News
Universal gathering allies to take on iTunes
By Charles Starrett
Contributing Editor
Published: Friday, October 12, 2007
News Categories: Digital Media
Universal Music Group chief Doug Morris is gathering support from other labels, including Sony BMG and Warner Music Group, in hopes to build a subscription-based iTunes competitor, reports BusinessWeek. The service, which is among several under consideration, would be called Total Music, and would tie a $5-per-month subscription fee to the price of compatible players. Unlike current subscription plans, this business model would allow consumers to pay just once for the player, and have unlimited music for the life of the device. It is estimated that this plan would add about $90 to the price of any Total Music device. “If the object is to wrest control of the market from Steve Jobs,” says Gartner analyst Mike McGuire, “this is a credible way to try it.”
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21
It’s both funny and sad to watch an industry die via self-inflicted wounds. Sooner the better.
Used CDs are the way. The music company get no money from me.
Posted by Tom K on October 12, 2007 at 12:46 PM (PST)
22
My source of music is either from iTunes or from the occasional bought cd, nothing else. No way in hell will I do a subscription plan on a music device that is not made by Apple. The record companies can go F themselves!!
Posted by canadan on October 12, 2007 at 1:37 PM (PST)
23
First step is to find a credible device to tie the monthly stupidity to. That’s more like a leap.
Posted by yeahright on October 12, 2007 at 7:38 PM (PST)
24
“Subscription Service” is just another way of saying “Doomed to fail”
Posted by phennphawcks on October 12, 2007 at 10:34 PM (PST)
25
It’s been said before but I think we have to repeat this….these music companies don’t seem to understand that you can’t grab the customers away from iTunes if their service won’t work on an iPod. Are they idiots?
We’ve all seen this over and over again with Napster, MTV/Real, etc. I think a subscription model could work BUT unless you can make it play on an iPod it’s stupid to try to take on iTunes.
This is like trying to start a rival to Gamefly (online video game rental business) but only offering Nintendo Wii games. It wouldn’t matter if you were better priced and/or got the right to exclusively rent Wii games. If other people own a PS3/Xbox 360, they’re not going to suddenly join your cheaper service because they can’t use your software!
Posted by dodofett57 on October 13, 2007 at 12:43 AM (PST)
26
iTunes is all that I will use. The program would have to completely go down the drain before I’d give it up, unless I saw something exponentially better that supported iPod updating and the likes. The odds of that happening are slim so it looks like I’m hooked. iTunes has many people locked in. They’re not giving up their iPods just for a different program. I suggest everyone just work with iTunes instead of trying to take away from it’s profits though that’s no likely either.
Posted by ddsd on October 13, 2007 at 10:52 AM (PST)
27
See, a major problem with this is you have to buy a new music player to get the subscription. Who’s going to give up on their iPods when some of us have been building collections on iPod/iTunes for 5 years or more? Yeah, I’ll throw all that away and buy a Universal Total Music device… right away… it’s so brilliant! I’m definitely not even looking forward to the iPhone coming to Canada any more… I hate stupid people…
Posted by Mark C. on October 13, 2007 at 9:14 PM (PST)
28
Hey, if it weren’t for stupid people, how would we know who the smart ones are?
Posted by ahMEmon in Canada on October 14, 2007 at 10:36 AM (PST)
29
It’s funny how things are seen from different points of view. Back then in the States, when I lived there, I used to pay for all my music, either from buying CDs or getting it from iTunes so I could have it in my 3G iPod. Now I’m in Latinoamerica with NO iTunes (I blame Apple on that) and honestly I don’t give a **** if Universal is planning something against iTunes because I get my music free from the web anyway. If there was iTunes in LatAm I would say: **** Universal.
Posted by Zaci on October 14, 2007 at 8:42 PM (PST)
30
why doesn’t my ipod icon come up on itunes anymore. i’ve un installed itunes and re installed it a few times already. help!!!
Posted by eunice sison on October 14, 2007 at 11:16 PM (PST)
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