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Music Media The Almighty Buck

Napster Pre-Paid Cards 221

Posted by michael from the collector-items dept.
G4Outcast writes "According to this CNN Money article, Napster will be offering pre-paid cards costing $14.85 at several retail locations. I guess the iTunes gift certificate and allowance idea is catching on."
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Napster Pre-Paid Cards More

Napster Pre-Paid Cards

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  • Dumb question (Score:2, Insightful)

    by wrinkledshirt ( 228541 )
    Are any of these ideas going to make it worth it to stop using Kazaa?

    • Re:Dumb question (Score:4, Insightful)

      by CrankyFool ( 680025 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:13PM (#7330902)
      Sort of depends on what you're trying to do and what your priorities are, right?

      I have an interest, but not an overwhelming interest, in downloading free music. My priorities, however, are:
      A) Be able to reasonably use the music I get (download to my work system, my notebook, my home desktop; burn CDs; listen on my iPod) and not feel as though I have to go "God damn this DRM!"
      B) Get the music I want without having it bundled with crap (requires the ability to purchase songs rather than just albums);
      C) Get a single song for a decent price ($.99 is reasonable; $3.49 for a CD of a single isn't);
      D) Be able to get the song I want;
      E) Be able to get the song I want easily;
      F) Be able to get the song I want quickly
      G) Reasonable sound quality (which is important, but given that my ears don't seem to have a problem with 128Kbit MP3s isn't really an issue)

      Based on these priorities, FOR ME ITMS is a really, really good match. I've not yet felt hampered by its DRM (though admittedly, the first thing I do is burn a CD of my protected AACs and rip it); its prices are reasonable; downloads are wicked-fast; and one of these days I'll be able to access it from work though our password SOCKS proxy. I hope. :)

      Here's an example of what I have to go through right now:

      I wanted to get ATB's "Let You Go" yesterday. The first thing I tried was ITMS, but they have no tracks by him; so then I tried Kazaa, where there were three copies of the song, but all downloads were stuck at 'searching for more sources.' Finally, after a thirty minute search on the net I was able to find the MP3. Would I have paid $.99 to get this song from ITMS? In a heartbeat.

      And that's why Kazaa is -- again, for me -- a backup to ITMS for any music I *really* like. I still use it for music I essentially get because it's free and wouldn't pay for, but that's less important to me. If I could get all my music from ITMS and could get only porn from Kazaa, I'd still be a happy camper (though with a few less mp3s on my hard drive).

      • I have an interest, but not an overwhelming interest, in downloading free music. My priorities, however, are:

        C) Get a single song for a decent price ($.99 is reasonable; $3.49 for a CD of a single isn't);

        That would be free as in beer, right?

    • Answer (Score:2, Funny)

      by m_niessner ( 529935 )
      The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby : $0.99
      The Who's Greatest Hits: $9.99
      War - Low Rider : $0.99

      Getting Slapped with a $100,000 lawsuit by the RIAA for downloading from Kazzaa instead of Napster: Priceless

  • coincedence? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Suppafly ( 179830 ) <slashdot@sup p a f l y .net> on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:05PM (#7330789)
    The Napster Card will cost $14.85, entitling the user to 15 downloads -- in line with prices of newer rivals -- and will be available at 14,000 locations in mid-November at such major retail chains as Best Buy (BBY: down $1.17 to $53.64, Research, Estimates), CompUSA, Safeway (SWY: down $0.35 to $21.16, Research, Estimates), Rite Aid (RAD: down $0.06 to $5.68, Research, Estimates) and Duane Reade (DRD: down $0.30 to $13.50, Research, Estimates).

    It's kind of odd how the stock prices are down for every company that is planning on selling these pre-paid napster cards.

    • Re:coincedence? (Score:2, Informative)

      by Trigun ( 685027 )
      Being as the stock market is more down than up anymore, I'd say that yes, it is a coincidence.

      Hopefully Christmas will make these stocks rebound. My portfolio could use a Christmas present.

