September Apple Event Rumor: "iTunes Unlimited", iPhone iDisk Access?

[MacRumors]

A number of Apple rumor sites, including MacRumors, have received an anonymous tip purporting to describe details of a "Late September Apple Event". The source describes MobileMe upgrades that will allow the iPhone and iPod touch to access a user's iDisk storage, as well as the introduction of "iTunes Unlimited", a yearly subscription model for digital music.

MobileMe, iPhone, iPod Touch
-Enable disk use
-When enabled for disk use, iDisk folder accessible
-iDisk app
-Viewable formats can be opened, other formats grayed out
-Button to sync with MobileMe
-Photo syncing support via MobileMe
-October launch

iTunes Unlimited
-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

Despite previous comments from Eddy Cue and Steve Jobs expressing some opposition to subscription-based models for digital music, the concept of an "iTunes Unlimited" service has persisted for a number of years due to the popularity of the business model with other music services. Of recent note, CNNMoney.com reported on such rumors in April 2007, and they were revived once again in March 2008 by the Financial Times, which reported that Apple was offering music labels only $20 per device for unlimited access to the iTunes catalog.

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[JDOG_]

Uh for $11 a month I'm all in. Sounds sweet.

[iomar]

Wow, this sounds really good!!! Can't wait for the service!

[mca7]

Forget all that all I want is what was promised for Mobile Me
(from the apple site)
"Coming soon: Email large files.
Soon a new feature in iDisk will make it simple to share files too big for email. iDisk will automatically send a message with a simple link. The recipient will just click the link to download the file."

[iTeen]

I'm in with the iTunes Unlimited...

As soon as i can afford it.

Why can't they do monthly?????

[corinhorn]

iTunes Unlimited would be sweet! But I will be surprised if this rumor turns out to be true.

[ny3ranger]

How about some movies. Make it 15 or 17 a month for music and movies and that would beat up netflix and blockbuster.

[Lesser Evets]

If the rumor has been through the mill for a few years I would look with extreme skepticism.

[bbydon]

Originally Posted by ny3ranger

How about some movies. Make it 15 or 17 a month for music and movies and that would beat up netflix and blockbuster.

Agreed! Lets get movies in there too!

[BrownManUPS]

So Buy and Keep is like paying a fee less than $.99 to keep it since you are a subscriber?

I think since the "shelf life" of most music I download is a good month, so I like how I can have 12 months of constant music changing for roughly $11 a month.

Seems like Apple is really pushing the Mobile Me now...let's hope they don't encounter "rocky starts".

[autumnmike]

awesome, awesome, awesome.

about freaking time. mobile me is going to be huge now.

my guess is that the new ipods are going to have wifi.
if this service is true, they'd be really stupid not to.

i'm getting me a iphone tomorrow. 16gig, screw that i'm getting an 8

[EricNau]

Originally Posted by iTeen

Why can't they do monthly?????

Presumably, there would be a higher likelihood of a subscription ending suddenly. If you missed just one payment (your credit card expired, for example) you would lose all of your music. With an annual subscription, however, they have plenty of time to remind you to renew your account.

Although, I suppose they might offer an automatic monthly payment option.

[johnryjr]

I would like to see all of itunes be 256kbps and drm free and i would be happy.

John

[koobcamuk]

Originally Posted by Lesser Evets

If the rumor has been through the mill for a few years I would look with extreme skepticism.

iPhone rumour was about 6 years?

I think Apple should focus on getting the iPhone OS as good as it was in 1.04, at least regarding the responsiveness and overall UI speed.

How about fixing mobileme, before adding features to it?

Having said that, I might actually start using my idisk now...

[Ochire]

An unlimited download iTunes DRM service? I seriously doubt that.

[Apple18]

What about NEW MacBooks and MacBook pros?

[.Chris]

iTunes 7.8? Wouldn't this bring it to 8.0 since its features major new features.

[GSMiller]

I just want all of iTunes to be DRM-free. With as little music I buy, a subscription service would be a waste.

[11800506]

any rumors about a conjoined iPod/MB/MBP event though?

[iansilv]

give me apple lossless music or give me death.

and- if they want to take over the world, sell movies in higher than bluray quality- same resolution, higher bitrate with truehd audio.

[japanime]

Originally Posted by mca7

Forget all that all I want is what was promised for Mobile Me

Hah! I'm still waiting for the .Mac-exclusive Dashboard Widgets that were promised three years ago!

[danielchow]

Originally Posted by corinhorn

iTunes Unlimited would be sweet! But I will be surprised if this rumor turns out to be true.

I'm quite skeptical myself. My buying habit is usually buy when I want it, so the idea of an annual subscription of 99$ doesn't quite appeal to me. But in all fairness, before online music stores became prominent, I remember spending over 100$ a year on CDs. I'd pay 15$, and sometimes up to 30$, per CD without much thought. The later was usually special edition CDs.

I think this should be quite interesting to watch if it turns out to be true.

[whistler222]

Originally Posted by iTeen

I'm in with the iTunes Unlimited...

As soon as i can afford it.

Why can't they do monthly?????

honestly.
if u can't afford 129 dollars a YEAR
should really be paying 11 dollars a month?

[Lesser Evets]

Originally Posted by koobcamuk

iPhone rumour was about 6 years?

So you are saying all rumors come true the older they get?

[mmcxiiad]

if i remember correctly, Apple has gotten a lot of pressure from the music industry to move to this model (leasing music vs owning it). If Apple does implement this, it will help to ease some of the animosity that the music industry has developed for apple.

Think about it this way: last quarter, Apple reported 11 million ipods sold. Assuming that the ipod represents a 50 million units in annual sales and 20% sign up for the subscription services at $20 per month to the music industry...

That is $100 million dollars to the music industry.... guaranteed. In todays economy, that is a tough thing to turn up a noise at. And if it helps Apple to sell mobile me.... well that is a lot of money too. Hopefully that will help them hire a few more people to fix that debacle.

Steve may be anti-subscription. But he is also pro-bottomline. sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot.