Following tech with the consumer in mind » iTunes

If True, I’d Buy It – iTunes Subscription Service

Charlie Jones — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:51:08 +0000

The rumor is back, and if it’s true, iTunes can charge my visa card right now, because it would be a heck of deal for music connoisseurs, like myself.

An anonymous tip is currently circulating the blogs-of-Mac-worship, buzzing that Apple is preparing to launch an unlimited downloads, iTunes subscription service. If it’s true, other music subscription services will be forced to compete, or risk being put down.

Apple, and more specifically CEO Steve Jobs, have been publicly resistant to the possibility of an iTunes music subscriptions offering, stating that users wish to “own their music”, and standing by its popular retail model, while companies such as Napster, Real Media and even Microsoft try their hands at ruling the unlimited-download arena.

The anonymous tipster responsible for the resurgence in iTunes subscription rumors claims to have details of the possible offering: the subscription would run for $129.99 a year for regular users, and 179.99 a year for use with Mobile Me. It was also stated that songs would be of 256Kbps quality, with half of the iTunes library initially offered.

Now, before we get too excited, rumors of an iTunes subscription service have surfaced before, but they’ve never made it “to the shelf” as it were. However if Apple realizes that this is what its users are clamoring for, it could very well become a reality.

Rhapsody’s New DRM-Free MP3 Store with Full Song Previews

Bob Caswell — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:17:33 +0000

Today’s big announcement comes from Rhapsody, the online music service previously known for its subscription-based streaming music for a monthly fee. Well, turns out people are more interested in owning their music rather than renting. So now we have another major competitor for iTunes and Amazon MP3.

I’m already a fan of Amazon MP3. And considering Rhapsody is slightly more expensive (in line with iTunes at $.99 per song and $10 per album), I need something to justify that difference. Switching music download services is easy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need a reason. Rhapsody’s answer: full song previews. The only catch is that this is limited to 25 full previews per month.

The other area where Rhapsody might be better is in its interface. It’s too early for me to tell, but I can say that it wouldn’t take much to beat Amazon MP3. Amazon’s interface isn’t horrible, but Rhapsody’s could easily be better. Other than that, the free album promotion going on right now is probably the most pressing reason to give Rhapsody a try.

Again, it’s too early to tell if these reasons will be enough to make me switch on a more permanent basis, but Amazon definitely has a worthy competitor for music shoppers interested in content from the big four labels. Whatever the case, Rhapsody is yet another reason to avoid iTunes’ premium priced restricted music.

Amazon MP3 Survey Asks Interesting Questions on Music Buying

Bob Caswell — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:38:26 +0000

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Amazon MP3, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. And I’m glad the Amazon MP3 team doesn’t think so either. Here’s a copy of an email I received from them asking me to fill out a survey. Check out some of the more interesting questions asked followed by commentary (after text of the email below):

Greetings from Amazon MP3,

As you have previously purchased music from Amazon MP3, we would like to ask for your participation in a short, anonymous survey. The survey asks about your music-related preferences and experiences with Amazon MP3, and should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Your feedback is very important to us as we continue to enhance Amazon MP3 to better serve customer needs and interests.

The survey is active for a limited time only, so please respond as soon as possible. Just click the link below to begin. As our surveys are hosted by an external company, the link below does not lead to the Amazon.com site. Your information will be kept secure and confidential, and your name will not be associated with your answers. If the link is not active, or if you have concerns about authenticity and security, please type the Web address into your browser’s address bar.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/xxxxxxx

Thank you for taking the time to help improve Amazon MP3, and we appreciate your support!

Sincerely,
The Amazon MP3 Team

Here are some of the questions asked (I bolded my answers):

Why would you choose to buy digital music instead of a CD? (please pick your top reason)

To have the music immediately after purchase
Lower price
Can easily transfer to my MP3 player
Can buy individual songs, not the full album
Other (please specify):

It was difficult for me to specify just one reason for buying digital music, but I think “easy transfer to my MP3 player” has to be the top reason. I don’t listen to CDs anymore, so any purchase of a CD results in an extra step for me before I can listen to my newly purchased music. But some of the other reasons are just about as compelling.

How would you best describe your music discovery and purchasing habits with regards to Amazon MP3?

Discover and buy on Amazon MP3
Discover on Amazon MP3, buy elsewhere
Discover elsewhere, buy on Amazon MP3
Discover and buy elsewhere

Amazon’s site in general is way too busy. I have a hard time browsing on it even if I end up making purchases there after researching/discovering elsewhere.

Which technology-oriented websites do you regularly visit?