      • Re:coincedence? (Score:1, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Being as the stock market is more down than up anymore

        WTF? The DJIA is up over 2000 points [yahoo.com] since March.
        • Still down since 2000 if you want to talk long term.
          If you want to talk short term, it's up since Friday, when it took a punch to the belly from Thursday.
    • It's not really that odd. Especially since stocks are bought and sold on the whims of the total market view - if the market has a bad day, chances are most stocks went down. Stock prices go up and down in groups, especially if they serve similar customer groups. You might also want to note the size of the drops.
    • yes, the stock drops are a coincedence, in so far as they are unrelated to Napster cards. It's not a coincedence all those stocks dropped, tho, because the are all retail chains.

      I think what we see here is Napster targeting a more widespread market market than Apple. Apple offers, at its core, an intergrated Personal Computing solution. When that solution started to include media & entertainment, they responded by slowly making DVD players basically standard across the line and introducing the iPod

  • The beginning of the end. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Masque ( 20587 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:09PM (#7330839)
    How long will it be until we see Howie Long and Hulk Hogan singing a duet about an online music service?

    "A dollar! Why, you can get a song up to 20 minutes long for just NINETY-NINE cents! Just dial 10-10-NAP-STER!"

    *bangs head on desk*

  • Here's the problem with these paid services. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ahfoo ( 223186 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:09PM (#7330841) Journal
    I cranked up Kazaa yesterday to see what the numbers looked like. I saw 4.1 million.
    Well, back when I used to check in more frequently a few months ago I rarely saw it that high. I tried some searches and it seems it's all more or less back where it was.
    So, this shock and awe thing seems like a memory already. I mean what even happened to the first batch. As far as I can the majority settled for a few grand and then a whole bunch decided to fight. Well, where's the shock and awe in that? Obviously people are going to wait to see what happens in the courts. But in the mean time they're going to forget about it.
    It would have been one thing if it started as a hundred suits followed by a thousand and then by ten thousand. That would have done something. But this 200 every two months is not all that shocking or awe worthy.
    But of course that would also have provoked even more congressional attention. So either way they were fucked which is what evrybody said from the beginning and now it still seems to be true.

    • Settling (Score:3, Interesting)

      by reptilicus ( 605251 )
      Hmm, thinking about it, if the RIAA is willing to settle for $2000, as they seem to be, then if you download 100-150 albums (at $15-20 each), you come out ahead of the deal, even if you are one of the tiny minority they actually threaten to sue.

  • I assume... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by fejikso ( 567395 )
    They've already made some analysis to conclude that there are enough users who are interested in buying that service and don't have a credit card.

    I mean, making and distributing these cards so widely is not an easy or cheap business...

    In my personal case, I do have a credit card, but I am not interested in the service (yet), so I don't give a damn :)

    • Oh, I don't know (Score:2, Interesting)

      by sbma44 ( 694130 )
      I don't know about Duane Reid stores, but all those others already sell prepaid cards of one form or another, so they presumably already have systems for distribution of these things. The cards probably won't even be plastic, just a fold-out piece of paper with a one-time use code printed on them. My guess is that production costs are at most a few cents per card.

      I wouldn't be surprised if this is actually a more efficient way of selling their merchandise, since they don't have to give a cut of every tr

      • A one-time code? How long will it take for someone to come up with a crack for that, so they could get free tunes up the wazoo?

        Wait, they could just use KazaaLite or Soulseek and forget having to crack it. Nevermind.
        • you misunderstand why game keys are crackable. If you're working with local, installed software then the key must follow a pattern to be deemed valid. An online music service doesn't suffer from this limitation. When you have a server you can just generate random keys and make one thousandth of one percent valid. And lock accounts that enter too many incorrect keys in a given period of time.
      • mmm, could work like a charm here in holland. Albert Heijn, a local super market whose parent ahold is one of the larger chains world wide, already has a cheap system for prepaid phones. Just go to the checkout say you want 20 euro's for phone brand X and a code is printed on your receit. All phone brands are supported so I guess it is a really cheap way of selling them.

  • what the... (Score:1, Interesting)

    by slim hades ( 703936 )
    "The company is aiming the card at teen-agers without credit cards and parents who want to give the gift of legal music downloads. " and then the RI*A can sue the parents.... brilliant... (why does "give the gift of legal music downloads" sound like a Public Service Announcement? I wonder what kids are forced to watch in school nowadays.)

  • Amazing (Score:4, Insightful)

    by cubicledrone ( 681598 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:10PM (#7330857)
    The sheer brilliance of iTunes continues to echo across the computer and entertainment industries.

