Subscription-Based Music

You spend $15 a month for two years, lets say. But then you cancel for whatever reason, or because Napster went under (likely scenario). What are you left with? Jack shit. $15 a month for two years is $360. Even if you go by the iTMS route, 360 songs after 2 years is better than 0. And if you use a combination of iTMS single-song and album sales, and used CD stores, youll probably have 500-600 songs after 2 years, that you can do what you like with.

Unless you do that thing stormy is talking about, which would work, but its a pain in the ass.

As of now, IMO, the best way to get music legally is used CD stores.

BTW, the format you download the Napster songs in is WMA w/DRM.

I had a 2-month trial subscription to Napster, and I have to give it the thumbs down. Ill get into more detail if youd like. The song selection is lacking.

I'm storing an extra app file for winamp just incase RIAA decides to fuck us over for this.

Yeah, there are really two different things going on here.

First is "Napster to Go," which you are mostly talking about. For $15 a month, you can download as many tracks as you want, and put them onto an MP3 player. These tracks cannot* be burned to a CD. As long as you keep paying Napster your monthly $15, you can continue to listen to this music on your computer or MP3 player. As soon as you stop playing, the files become useless, and won't play on either.

If you want to keep a track, or burn them to a CD, you must pay an additional $.99 per track for those rights. I'm not certain of this, but from what I've heard, not all of the songs you can get as part of the subscription service can be purchased.

The obvious downside of this service, as was the problem with the stupid Divx (not the video codec) idea, is just what has been said: if the company goes under, you have NOTHING - well, at least with Divx, you had some shiny discs to play with. Or, maybe the company doesn't go under, you just decide to stop paying the monthly fee - you also have nothing to show for it.

I guess some people out there might find this to be a good deal, but for me, if I'm going to be putting out money towards music, it is usually because I enjoy said music. If I enjoy it, I want to always have it around, and not worry if I'm still paying for it years later or not.



* under the scheme of the protection. Obviously, there are hacks out there to try to get around this.

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If you want to keep a track, or burn them to a CD, you must pay an additional $.99 per track for those rights. I'm not certain of this, but from what I've heard, not all of the songs you can get as part of the subscription service can be purchased.

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And, if the older, streaming-type system is any indication, not all songs that are in the system can be used for the subscription system. A significant portion of songs couldnt be streamed when I used it, but can only be purchased. Its probably less than 1 or 2 percent, but its the 1 or 2 percent that a lot of people would actually give a shit about.

Like I said, I would stay away from Napster. The service is lacking.

As I understand it too, when you put the songs on your portable player, the system "updates" your rights when you hook it up to a computer. If you dont hook it up to your computer past the time when youre supposed to pay Napster, you dont have access to the songs.

Does anyone see a problem here? Lets say youre on a trip from the 28th to the 3rd. The songs lock out on the 1st. Then your player is useless until you get back home on the 4th.

Ahh, I didn't know that you had to pay seperately to burn. I love how that fact isn't mentioned, I probably didn't read the ToS well enough. If that's the case, then yeah, I don't see how this is a better deal. Windows Media is a trashy format.

In answer to some other questions, iTunes can play MP3, AAC (M4A), Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, QuickTime MOV, and can convert WMA into MP3. Any music file of those formats that you toss in goes into your library. Stuff you download from iTMS is in AAC format, you burn it to a CD and then re-import as whatever format you want. With the right plugins, you can play OGG and FLAC files, too, I believe. You can convert any song to the formats that iTunes can import to. (MP3, WAV, AAC, Lossless, AIFF).

http://www.napster.com/using_napster/index.html

Read the bottom of the page..

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Burn and transfer just the music you want.

Buy tracks for 99¢ and albums starting at $6.95. Create CDs where you love every song and transfer your music to over 75 compatible players.

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Just d/l'ed iTunes and dropped $50 on pop songs by hot girls.

Awesome.

Now I'm contemplating a Mini so I can listen on the bus.

I never thought I'd say this but...

Apple is owning me right now. :eek:

I buy CDs.

Haven't had problems yet.

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Originally Posted by Mzo

I buy CDs.

Haven't had problems yet.

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you could buy many a 14 year old russian whore for what you probably spend on cds.

You don't consider that a problem?

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Originally Posted by Mzo

I buy CDs.
Haven't had problems yet.

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If there is an album that I want, absolutely I would purchase it on CD.

For those singles from singers or groups where I only like that song, I go to the iTMS.