If iTunes Unlimited Is Real, Will You Subscribe?

For anyone that doesn't know about iTunes Unlimited, it's rumored to be announced next month and include:

-256 Kbps music; highest quality digital music subscription service ever
-50% of U.S. store available for iTunes Unlimited at launch, U.S.-only launch
-Available through iTunes or retail box a la MobileMe, funds applied through iTunes gift cards cannot be used towards subscription purchase
-$129.99 stand-alone or $179.99 with MobileMe, current MobileMe subscribers can add iTunes Unlimited for $99.99
-One-year subscription period
-Current a la carte options unchanged
-When signed in to subscription account, “Buy” is “Get”
-“Download and Play throughout iTunes Unlimited Subscription” or “Buy and Keep”
-“Buy and Keep” option available for downloaded subscription songs, purchased version replaces subscription version
- Late October launch with iTunes 7.8

If it's true, will you subscribe? I think I'd probably subscribe. 256kbp/s is a really good quality for music, and a real unlimited music catalog is the best way to find new music since you can just take recommendations, quickly download a few albums (plus you get to browse through iTunes and download anything without any limits), and put your iPod/iPhone in shuffle to check out all of the music you've downloaded and see what you like and what you don't.

 

For me, I currently purchase most of my songs on iTunes, and I wouldn't subscribe to iTunes Unlimited...I'm part of the "own music" crowd, I don't want all my music to disappear once I stop subscribing or Apple stops offering the service.

 

Talk about piracy will NOT be tolerated. I have edited your poll to remove any reference to it.

Edit: and I would so buy it.

 

Ugh. Like I need more DRM. iTunes+ was a step in the right direction, iTunes Unlimited would be a step backwards for me.

I like to use my music when I want it, where I want it and on whatever devices I choose. I've always paid for my music (Dad works in television) so it's a big turn off for me when I'm treated like some criminal right off the bat. If I'm not taking food off someone else's plate - then I should be allowed to take my music off of my Windows partition.

Then again, a flat fee for a year's worth of music might take away some incentive for piracy.

 

You mean rent it?

And CDs?... I stopped buying those when Amazon MP3 launched... except I did buy a few CDs because I had a couple Borders gift cards and you can't use those with Amazon.

 

No, I meant buy the retail box of mobile me. I want my .mac email address back!

 

I prefer to buy my songs from iTunes a la carte. I tend to buy a song or two every month. There's not much in the way of songs that fancy me where unlimited downloads would benefit me. It always sounds good on paper, "Download as many songs as you heart desires" then when I go to download them I may only have 10 songs in mind. I'm with others on this one, I would rather own my songs. The MobileMe subscription service makes sense but not for music.

If Apple is really going to do a subscription service they will undoubtedly do it right as the other companies have failed at it.

 

I'm old school - I actually prefer to buy cd's and then just import the songs into iTunes. Some singles I will purchase from iTunes, or albums that are hard to find in stores, but for the most part, Amazon.com is where I make my music purchases

 

What did the rumors say about DRM?

 

Well there would most likely be DRM that makes the songs no longer play when they detect you've ended your subscription.

Anyway, again, once you've built your music library you're really only adding a song or two every now and then, so I stick to buying. I sample my music by listening to it on YouTube .

 

I prefer buying CDs

 

whats the point of paying all that $$ when, when ur sub ends you lose all the music?

thats the dumbest idea i have ever heard.

 

just a side question, but say i buy the cd and never open it, is it still illegal for me to pirate the music?

I sometimes like buying CDs and keeping them in the packaging. Like Viva La Vida, i bought it but never opened it.

 

Yeah, it's still illegal.

 

ah, i thought it would be like roms and backing up your files. I guess i'll have to open up the cd packages

 

Tell that to Microsoft, Rhapsody and several other subscription services .

 

what's the point of paying all that $$ for cable television (or Netflix), when ur sub ends you lose all the video?

thats the dumbest idea i have ever heard.

 

If you want to keep your CDs inside the plastic, then do it.

 

130 a month ? what a joke...but if its 130 a year for unlimited tracks that i can keep year after year so long as i pay the annual fee. yes. this will be a lot easier then going all over the net to find music and ripping tracks from cds... however i wish i itunes had a bit more choices. they dont have everything i want. oh and if music vids are included even better!

 

No, its $130 a year, $130 a month would be so not worth it .

 

I'm with Sam, I prefer to own my music. Amazon mp3 FTW!! Or CD's.

 

I think the appeal for something like a subscription service would be for the younger and/or casual music listener. Someone who just wants to listen to the latest Top 40 (do they still have the Top 40?) tripe to death and then cast it away and move on to the next batch of hits.

I can't see how anyone who listened to music seriously (ie, actually wanted to build a nice collection that they could listen to for years to come) would be interested in a subscription service (or DRM in general) which after all amounts to leasing or renting. I bought Dark Side of the Moon on CD 20 years ago. And it still plays today. Anywhere. Why on earth would someone want a "service" that simply allows them the priviledge of paying for Dark Side of the Moon over and over again...until they quit paying and no longer have it at all. Oh, and only being able to play it on some approved device in the mean time.

I don't get it.

 

This week in tech (the podcast) has Kevin Rose as a guest, and he said he has a new source inside who said iTunes is not going to have and unlimited subscription thing...

http://www.twit.tv/157

 

Well that was fast...

I listen to TWiT too .

 

OK, voted too fast without reading the entire post! To pricey for me since I only get like 3-4 new songs every 1-2 months. Plus I rather buy CDs now since I can rip them whatever way to want.

Ya that 1 person under "Yes. I buy most of my music on CD now." is me =/ I meant to vote for "No. I buy most of my music on CD now. "

 

DRM is dumb. People really need to be boycotting that crap... CDs are much more legit in every way besides the fact that they take up physical space. With Cd's you get the audio format in lossless- the best audio quality without any compression whatsoever(but it takes up a lot of space). And yes, it sounds better than 320kbps with top-notch speakers.