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BusinessWeek: Apple not likely to offer subscription service
BusinessWeek reports that Apple is not likely to launch an iTunes music subscription service unless a rival service starts to see “mainstream” user numbers.
“Two music executives tell BusinessWeek Online that earlier this summer, soon after Yahoo’s announcement of its Music Unlimited subscription service, Apple sounded them out about potential financial terms of a subscription service. One of the label executives said Apple was concerned about what e-tailer Amazon.com or Google might do in this area. But, says the source, Apple seemed unlikely to make a move until a rival began forging inroads into its music empire.”
BusinessWeek says that Apple doesn’t have much to worry about right now. “So far, only 2 million-or-so people have signed up for offerings such as RealNetworks’ Rhapsody service or one from Napster. Even Yahoo’s 3-month-old Music Unlimited, although priced at less than half of the others at just $60 a year, has failed to make big headway.”
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1
Within a year Apple will have a subscription service.
Posted by Talking Madness in Los Angeles on August 15, 2005 at 10:21 AM (PDT)
2
Hi, I’m random reporter Ted, and I’d just like to state the obvious and repeat what I’ve ready a million times elsewhere.
Seriously, I’m tired of reading stuff like this.
Posted by Cameron Talley on August 15, 2005 at 2:38 PM (PDT)
3
I use the Napster Subscription service and think it is the best thing going. As a former college dj, the ability to “go through the stacks” and legally download and listen to anything I care to, has really opened up for me a much wider range of music from the Cajun Playboys to Carlos Gardel.
Posted by Thomas McGovern on August 16, 2005 at 7:08 PM (PDT)
4
Subscription services seem like a viable business model to me; people get bored and tired with music all the time; a subscription service makes it easy to rotate new music in and replace all the tunes that have gotten stale with repeated listenings. And it’s not like those few favored songs that a person simply can’t do without can’t be bought anyways.
However, I still question why anyone should settle for such typically compressed shlock, regardless of the convenience factor.
Posted by flatline response on August 18, 2005 at 1:51 AM (PDT)