Stephen Withers
Thursday, 21 August 2008 07:55
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Subscription services are probably most attractive to younger listeners who keep playing whatever's current and rarely return to older material. If you decide against renewing your membership, you simply lose the ability to play the subscription tracks you've downloaded. But if all you listen to is music from the current charts, that's no great loss.
It's quite possible that many parents would prefer to stump up for a subscription for their kids in preference to worrying about illegitimate downloads.
But that means getting the subscription price right. What's the competition charging? Napster is probably the best-known music subscription service, and its prices start at $US12.95 per month, ie $US155.40 per year.
I'd remind you at this juncture that we're taking the anonymous tip at face value.
Apple (it is said) will charge $US129.99 per year as a standalone subscription, or $US179.99 for iTunes Unlimited plus MobileMe. Since MobileMe normally costs $US99 per year, that's just $US80.99 for the music, or less than $US1.60 per week.
Not too bad, even if it's being deducted at source from a kid's allowance. Even a standalone subscription at these rates is only $US2.50 a month.
The bad news - well, the least attractive part of the tip - is that iTunes Unlimited will initially be available only in the US (why doesn't that surprise me?), and that only around half of the current iTunes catalogue will be included at launch.
So why might Apple be introducing a subscription service at this stage of the game? My theory is on
page three, where you get the chance to add your thoughts on the matter.
