Yahoo to Launch an iTunes Rival
Viva la competition!
From Cnet:
"Web giant Yahoo is poised to launch a new digital store and music player, aiming to compete more directly with Apple Computer’s successful iTunes service, according to sources familiar with the project…The new MusicNet-powered music service will be integrated into Yahoo’s
existing infrastructure, possibly including features such as links to
its popular instant-messaging program, sources said. MusicNet’s
technology allows companies to offer subscription services or per-song
downloads, and is used by Virgin Digital Downloads, America Online and
others…Sources close to the company said the new service is likely to launch by the end of the month."
My hope is that as more and more companies compete to offer music downloads, the prices will drop. At 99 cents per song, or a typical CD for $9.99, the consumer isn’t saving any money over buying the CD themselves at the store. Not to mention they are doing all the work to create the CD, download the tunes to their iPod, etc.. You don’t get the album art or lyrics and the mp3s themselves have restrictions on their use. (You can only burn them to so many CDs, you can only play them in iTunes, for example). It sure makes stealing music look appealing.
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Considering that a typical pop/rock/alternative album retails for around $17.99, I’d say $9.99 is a pretty good deal. Better yet, how about $2.97 for the three songs you give a damn about? That’s what I use the iTMS for, anyway: mixing and matching in a way that I can’t accomplish efficiently with CDs.
Not getting the album art &c. is a bit of a drag, but I’m willing to spring for a CD when there’s real added value there. Having to burn a CD is a non-issue for me because I don’t; I stream my music wirelessly from one of my laptops to the stereo or I hook the iPod into the car radio. And if you want to do more, the weaknesses of the current DRM systems are widely-known.
Lower prices are always a good thing, of course, but there’s plenty of value to be had at 99 cents a pop.
I beg to differ on the pricing issue. I go to Circuit City to buy CDs when they first come out, and they are $9.99 there…even brand-new ones! I suppose other stores charge higher prices, but the bottom line is: you can buy a brand-new CD for $9.99. You just have to know where to shop.
Apropos your particular example, I’d prefer not to shop with a company that gives 96% of its political contributions to Republicans. And when the non-record store selection comes up short (as with older or more obscure selections), buyers are stuck paying the establishment-standard $15 to $20.
I still prefer having the option of paying $2.97 for the three songs I actually like. And even if I’m buying the full album for $9.99, I find myself better off with iTunes, since there’s no sales tax (that’s another 7/10 of a song right there).