Comments on: Subscription plans could be coming to iTunes

By: ¿Catalogo musical de iTunes accesible mediante suscripción?

¿Catalogo musical de iTunes accesible mediante suscripción? — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:39:34 +0000

[...] Vía: TheAppleBlog.com [...]

By: Westport

Westport — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:58:12 +0000

I am not sure why there is even an argument about subscription or not. It’s not like Apple will need to abolish its pay per song model in order to introduce subscriptions. It would just be another choice. Those of us, like sjmills, who work for months at a time at the South Pole can keep paying 99cents per song and those of us who like to listen to a new album every other day can use a subscription. I don’t use apple specifically because they don’t offer a subscription service even though I know they have the best hardware and software. If they want my business they need to come my way. I hope they do.

By: gmliniowa

gmliniowa — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:23:09 +0000

I typically use a combination of subscription and purchased music. I have subscribed to Rhapsody for 2+years and can’t imagine getting rid of it. I will often download subscription tracks to my MP3, and if I truly love it, I may end up purchasing it so I can burn and make compilations (although I could do this without by setting up playlists on the MP3). And, Rhapsody gives you a discount on purchased music when you’re a subscriber ($0.89 per track).

Apple charging a premium on their players for subscription is stupid. I agree with that. Rhapsody supports a wide range of MP3 players. Now, it may be that the players are baking in a premium to allow subscriptions, but I doubt it since most of the hardware manufacturers (iRiver, Philips, etc.) aren’t in the business of selling the digital content.

I see subscription service as a great option for users who have smaller capacity devices (maybe 2GB and less) and who’s tastes are somewhat fickle.

Now if you’re an infrequent purchaser and you don’t look for new music frequently, then the subscription service probably isn’t cost-effective for you.

By: sjmills

sjmills — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:14:17 +0000

Westport, comparing music subscriptions to TiVo is ridiculous. They are nothing alike.

What happens if a subscriber happens to be out in the middle of nowhere for a long camping trip or is working for months at the South Pole and their subscription runs out? No more music for you. See? Subscriptions are dumb.

By: Westport

Westport — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:58:24 +0000

The subscription model is to music is what Tivo did for TV. It opens up a whole new experience. My suggestion is you try a subscription service for a month or two. You will realize that it blows paying 99 cents per track away. I have a 26,000 song database and since I have signed up for subscription, I have tapped into it maybe once or twice. I listen to artists I have never heard of all the time. By the time most people have decided on which songs to buy, I have downloaded three albums and am already on my way. Someday you will all understand that you don’t really own anything anyway. I love subscription and will never go back. I really hope apple comes my way. For now, I am a rhapsody fanatic.

By: Josh Pigford

Josh Pigford — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:25:36 +0000

@ken: But that’s the flaw with the subscription model. If you have to pay $15-20 a month, FOREVER if you want to listen to this selection of songs. Your wife’s $60 binge on 80’s music would cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars if she wanted to keep listening to those songs.

With DRM music you certainly have more freedom than you do with a subscription model.

By: sjmills

sjmills — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:08:37 +0000

You might now “own” the rights to the song, but you sure as hell own the song file and will be able to play it for the rest of your life, unlike a subscription-based song which will stop playing when you stop paying the subscription fees. See? That’s dumb.

By: Ken Robertson

Ken Robertson — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:04:10 +0000

I prefer the subscription model. I’d rather spend $15-20 and listen to anything, anytime, rather than having to spend $1 to listen to some song I might just listen to once or twice… or my wife going on a $60 spending spree for 80s music.

Additionally, you’re under an illusion if you think you own those songs. Unless you’re buying DRM free, you don’t own anything.

By: tGavin

tGavin — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:12:42 +0000

3 iPhones since June?

By: Bill McMinn

Bill McMinn — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:05:30 +0000

The $100 premium on iPods is just ridiculous, that would double the price of a iPod shuffle. If this only allows downloading through the iTunes WiFi music store then people just won’t go for it. I for one like to have my music on my computer as well as my portable player. There are other online music services that offer monthly subscriptions like Napster, Rhapsody and Zune Marketplace, that have hardly cut into iTunes’ market share.

By: sjmills

sjmills — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:13:57 +0000

I don’t like the idea. Do you lose the ability to listen to all the music you’ve “rented” once you stop paying the subscription? Probably. So, no thanks. Sounds stupid to me.