    Apple has proven what shareware authors have known for years: good service and convenience are more valuable than the data itself.

    Now that there is a valid business model, everybody wants to be as cool as Apple.

    • The whole gift card system isn't all that unique to iTunes. Various MMORPGs have had similar systems in place since before iTunes shipped (yes, even before it shipped on the Mac).

    • Its not a viable buisness model though,
      Apple openly admits they make no profit from Itunes, and if they ever will it will be tiny.

      Its just a marketing ploy to sell more IPODS (my 15 gig sitting on my desk, is the envey of everyone in the dorm)

      70cents goes dirrect to the record company after a sale, the reset is split between the artist, and apple wich then has to pay for

      1. marketing
      2. bandwidth
      3. Infastrcture
      4. genral staff

      pennies a transaction isn't enough to support such a buisness unless its on the s
      • 70cents goes dirrect to the record company after a sale, the reset is split between the artist, and apple

        Not quite - 70 cents (or whatever the amount is) goes to the record company, and the record company pays the artist out of that. Apple doesn't pay artists directly (nor should they; that would be silly).

        And speaking of credit card transactions, you forgot to mention that another piece of Apple's 30-cent share goes to Visa/Mastercard. Apple arranged a special deal with the credit card companies to ma
    • You know what they say about imitation...
  • So you can tip whatever you want from your card. Overall they could make more money, as some people would pay more than ninety-nine cents (ugh, marketing price).
    • Hey. I'm going to post the same response I make to all of your completely idiotic pleas for a world based on tips:

      You're an idiot.

      Expanded:

      If you have ever lived as a waiter, delivery boy or member of any other profession where your income was largely based on tips, you'd know that tips are encouragement to suck up to people and treat them nice. This does not necessarily mean doing what you want to do, or acting in such a way that expresses your individuality. In short, tips encourage compliance and s

  • Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Undaar ( 210056 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:11PM (#7330873) Homepage
    ...but shouldn't a gift certificate to steal things be free? :)

  • Stock ratings (Score:1, Redundant)

    by John Hansen ( 652843 )

    Does anyone else find it amusing that all the companies offering these prepaid cards for sale have had hits on their stock prices? Sure, it's probably unrelated, but hey...

    And what about the security of this scheme? Surely they have to have a way of authenticating the cards, or otherwise there's going to be a horde of duplicates flooding the market.

    • Surely they have to have a way of authenticating the cards, or otherwise there's going to be a horde of duplicates flooding the market.

      I assume they could be activated the same way I've seen phone cards activate after purchase. They are read by the credit card reader which calls home and says card number $FOO has been purchased for $BAR dollars.

  • Best Buy? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by techstar25 ( 556988 )
    Why would someone drive to Best Buy to get this pre-paid card, then drive home to download the songs? While you're at Best Buy why don't you just buy the CD? It would certainly be cheaper than $14.85. Is it to make a compilation?
    • Because they don't want a whole CD. Perhaps they want songs from various CD's.

    • Re:Best Buy? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by mblase ( 200735 )
      While you're at Best Buy why don't you just buy the CD? It would certainly be cheaper than $14.85.

      Because the card is good for any 15 singles you want, while the CD is good for one album with maybe one or two singles you want.

    • Re:Best Buy? (Score:3, Funny)

      by Trigun ( 685027 )
      To make a compilation, or to give as a gift to your bratty nephew because you don't know what kind of heroin induced crap he's listening to this week.
      Take your pick.
    • And if you don't have to have your music right now why not buy used CD on ebay, cut your mp3s and sell the same used CD on ebay?

    • Re:Best Buy? (Score:2, Informative)

      by Osty ( 16825 )

      Why would someone drive to Best Buy to get this pre-paid card, then drive home to download the songs?

      Because you want to use Napster but don't have a credit card? More likely these will be used as gifts, though.

      While you're at Best Buy why don't you just buy the CD? It would certainly be cheaper than $14.85. Is it to make a compilation?

      What are the chances you intend to buy every song on a CD? Instead, you'll probably buy 15 different songs from 15 different albums, like you suggested for com

      • You need to shop around more for CDs. Sure, at (ripoff) chain record stores, they cost that much. Start shopping at places like Walmart and Target for music... you'll find very few CDs above $15, most between $10 and $12.

