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

[SDLSteve]

Cnet did an story as to why Apple won't do subscriptions. Very convincing piece.

 

[spydr]

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

Why? Why do people keep making financial advices that are uncalled for.

Anyway, I too think that a lot of people won't be willing to 'try' out a new service for $129 – but they can willingly take it for a spin for $11 a month for a couple of months and cancel it should they feel less than satisfied. I am pretty sure Apple won't give a 60-day free trial for 'mobile me + unlimited iTunes'.

BTW, I do think the rumor is true. Just gut feeling!

 

[.Chris]

Here is a video from 2003 when apple introduced the iTunes music Store. At around 2:15 they talk about why subscription base service is bad. But who knows, may be apple will get it right now that times have changed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2n86TROxzY

.

 

[!nteresting]

Why would anyone waste their money on this? I mean.. it's SUBSCRIPTION, you have to constantly pay, every year, to listen to your music. You don't get to keep anything once your subscription is over.

 

[BJWanlund]

Might as well make my case as for why Apple SHOULD do an iTunes subscription service, and why the rumoured name SUCKS:

The rumoured name SUCKS because it isn't "unlimited" since it's still limited to your country of origin. If AAPL wishes to do this, call it "iTunes Premium" because you pay a hefty premium, based on the rumored price point.

Apple SHOULD:

• Allow you to download items from other countries like the UK, Japan, Germany, etc. without creating a new iTunes account. Today's economy is global, so why isn't iTunes?
• Give you the OPTION of buying in a retail box OR in iTunes using gift certificates. If they wish to do a subscription model, take the "Xbox Live" approach: 1 month for $5 or so, 3 months for $15 or so, etc.
• Make the retail box the "starter kit" with 12-13 free months in case you don't have an iPod. Maybe the starter kit would be free or available for a nominal charge with every iPod sold or something of that nature.
• Allow for variability, and force you to own everything you download. Allow us to burn our TV shows and movies to DVDs or Blu-Rays.
• Also, allow us another way to watch movies and TV shows BESIDES on our computers or on our TVs or on our iPods. Create a new device that could be the be all and end all of media. Requires no iPod, AppleTV, or TV for that matter. Have it all inside the display, or connectible to the display via a USB stick or a memory card or something of that nature.

BJ

 

[Mackilroy]

[*]Allow you to download items from other countries like the UK, Japan, Germany, etc. without creating a new iTunes account. Today's economy is global, so why isn't iTunes?

Though it isn't exactly the same, iTunes isn't global for the same reasons we have regions for DVD and Blu-ray.

 

[Chundles]

Might as well make my case as for why Apple SHOULD do an iTunes subscription service, and why the rumoured name SUCKS:

The rumoured name SUCKS because it isn't "unlimited" since it's still limited to your country of origin. If AAPL wishes to do this, call it "iTunes Premium" because you pay a hefty premium, based on the rumored price point.

Apple SHOULD:

• Allow you to download items from other countries like the UK, Japan, Germany, etc. without creating a new iTunes account. Today's economy is global, so why isn't iTunes?
• Give you the OPTION of buying in a retail box OR in iTunes using gift certificates. If they wish to do a subscription model, take the "Xbox Live" approach: 1 month for $5 or so, 3 months for $15 or so, etc.
• Make the retail box the "starter kit" with 12-13 free months in case you don't have an iPod. Maybe the starter kit would be free or available for a nominal charge with every iPod sold or something of that nature.
• Allow for variability, and force you to own everything you download. Allow us to burn our TV shows and movies to DVDs or Blu-Rays.
• Also, allow us another way to watch movies and TV shows BESIDES on our computers or on our TVs or on our iPods. Create a new device that could be the be all and end all of media. Requires no iPod, AppleTV, or TV for that matter. Have it all inside the display, or connectible to the display via a USB stick or a memory card or something of that nature.

BJ

iTunes isn't global because music and video distribution is governed by the local laws of the country, Apple have to negotiate contracts with distributors in every country they take the iTunes Store to - it's massively expensive and time consuming. They need to pick and choose based on market and possible return on investment. Remember they're not providing a service out of the goodness of their hearts, they're presenting a business model that allows consumers to get what they want at a price - a lot of research and development goes into each local iTunes Store so it takes a long time to get it all right.

Not to mention the effects on local media providers. I know that if the US iTunes Store was opened up to we Aussies the local media would collapse pretty much overnight as we suddenly have open slather access to all the stuff that hasn't arrived here yet. That's not being an apologist for the media companies here being ridiculously slack - which they are - more an indictment of their need to maintain control over local distribution to ensure that the primary method of delivery of new TV shows, movies and music involves advertising, advertising and over-priced physical media respectively.

I'm actually starting to warm to the idea of a subscription model - I'd have just a boatload of music with me with a subscription - it would finally give us the ability to listen to an entire album and say "yeah" or "nah" without a financial or legal implication. As long as the price is right though, it's gotta be something affordable otherwise it'll just be another niche and a niche is not Apple's plan for the music industry - they want to utterly dominate.