Techcrunch
Slashdot
Gizmodo
Boing Boing
Engadget
Wired News
CNET
I do not regularly visit technology-oriented websites
Other (please specify):

I visit all the sites listed but probably TechCrunch the most. Oh, and I couldn’t help but write in “TechConsumer” in the “Other” section…

Which social networking websites are you an active member of?

MySpace
Windows Live Spaces
Facebook
Friendster
LinkedIn
Classmates
I am not an active member of social networking websites
Other (please specify):

Amazon may have made a mistake by not defining “active” for this question. The two I selected I visit maybe weekly. But that’s much different usage than those that use them every hour.

Which following statements best describes your level of familiarity with MP3s?

I could describe its advantages and disadvantages
I could describe what it generally refers to
I am not familiar with the term

I’m pretty sure Amazon is hoping that few people will answer this question like I did. They are hoping to validate that MP3 is “good enough” for the masses even if plenty of better music formats exist.

Indicate the #1, #2 and #3 attributes you value most about Amazon MP3 (from the list):

MP3 downloads that play on any device (#3)
Music recommendations
Automatic import to my music library (#2)
Reliability of Amazon in general
Digital rights management-free (DRM-free) music (#1)
Offers the music I want
Ability to use my Amazon account
Low prices
One-click purchasing
Other (please specify attribute and rank):

Another tough decision, I like all the things listed above. But, first and foremost, I have to own my music (no DRM) and need its use to be as easy as possible (my #2 and #3 choices).

Is there anything you would like to see added or improved on Amazon MP3?

Why can’t I add Amazon MP3 items (single tracks or albums) to my Wishlist? As it stands, I have to use CDs for the Wishlist, which is kind of annoying.

Amazon MP3 Customers Don’t Come from iTunes, But I Did

Bob Caswell — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:31:09 +0000

Market research firm NPD Group issued a report today explaining that Amazon MP3 is growing but not taking away customers from Apple’s iTunes. It seems that only 10% of Amazon MP3 shoppers in February were iTunes shoppers previously.

As a result, we have sites like CNET asking this question: “The big question now is whether Amazon can continue to grow without snatching away customers from Apple.”

Not that this study isn’t likely to be accurate, but I have to wonder, who are these people that are using Amazon MP3 without having shopped on iTunes previously? Remember when Amazon MP3 was originally released? I can’t think of any press coverage that didn’t compare and contrast it with iTunes.

I mean, it’s an easy comparison. Why wouldn’t you switch? Amazon MP3 is DRM-free, cheaper, high quality, and has no switching costs (seamlessly integrates with iTunes).

That was enough to get me to switch. But apparently iTunes (which I still use, by the way) has something as part of its shopping experience that justifies restricted, more expensive music.

New Study on Digital Music is Outdated Before Released

Bob Caswell — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:25:53 +0000

Ars Technica has the scoop on a “new” study which shows how Apple’s iTunes is “widening its lead in the digital music market at the expense of other top brands.” The name of the article, in fact, is Competition unable to take a big bite out of Apple’s iTunes. The article could be interesting, what with its data, charts, and supposed analysis. But it has one major problem that invalidates most everything said:

The study relies on data from the first half of 2007. Amazon MP3 didn’t exist way back then, and Ars Technica completely ignores the fact that it exists now. Here are some current quotes (all from the past week) that shed some new light on just how “unable” the competition is because of the “widening” iTunes market share:

Chicago Sun-Times on Amazon MP3:

“Yes, dear readers, if I had an Apple tattoo, the ink would bleed out of my skin in disgust. I use iTunes to browse, sample, and choose music I want to purchase . . . and then I tab over to my Web browser and I buy it DRM-free from Amazon MP3.”

USA Today on Amazon MP3:

“Amazon’s MP3 store – which sells only songs without copy protection – has quietly become No. 2 in digital sales since opening nearly six months ago, say the four major labels. That’s even though Apple dominates digital music with its iTunes Store…”

Orson Scott Card (acclaimed science fiction author) on Amazon MP3:

“I also have to say that Amazon’s download service is smooth as silk. And, unlike iTunes, it saves the files as .mp3s rather than a proprietary iTunes file format. That means that any .mp3 player can use them. With iTunes, you have to burn a CD first, then rip that CD into .mp3s using other software. Amazon therefore works a lot better for me.”

My own stance hasn’t changed much since Amazon released its MP3 download service. Like the title of my original review said, Amazon MP3 gets it right: cheaper, DRM-free, higher quality, and no switching costs.

