itunes vs napster

[tekksan]

ok, so my friend came to visit me and she said she joined napster and she is able to get as many mp3s as she wants for $14.95/month. She said she can listen to the mp3s on her computer and transfer them to her mp3 player. Can somebody tell me the catch? I read a bit on the napster site and it appears what she said is true. Unlimited mp3s on up to 3 mp3 players and 3 computers.

That sounds like a very good deal...much better than $.99/mp3...so what's the catch with napster?

 

[JonHimself]

ok, so my friend came to visit me and she said she joined napster and she is able to get as many mp3s as she wants for $14.95/month. She said she can listen to the mp3s on her computer and transfer them to her mp3 player. Can somebody tell me the catch? I read a bit on the napster site and it appears what she said is true. Unlimited mp3s on up to 3 mp3 players and 3 computers.

That sounds like a very good deal...much better than $.99/mp3...so what's the catch with napster?

I can only speak for what I remember reading a while back.. but... once you stop paying 15$ a month, all of that music is unattainable... it's unlimited while you subscribe, but as soon as you cancel your subscription, you have nothing to show for the 15$/month you've been paying. With iTunes, you get to the keep the tracks.

 

[Michael CM1]

ok, so my friend came to visit me and she said she joined napster and she is able to get as many mp3s as she wants for $14.95/month. She said she can listen to the mp3s on her computer and transfer them to her mp3 player. Can somebody tell me the catch? I read a bit on the napster site and it appears what she said is true. Unlimited mp3s on up to 3 mp3 players and 3 computers.

That sounds like a very good deal...much better than $.99/mp3...so what's the catch with napster?

You don't own a single piece of the music. It's kinda like the difference between getting HBO and buying different movies if HBO allowed you to choose what movies you wanted to see.

I personally don't want to pay $15/month for a few years and not have anything to show for it. Even if you loved this and wanted to do it for the rest of your life, what if Napster goes bankrupt? You'll be without any music and out a lot of money.

I know I spend more than $15/month on music, but I like actually owning it.

 

[tekksan]

Hmm...so how do the files get smacked off of your mp3 player if you cancel your subscription?

 

[FFR]

Hmm...so how do the files get smacked off of your mp3 player if you cancel your subscription?

DRM

 

[armoguy94]

That's so sneaky of them, lol... they better be giving 320kb/s mp3's if they're going to be sneaky b*tches.

 

[Tallest Skil]

That's so sneaky of them, lol... they better be giving 320kb/s mp3's if they're going to be sneaky b*tches.

Not really sneaky at all; it's just their system. There is nothing wrong with a subscription-based system if you actually read the terms.

I hate the concept, though. iTunes appeals to me because I actually own the things for which I have paid.

 

[Benguitar]

I can only speak for what I remember reading a while back.. but... once you stop paying 15$ a month, all of that music is unattainable... it's unlimited while you subscribe, but as soon as you cancel your subscription, you have nothing to show for the 15$/month you've been paying. With iTunes, you get to the keep the tracks.

So it is like renting all the Mp3's you want for $15 a month and when you stop paying they don't work anymore?

SCAM..


iTunes +1

 

[jzuena]

ok, so my friend came to visit me and she said she joined napster and she is able to get as many mp3s as she wants for $14.95/month. She said she can listen to the mp3s on her computer and transfer them to her mp3 player. Can somebody tell me the catch? I read a bit on the napster site and it appears what she said is true. Unlimited mp3s on up to 3 mp3 players and 3 computers.

That sounds like a very good deal...much better than $.99/mp3...so what's the catch with napster?

Two catches to Napster: (1) their software isn't compatible with the Mac; (2) they don't support the iPod (or even the Zune!) as an MP3 player. They use Windows Media DRM to make your songs go poof when you stop paying your $15/month and that DRM isn't ever going to be supported by Apple or the Linux crowd and isn't currently supported on the Zune.

 

[jzuena]

So it is like renting all the Mp3's you want for $15 a month and when you stop paying they don't work anymore?

SCAM..


iTunes +1

That is exactly what it is. There are other similar services (with similar monthly fees) that let you pick a few songs each month to download a DRM-free version of which will work on a Mac or on an iPod. At least then you build up a collection over time that you get to keep. I don't think you get the free tracks every month with Napster.