        • Very true, but the story was about Best Buy, and Best Buy's prices tend to range around $15 on average last I checked.

  • Clever (Score:2, Insightful)

    by mr_tommy ( 619972 )
    A very clever marketting idea. It removes any consumer fear of using credit cards on the internet, and simplifies the process such that its as easy and as convenient as topping up your pay as you go phone.

    Maybe this napster come back wont be a flop after all.
  • Oh...MY....GOD! Napster is like, so 1999! Give...me... a .... break!

    Even ditzes know iTunes has Napster by the short and curlies. However, I will withhold judgment until I see the new Napster in action....iTunes is gonna be tough to beat, though.

  • And in other news.... (Score:4, Funny)

    by batura ( 651273 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:14PM (#7330923)


    Napster will be offering the public a new, improved failed business plan.

  • Where's Napster's Suger? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Doesn't_Comment_Code ( 692510 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:15PM (#7330931)
    From all I've read, Apple makes very little from the selling of songs. iTunes DOES promote the iPod, which is a cash cow.

    If the new (hechem.. fake) Napster is selling songs for about the same price, how are they going to make enough money to stay in business?

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
      Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • But this time they seem to be less blissfully unencumbered. In fact, I beleive Napster is now a completely different entity - basically a business that wanted to make money, that bought the Napster name in order to jump start publicity and credibility.

        I fear the Napster we all knew and loved is inexorably dead and gone.
    • From all I've read, Apple makes very little from the selling of songs

      If you consider all the promotion expenses, Apple has probably lost a lot of money when looking at the music service alone, but the ipod is a cash cow with a fat margin that makes up for ITMS. I'm sure way apple is looking at the ITMS in the short term is a way to sell ipods, in the long term it could be a hit, but the online music distribution industry is real young and inundated with failures.


      • That's what the parent post said. So the question remains: how is Napster et al going to be profitable, since they don't have the margin of an "iPod alike" to take to the bank? Especially since they presumably have to pay MSFT for their encoding technology, also. And, they have to compete with every other WMA enabled $.99 download music site.

        Well, it could be that a) MSFT is giving a discount on their encoding tech, to get it established in the marketplace; but wait until it gets established. Then MS
        • I don't know what Apple's expenses are well enough to know if the cost of the iTMS is reducible or not; for instance, is it bandwidth cost? Server cost? Dunno.

          From Boston.com:

          The Cupertino-based company is already paying hefty royalties to the five major record labels for the right to distribute their music online. It pays the labels an estimated 65 cents per song in addition to about 25 cents per song in other distribution and credit card processing fees.

          So, they have 10 cents per song to pay for infras

    • If they pay less per sale to the RIAA than Apple does than they will have a a better profit margin. (Perhaps in exchange for more restritive DRM, not that I know anything about the DRM restrictions used by Napster).
    • I'm guessing that Apple pays such large royalties to the record labels because the labels are still hesitant about embracing the technology. It doesn't fit with their traditional business model of selling full albums. Perhaps they're charging so much for the specific purpose of making iTunes unprofitable, thereby killing the service and eliminating an alternative model.

      iTunes is a win-win for the record companies: the RIAA collects high royalties now in order to try to cut into the store's profits, and t
  • Why would I want to pay for letting other people utilize MY upload bandwidth?
    • you dont?
      the songs are downloaded off their servers for .99c each (from what I can tell its off their servers, nothing saying otherwise) and there in WMA format.
      How do I know? I have the software and am using it right now, it runs directly inside Windows Media Player 9. i pre-ordered so I got 5 free songs.
  • 'catching on'? It's more like a 'catching up'. The idea of using prepaid card is not new... Many people already use prepaid phone cards in the US. Game companies in Asia even sell prepaid game cards for online games (like Lineage). Game magazines often include cards with a small amount of credit so people can try out a game. Why? So a 17 year old with no credit card can try out a game without the parent knowing of course!

  • brand awareness (Score:4, Insightful)

    by andih8u ( 639841 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:17PM (#7330954)
    Most people still identify napster with getting free if not illegal mp3s. I think trying to keep the name was a bad marketing idea. Most people won't be able to figure out why they should buy downloads to something they thought was free. Keep the technology, change the name.

