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smoking monkey

macrumors 68020
Mar 5, 2008
2,344
1,470
I HUNGER
I have tried streaming at home and was left with an overwhelming "meh". I will never stream music (or anything else) with my iPhone because there is no way I am running the risk of going over my data allotment.

I'd think this is a sticking point for a lot of people... or it should be. Or maybe I have no idea because I have never paid for the streaming of anything.

Can somebody who streams music enlighten me? I'm guessing you can actually download the songs onto your device for offline usage, yeah? Surely you don't need a connection every time you want to listen to music!

On a cultural note, I don't think young people are into music the way previous generations were and this shift is all part of that. Not owning it and just having access to it on your device creates a different attachment to music. That's not to say young people don't love music, they do. It's just more whimsical now. Perhaps that's a good thing. Perhaps it's not. Music is certainly not as socially relevant or on the cutting edge of issues like it used to be though. Before, social issues were often raised through music, now it's immediate on social media. Music is slow to the dance in comparison.

EDIT: I just saw that you can indeed DL music for offline use. that makes it highly attractive. IF I didn't already own an insane amount of music, I'd entertain the idea!
 
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magicman32

macrumors 6502
Dec 25, 2007
409
738
If you spend at least $10 a month on downloads/CDs anyhow, and plan to do that every month for the rest of your life, then yes, it's a better deal to go the subscription route (assuming that all of the music you want is available on the subscription service and will remain so indefinitely).

Oh I definitely see the other side of the argument. I do it for the killer early adopter price and for the convenience. I have a very extensive personally-purchased and curated library that I wouldn't miss a beat cancelling my subscription. It's just cheaper to spend the 10 bucks (or 8 in my case) to fill in the gaps of music I've missed or wanted to sample but not actually buy (new stuff too). It just works for me. Obviously, mileage varies per person.
 

DudeDad

macrumors 6502a
Jul 16, 2009
717
309
Apple isn't the only source of music so you won't be forced to use Apple Music.


true, but I doubt apple will continue to make non-iOS iPods so that you can purchase music elsewhere....they want you to stream from Apple Music.
 

AdonisSMU

macrumors 604
Oct 23, 2010
7,299
3,050
Steve Jobs: "People want to own their music"
That was how long ago?
"OLD People"? What's with this agism? Isn't that illegal?
I didn't say it was a bad thing or good thing. You added the negative context yourself. It's just demographically that is the case that older people prefer to own their music. https://musicmachinery.com/2014/02/13/age-specific-listening/

If you scroll down you can clearly see the correlation between age and ownership of music....and that was in 2011 before Apple Music and streaming really surpassed sales in generating revenue for record labels. http://www.which-50.com/music-streaming-death-itunes/
 
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Zaqfalcon

macrumors 6502
Mar 22, 2010
361
138
This is a ridiculous idea, and it's not just about 'ownership', I just don't want to have to stream everything; it's a waste of my limited data.
 

AdonisSMU

macrumors 604
Oct 23, 2010
7,299
3,050
This is a ridiculous idea, and it's not just about 'ownership', I just don't want to have to stream everything; it's a waste of my limited data.
Thats why streaming services give you the option to download tracks to your device. When you download the track from iTunes, it still has to get to your device somehow.... or does that not count as data usage?
 

RedOrchestra

Suspended
Aug 13, 2012
2,623
3,237
Thats why streaming services give you the option to download tracks to your device.

From Apple Music - "You can download music on up to 10 devices. These songs are accessible only during your Apple Music membership."

Paying a monthly streaming service for life - NO THANKS - just let me buy it and download it permanantly to my devices.
 
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Rafterman

Contributor
Apr 23, 2010
7,034
8,404
If true, the the day Apple ends music downloads is the last day I buy music from Apple.
 

Osty

macrumors 6502a
Jul 15, 2008
561
518
Melbourne, AU
17" MBP Talk. A laptop few bought and Apple killed. Like any business would for a poor selling item.

Still sucks though. I know several graphic designers and videographers that were left SOL thanks to this move.

How does canceling Netflix "simplify your life"? If you're overwhelmed by a few subscriptions you have more problems.

Maybe they meant simplifying their monthly budget. I can see how subscriptions for Apple Music + Office365 + Netflix + TextExpander + AdobeCC can quickly get out of hand.

Back on topic, if Apple stops selling downloads I'll go back to buying and ripping CDs. Loss for Apple, win for JB Hifi and the Australian economy. Apple charges top dollar for digital downloads and gives our Government the finger when they ask for taxes.
 

RedOrchestra

Suspended
Aug 13, 2012
2,623
3,237
Continuing to read all this talk about "planned" or "forthcoming" changes at Apple - I'd just like Apple to remove the DRM from my iBooks and set me free from the eco-system - will you do that for me Apple?
 
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thisisdallas

macrumors regular
Sep 26, 2012
233
35
Cupertino, CA
This is good news, regardless of how many MR users throw tantrums. I used to avoid streaming until I discovered Rdio had a great music discovery UX at its core. Even then, I would download the music for my iTunes library as opposed to just relying on Rdio alone.

With Apple Music, I have all of my music in one place, and I have great means for music discovery. I know that when I press "add to my music library", or "add to playlist", it'll probably go there and remain there. Apple is a fairly consistent company, and music purchasing is DEAD to the younger generation. Other than a few obvious outliers, the only people I know who still care to buy music are all 40+ years old.

