Napster the company, and I think their CEO badly needs a muzzle, but I don’t think the subscription idea is a horrible one. I subscribed to Rhapsody (Real’s streaming subscription service) for a while and I enjoyed it, but having the ability to also put that music on my iPod would have made it 1000% better. (And the price per month is about the same for Rhapsody and Napster, though Rhapsody offers multi-month-prepayment discounts; I don’t know if Napster does.)

I would be very surprised if the subscription service doesn’t show up in iTMS in the next year or two.
Kevin Schumacher

My comment was pretty badly mangled…everything before “.com—>” shouldn’t be there.
Bill

I’m slowly warming the idea of a music subscription plan, but only if it will work with my iPod. Congrats, Apple, you hooked me I like the idea of comparing it with satellite radio subscription but with your own music, rather than a music rental program. This could be further strengthened by iTunes current affiliation with Audible (the concept of not only downloading unlimited music, but audiobooks you probably wouldn’t care to keep after listening to once might be a killer app) and the PodCasting revolution might give Apple bigger buzz than Napster.
http://www.schubox.com Kevin Schumacher

Hey guys. This is off subject, but I am seeking out ALL Kevin Schumachers in the US(and possibly world). Please email me back at kevin@schubox.com if you see this.
I know it sounds strange but it’s for some research and your time would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a bunch.