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Now that it is not true, we see the real problem that Apple has right now. Not one of us could count on or depend on the original rumor being untrue. Apple has so messed up their reputation with reversals, product drops, aging products, flops, etc. that no one can count on Apple any more.

I really wish Apple could do more than one thing at a time. Its like there are about 20 people at Apple that can turn out great products and when they are busy working on the next great thing, everything else suffers.

I would love it if all the rumors about the next iPhone 7 looking similar to the iPhone 6S were not true and all that press for the 2017 iPhone was for 2016. That would be a major consumer confidence booster.
 
I want to own my content and I hate subscriptions. That's not because I'm old (27) or don't like changes. The idea that a company can just remotely shut your subscription down at any moment is horrific. What's next? That we lease our next iPhone or Mac from Apple? Oh wait, for the phones that's already happening. Soon there is no other option than to get a new one every 2 or 3 years or else you're out. If you can live with a phone for 5 years now you're out. Companies having total control over everything you have in your own house is total nuts. Nobody should want that.

You do realize you can buy out the lease at the end of the 2 or 3 years on a leased phone, and keep using it, right? You don't have to give it back if you don't want to.
 
Hmm.

True or not it brings up a good question... What IS post-iTunes for me?

I'm not opposed to streaming of having a subscription. The reason I'm not using Apple Music now is because I don't like the way it works. I've sort of been holding out to see what Pandora has been rumored to be working on.

I'd prefer all browser based on desktop if possible.
 
Lmao no thanks. When Apple perfects Apple Music & Offline Playliststhen I'd consider only streaming.

I definitely would like to have my music locally and not lease it.
 



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Apple allegedly has an aggressive plan to "terminate" music downloads from iTunes within two years, reports Digital Music News citing sources with "close and active business relationships" with Apple.

Apple is also rumored to be considering a three to four year timeline for the shutdown of iTunes downloads, but overall discussions with Apple executives are said to focus on "not on if, but when" the company should retire music downloads. Termination of music downloads could be staggered by country based on the popularity of streaming content in different regions.The timeline is unclear because Apple's iTunes business continues to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each year, but it is on the decline due to the rise of streaming music services. According to music industry Mark Mulligan, iTunes music downloads will be worth $600 million in 2019, down from $3.9 billion in 2012. Mulligan believes Apple's download business could be 10 times smaller than its streaming music business by 2020.

Apple is also said to be considering ending music downloads due to the confusion it causes with Apple Music, mixing downloaded music purchases with Apple Music content.

Late last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple Music now has 13 million paying subscribers, up from 11 million users in February. Apple Music originally launched on June 30, 2015 in more than 100 countries and at its current growth rate, Apple is on track to have 15 million subscribers at its one-year anniversary.

Update: Apple rep Tom Neumayr contacted Recode and said the report that Apple would stop iTunes music downloads in two years is "not true."

Article Link: Apple Aiming to End iTunes Music Downloads in Two Years [Update: Apple Says 'Not True']
 
That would spell the end of my relationship with Apple music. When I listen to music, I'm usually in a place where I cannot or do not want to stream; on an airplane, in a car, or otherwise away from home. I WILL NOT PAY NETWORK FEES TO STREAM MUSIC I HAVE PURCHASED THE RIGHT TO POSSESS. PERIOD.

Bad, bad idea, Apple. Reconsider. Fast.
 
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Wow guys. Seriously? The rumor is not true. There is no point worrying what a company will or will not do. That is like worrying that Microsoft will discontinue the Xbox One next year. Anything is possible.
 
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Streaming is an insanely good deal for anyone who likes music. You get almost everything ever published for less than the price of one new album per month. That's why people use it -- it's insanely cheap for what it is, and it's insanely convenient.

It's an insanely good deal for anybody without a large music library that they've already purchased and/or those who find themselves regularly listening to so much new music for long periods of time that they simply want access to as much music as they can have access to regardless of the overall cost incurred over time.

The issue is that this model isn't a good value proposition for those of us who have been heavily invested in Apple's digital music echosystem for an extended period of time and who don't want access to such a large additional catalog of music they will rarely make use of.

I've got a huge library of music. It started with ripping tracks from my CD collection that I imported into iTunes and has morphed into a library consisting mostly of music that I've purchased from the iTunes Music Store along with a small amount of music purchased from other digital music stores such as Amazon.

I rarely want to add tracks or albums to my permanent collection. For those like me paying $10 a month, or $120 a year, for continued access to a library I've already paid for makes little sense even factoring in access to new music. I add about 20 - 30 tracks a year to my permanent collection. $120 a year doesn't justify the costs of renting access to what I've already paid for plus access to another 20 - 30 tracks a year especially since I wouldn't have continued access to that music if I stopped paying the monthly fee. Getting access to all those other throw away tracks that I don't really care about doesn't bridge the value gap for me.

I get exposed to new music that's not in my collection through the radio, through friends and acquaintances, through free radio-like Internet streaming services, through television, through movies, through social media and Internet based video services like YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

$120 a year for access to what I've already paid for plus some additional new music that I might really want to retain access to in the future but can't if I don't pay the monthly fee plus exposure to a boat load of throw away tracks I'll never care about and can find exposure to for fee via other services makes the value proposition for Apple Music less than zero.
 
LMAO! Who started this ridiculous rumor next their will be a rumor that no more purchasing music only Apple Music LOL!


Give me a break only rumors we want to hear is better audio quality for music and DTS-HD for movies and TV Shows not April Fools rumors.
 
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Beats 1, Spotify, Pandora?

Took my radio all over the country, sometimes left it paying over night. Never had to pay for data or ever had data caps on the Radio, you just listened for free. They did not track me, the only cookie I had to worry about were the ones I had with a cup of coffee, my age , my income, my address, my whole life was not available to any of the stations I played.

Beast 1, Spotify, Pandora.... yeah, there is still a cost.
 
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update: okay even they state it wasn't true...i don't trust them...not at all.
How did this rumor come about anyway?

Right. Reminds of the "trial balloons" politicians float to friendly press to test out public reaction to controversial ideas. The iTunes idea didn't just come from some bored mischief maker. Maybe I am being a bit too cynical but seems like Apple was just testing this idea, saw the pushback and quickly sought to extinguish the fire before it caused real damage.

But at least it's a moot point (for now).
 
I'm wondering if it might be time to go back to CDs and Blu-rays and forget all this cloud BS.
 
Good, I don't consider buying a 256kbps album on iTunes owning music anyway.

If I do digital downloads, I always buy them in FLAC format.
That is, actually, my preference. Quick conversion to Apple lossless and I'm done
 
I'm wondering if it might be time to go back to CDs and Blu-rays and forget all this cloud BS.

Personally, I don't think there was ever a good time to leave CDs. It takes all of, what 5 minutes to rip a CD and end up with far better quality files than from any d/l service. Only problem w/ CDs is you have to store them which is a PITA, but I manage.

I don't buy moves -- rarely have a desire to re-watch them except a few classics maybe one every decade. But even then I've notice a lot titles that once were on CD or BD no longer are, and also are not available for streaming (legal at least).
 
And that's why it's nothing more than a rumored website, no concrete evidence of this ever being true. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to finish deleting my 'Hate E-mail' I was sending to Tim Cook about my anger towards this.
 
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...

Hrmph...

Then Apple would loose me as a music customer. I have no interest in *renting* music. Streaming is for suckers. Will go back to used CDs.
 
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