Streaming is inevitable, and the only other viable source of music purchasing should be based around physical copies with thouroughly designed and collectible packaging. Vinyl's and box sets are still big deals for me, but I will never buy an iTunes Store music download unless they've managed to somehow make it ridiculously cool and special in comparison with the streaming counterpart (which they won't.)

Having said that: if they don't seriously fix the UIX of Apple Music to be less clunky and backwards, they probably shouldn't be removing their tried and true purchase store.
 

johnnyrb

macrumors regular
Jul 2, 2009
124
36
If I want to purchase a single song I do so on iTunes. If I want a complete album, I purchase the CD. If Apple stops selling music, I will have to find another source for my music.
 

Black Magic

macrumors 68030
Sep 30, 2012
2,787
1,499
This is good news, regardless of how many MR users throw tantrums. I used to avoid streaming until I discovered Rdio had a great music discovery UX at its core. Even then, I would download the music for my iTunes library as opposed to just relying on Rdio alone.

With Apple Music, I have all of my music in one place, and I have great means for music discovery. I know that when I press "add to my music library", or "add to playlist", it'll probably go there and remain there. Apple is a fairly consistent company, and music purchasing is DEAD to the younger generation. Other than a few obvious outliers, the only people I know who still care to buy music are all 40+ years old.

Streaming is inevitable, and the only other viable source of music purchasing should be based around physical copies with thouroughly designed and collectible packaging. Vinyl's and box sets are still big deals for me, but I will never buy an iTunes Store music download unless they've managed to somehow make it ridiculously cool and special in comparison with the streaming counterpart (which they won't.)

Having said that: if they don't seriously fix the UIX of Apple Music to be less clunky and backwards, they probably shouldn't be removing their tried and true purchase store.


See this is how folks end up broke. They buy off into these company tag lines to milk you out of every single penny you have. Let's look at all the transaction the average consumer has to deal with media wise:

1. Pay for internet connection.
2. Pay for mobile data plan with LIMITED minutes.
3. Pay for XBOX LIVE or PS PLUS subscription.
4. NETFLIX.
5. Cable + Premium Channels.
6. Apple Music.
7. Random App with Subscription.
8. Freemium Apps with Micro transactions.


Considering the fact that these are never-ending bills, your wallet is pretty much under siege. How anybody can co-sign on this baffles me?

I keep seeing folks throw around statements about old folks are the only ones that want to own music which I don't think is the case. Older folks typically make more money than younger folks so why would someone with limited income be jumping up for joy at the chance to lose the few extra pennies they make a month? Again, truly baffling.
 
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Martinpa

macrumors 6502
Oct 30, 2014
341
531
To me, music streaming subscription doesn't really make sense for people who really curate what they listen to (unless if it is at a very high volume); it does for people who listen to what's hot right now, and just moves on to something else whenever there's something new...

The way I see it, I pay 10$ for an album that I will listen to a bunch of times over that year, and over the years to come, so the price/listen is very low. Subscription though, I keep paying for it, for basically the same product. And yes subscription is basically the price of an album/month, and right now that might be what I buy... But I already see that at almost 30 I buy less music than I did in my teens, who knows what my music buying habits will be later in life... And subscription is a life-sentence; whenever I stop buying new music (at least at a rate that would make subscription worth-while) then if I want to keep listening to the songs I've been listening again and again for years, I have to keep paying.
 
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themoonisdown09

macrumors 601
Nov 19, 2007
4,319
18
Georgia, USA
I can understand why some people might be upset if Apple stopped allowing music downloads in iTunes, but I'm completely fine with it. I've always bought audio CDs from Amazon and ripped them to my computer. I guess I'm still old school because I love having the album artwork.
 

Zaqfalcon

macrumors 6502
Mar 22, 2010
361
138
Thats why streaming services give you the option to download tracks to your device. When you download the track from iTunes, it still has to get to your device somehow.... or does that not count as data usage?

Isn't this article suggesting that this is precisely what Apple will get rid of?

When you buy a new track, sure then you download the track from iTunes and it uses data, but you only need to do this once. When streaming you need to use download data every time you want to listen to the track and every other track you listen to.
 

Msail30bay

macrumors regular
Jan 4, 2014
181
18
Penn., USA
Probably going to happened in 2030..... :D I cannot remember when was the last time I brought a CD...????? I've also stop buying songs on iTunes and rarely listen to my music.... Yikes!! Sorta gotten bored with it and now into Audiobooks. Oh well :p
 

DiceMoney

macrumors member
Mar 15, 2011
88
93
Also think about this, right now Apple Music, Spotify, and all these big wigs in the streaming market, are in the infantile stage. So right now the prices, would be relative cheaper, because they want to acquire market. But once they become the one and only option. What do you think this companies are going to do?

They will juice up the subscription prices. So let's say you have invested a lot of money, in Spotify, or Apple Music, they are the market leader, and ran all competition out business. Once they have consolidated the market,they will raise the price. I guess that is one of the things I fear about subscriptions. They will gradually squeeze every cent, and they prices will go up, once they now you are hooked and have no other options.

I will try to just stay with my own library, for as long as I can. If that means going to Android Phone, because Apple no longer wants to serve my needs. I guess that will have to be the path, I will have to take.
 
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