    • As someone who's studying marketing and advertising in school....its kind of a mixed bag. What we're seeing in terms of brand awareness is a short-term goal and extreme short-sightedness.

      The napster brand name will nab them in the short-run. But long term it will be their downfall for exactly the reasons you said. Of course, I'm certain many people will make plenty of money off of this before that happens.

  • Prepaid card show who the market is (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Squeebee ( 719115 ) <squeebee@[ ]il.com ['gma' in gap]> on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:18PM (#7330963)
    Look at MMORPGS like Everquest. They offer pre-paid cards to tap into a very lucrative market: teens. These kids make money at part-time jobs (or receive it in allowances) and have no expenses, resulting in high levels of disposable income. Problem is teens usually lack credit cards. Without prepaid cards a lot of online services cannot tap into this market because if they can't pay cash they can't pay.

    I think what we'll see next is a prepaid card that a lot of online retailers choose to accept. Oh wait, that's a check-card. Well, expect to see more teens with more check-cards in the future.

  • I think the idea that napster and itunes compete is good up to the point where I see that Napster is only available on Windows, be it due to wma content or whatever. I'm not paranoid enough to believe that Microsoft is funding Napster, since MS has its own service chugging along in Europe (Apple where the fuck are you here????) Rather I believe napster did this because they assumed that Windows Media Player is the most easily accesible player on 90% of desktops and allows easy DRM.

    We'll see where this goe
    • Sorry, what? I don't understand how Napster being tied to Windows means that they are any more or less "stuck between the sweaty balls" of the majors. Isn't Apple just as stuck?

      -Graham

  • Requirements (Score:5, Interesting)

    by big_groo ( 237634 ) <groovis AT gmail DOT com> on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:21PM (#7331006) Homepage
    System Requirements PC only, Windows XP/2000, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher, Windows Media Player 7.1 or higher, Internet connectivity

    And check this out from the Privacy Policy:

    AUTOMATIC DATA COLLECTION

    Napster Client. After you register for the Napster service, you will be prompted to download our Napster Client software application. In order to make sure the Napster Client is functioning at its best, from time to time we may send the Napster Client automatic fixes, support files, etc. Napster employs software that is used to protect the copyrights associated with the tracks you listen to or obtain. In order to make sure that artists and copyright owners receive applicable royalties, this software identifies and counts the songs you have obtained and/or accessed. At the aggregate level (i.e., not tied to the personally identifying information of any user), we use this data to report and pay royalties, for internal analysis and we share this data with certain Partners for their own analysis. We do not share your personally identifying usage data with any third parties. We may use your personally identifying usage data for a variety of service-related purposes.

    From time to time, the security on the Napster Client software may be upgraded by our supplier, which is currently Microsoft. Microsoft advises us that for security upgrades, your player will connect to an Internet site operated by Microsoft and will be sent a security file, along with a unique identifier, which does not contain any personal information about you and is not used to personally identify you or track your activities. Microsoft uses this information to prevent security breaches that could affect you. For more information, please feel free to read Microsoft's privacy policy at http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/windowsmedia/soft ware/v7/privacy.asp#_Security_Upgrade_(Individuali zation).

    Further, when you access the service through a Partner and download the Napster Client, we will add certain of your registration information (such as your member name and, if applicable, the Partner or promotion through which you registered) to the registry settings on your computer's hard drive, so that we can recognize which of our Partners or other sign-in pages to send to you when you log on to the service.

    Microsoft?? No wonder they were less than enthusiastic about iTunes for Windows.

    • Further, when you access the service through a Partner and download the Napster Client, we will add certain of your registration information (such as your member name and, if applicable, the Partner or promotion through which you registered) to the registry settings on your computer's hard drive, so that we can recognize which of our Partners or other sign-in pages to send to you when you log on to the service.

      It also looks like Napster could use a good copy editor. You'd think their legal department w

  • Why credit iTunes? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by OzPhIsH ( 560038 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:22PM (#7331020) Journal
    I guess the iTunes gift certificate and allowance idea is catching on.
    Gift certificates have been around for as long as I can remember. It's only natural for places of commerce to offer gift certificates nowdays. Why this is being credited to iTunes is rediculous. If a poster had said "Microsoft's gift certificate idea" I would have read 100 posts about it by now. I'd say it's pretty likely that using a gift certificate/allowance would have happened with, or with out iTunes.
  • As the article states, it's a good idea for those who don't have credit cards/don't want to use their CCs online. I wonder if these cards will have an expiry date like some of the pre-paid cell phone ones do.

