Napster is Back With New $5 Subscription Service
Napster is back and while it may be fee-paying, it’s still a far cry from iTunes-like practices of paying per song.
In a press release dated for tomorrow, May 19, Napster announced that for just $5 a month, subscribers will get unlimited, streaming access to the Napster library, which boasts 7 million tracks from both major and independent labels. Along with your unlimited streaming, you’ll also get five “unrestricted” songs each month that you can burn, play and transfer as many times as you want.
Throwing in "60 commercial-free radio stations and more than 1,400 expertly programmed playlists," this is a pretty awesome deal for those of us who spend a large part of our lives hooked up to the web. Sure five songs a month isn't great but if you're online for several hours a day, every single day, this seems like a no brainer.
This whole thing brings us right back to Microsoft’s claims that it will cost you thousands to fill your iPod with iTunes versus the $14.99 a month it’ll cost you for Zune Pass. In other words, the benefits of a subscription-based service rather than a pay-per-tune service. Assuming we’re all legal, law abiding citizens who pay for the music (we’re giving you the benefit of the doubt here), what kind of service do you use? Are you an iTunes fan or do you prefer these all-you-can-eat services? Let us know in the comments below!
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Well to be honest, I am rather old school, never like iTunes for the reason you don't get a box so I suppose the subscription is the same. Currently only purcahse CD's from a store or online retailer. The only problem is with over 200 CD's and no illegal music storage of a physical matter is more of a problem than storage of a digital matter.
I generally don't like subscriptions - it makes you pay regardless if you use something or not. Pay as you go without expiration would be better I think - but then you pay per tune not the whole lot... Nah... Cannot be bothered... Plus how many of those bazilions of songs are actually good? Normal human being won't even have time to listen half of that... yet another reason not to pay for music... sorry guys...
Since my pre-2001 Napster downloads are now a little dated, I am looking at joining a subscription service. I figure I will go nuts for a month or two and then use it more sparingly. It would be interesting to see what other people use since this is not exactly a mac-centric site