    I'm behind the times in online purchasing technology, does PayPal (or another company) offer pre-paid options like this? I'm assuming that many people don't buy online due to fear - this would limit financial risk to whatever amount is the limit on the card.
    • Pay Pal? You'd trust a non-regulated, pseudo-financial institution with a questionable history over a credit card, which by federal law, mandates that a user can't lose more than $25?? You've got to be kidding me.
      • I used PayPay as an example only. Does Visa/MC offer something like this for online purchases? I.E., exchange cash at a retail outlet (or banks?) for online dollars that can be spent anonymously.

        Sure, with CCs you have limited liability, but the paperwork hassle tends to be the problem. Someone else mentioned check cards, but again, those are linked to your bank account.

  • Get out of jail free card! (Score:4, Funny)

    by BigGerman ( 541312 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:27PM (#7331082)
    Sorry could not resist.

  • Just wait until SCO hears about this. (Score:3, Funny)

    by rock_climbing_guy ( 630276 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:28PM (#7331087) Journal
    Just in case we forget to pay up our SCO $699 license fees, SCO will sell gift cards to our friends who can give them to us.

    The SCO gift card could be the hottest item on the market this Christmas season.



  • Really, the old "who needs a recording industry" rule still applies in the age of DRM. Potentially we could all sell our music through the web site. Perhaps we could pay each other $1 to read poetry to each other. Now that's an economy!

  • Interesting Marketing (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Goyuix ( 698012 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:31PM (#7331134) Homepage
    iTunes is lacking in a brick-and-mortar placement. It might show up on a magazine cover or something, but by Napster having these cards at the checkout of a grocery store line, it opens up marketing potential (people just seeing it helps it be regonized) and also people tend to throw additional things in their cart while they wait to check out. Why do you think they have both sides of the checkout isle lined with various "convenience" items. It isn't uncommon to grab a pack of gum, candy bar, lighter - whatever.

    Granted we are talking about ~1 dollar instead of ~15, but still this could definitely be a good business move for Napster.
    • and how many of these pre-paid Cards will be purchased as GIFTS that never get redeemed?

      they either get given to Apple users (who can't use them), or the card gets lost or accidently thrown away.

      and if nothing else it builds Brand Awareness.

      I can see these being printed up and used as corporate schwag, given away at trade shows to be associated with any number of other products.
      A one-song card could be stuck in a Cereal Box.

    • iTunes is lacking in a brick-and-mortar placement.

      Aren't they giving away 100 million downloads [apple.com] as part of a Pepsi promotion? Sounds like bricks-and-mortar placement to me.

  • Legal Music Download Survey (Score:5, Informative)

    by oscast ( 653817 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:32PM (#7331145) Homepage
    osViews.com has an interesting survey [osviews.com] which asks its readers which of the paid music services people the plan on using to buy legal music. The results are very interesting.
    • The results seem to be in line with sales so far. Apple has accounted for over 70% of all legal online music downloads. It's no surprise that they would be the leader.

      I've bought/downloaded some songs from iTMS. I've downloaded a lot more than that from Gnutella. But now that I can get songs via iTMS, I go there first because it's so much easier than trying to find the right song by the right band at the right bitrate with the right metadata. With Apple's store, I know what quality to expect -- the on

  • what a deal? (Score:3, Funny)

    by blanks ( 108019 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:42PM (#7331238) Homepage Journal
    Do they really think this will work? Why would people go to a store that sells music to buy one of these cards when they can just buy the music while they are at the store?

    So your options are.
    1 Buy music at store
    2 Buy card to download same music you could have bought at store.
    3 Buy beer and download music for free.

    I could really use a drink.

  • What about quality control? (Score:3, Funny)

    by queen of everything ( 695105 ) on Tuesday October 28, 2003 @03:49PM (#7331311)
    Back in the day, before Napster died, you would have to download 3 versions of the same song before you got one that was encoded well and/or a complete song. If you get 15 downloads, what happens when you get a bad mp3? What if its a live version instead of the studio version? If its still a music swapping service, all these are possibilities. I won't pay almost $1 for half a song.

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