Apple TV: Top 10 Reasons You Should Wait

Bob Caswell — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:36:28 +0000

I’m not usually one to go for the top 10 list method of discussing limitations of a product. But then again, products don’t usually have 10 weaknesses I care enough about to compile a list. Apple TV, on the other hand, falls into this category. And it’s not even a first generation product!

But to be fair, I should point out that this is a product I sincerely want to work. After all, I already use iTunes to manage my music, and the iPod is my music player of choice. Too bad, then, that Apple TV simply isn’t ready for prime time. Here are the top 10 reasons you should wait:

1. No TV Focus

Steve Jobs has confirmed that Apple TV will focus on movies rather than TV shows. This makes sense considering Apple’s scuffle with NBC last year but means no Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, or The Office for you. If the focus is shifting toward movies then expect TV show selection to go down, not up.

2. Older iPods

So the cool new feature that makes Apple TV different this time around is the fact that you can rent a movie, watch part of it on your TV and then finish the rest of it on your iPod. Oh wait, this feature is only good for owners of the current generation of iPods. You know, the generation that has been out less than five months. If Apple is going to play the our-stuff-only-works-with-our-stuff game, they surely can’t expect you to rebuy all their products each time they try to entice you with a new one.

3. Rental Time

So if you rent a movie, you have 30 days to start watching it. That seems fair. But once you start, you are required to finish the movie within 24 hours, a limitation which makes it nearly impossible to start a movie one evening and finish it the next evening. Of course, a workaround has been discovered but expect Apple to plug it shortly.

4. Rental Price

Blockbuster called: they want their pricing structure back. $3.99 per movie and $4.99 per HD movie seems fairly steep, especially considering that it doesn’t take much for Netflix to be a way better deal. If you watch more than two movies per month, why would you want to pay per movie?

5. No HD on PC

So the next generation of movie watching is to be in high definition (HD), and Apple seems to realize that. But HD movie rentals via Apple TV cannot be viewed or transferred on anything but your TV. Remember that nowadays most everyone’s computer has a screen that can take advantage of HD content (the same can’t be said for TVs yet).

6. Compatibility

This one is obvious and no different than what Apple has done in the past: Anything you purchase or rent can only be used with Apple software/hardware. But there is hope, after all. If iTunes can sell restriction-free music that can be played on something other than an iPod… who knows, maybe someday other media will follow suit. But I’m not holding my breath.

7. Selection

From the press release: “With iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV, users can just click a button on their remote to effortlessly rent movies from a catalog of over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video…” For anyone interested in watching more than summer blockbusters, here’s hoping these numbers rise quickly.

8. New Releases

First-run titles will be available via iTunes but 30 days after the DVD release. The irony here is that watching movies “instantly” rather than waiting for a movie in the mail (or running to Blockbuster) is supposed to be an advantage of Apple TV. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing the crowd that likes “instant” movies is probably the same crowd unlikely to wait first for 30 days. And remember that Netflix has instant content (like the hit show Heroes) that you can watch within 24 hours of it airing on TV.

9. Separate Box

Apple TV is, of course, a separate box you have to purchase for $229 (even after the price drop from $299, I still think it’s pricey, especially now that you can get HD DVD players for around $129). And Apple has no plans to incorporate CableCARDs, a DVD player, or pretty much any third-party equipment you might use. So it’s not as if buying Apple TV will allow you to consolidate your home theater equipment. The opposite is true.

10. No HD Purchases

That’s right, folks, HD content can only be rented at the $4.99 per movie fee.

[phpbay]dvd player(s), 10[/phpbay]

Apple TV 2.0 vs. Netflix Unlimited: This Will Be Interesting

Bob Caswell — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:08:20 +0000

So today is Apple’s yearly coming out party where good ol’ Steve Jobs takes the stage and releases big surprises (even if most are leaked days earlier). There’s a new ultra-thin notebook, new features for the iPhone (SMS messaging to multiple friends), new apps for the iPod Touch (Mail, Maps, Stocks, Notes, and Weather), iTunes movie rentals, and the second generation Apple TV.

Despite the fact that plenty of people already seem to be professing a new found love for the MacBook Air, my interest is more towards Apple’s desire to be in the center of my living room. So let’s take a look at the newly released Apple TV set-top box and iTunes rental package:

Interestingly enough, Apple did so poorly in this sphere last year that Jobs admitted on stage that the Apple TV product had failed. But that was simply a quick way of introducing the latest and greatest Apple TV 2.0. This time around the price has dropped (from $299 to $229); it requires no computer and allows for rentals (via iTunes) directly from the box.

Movies will be available both in standard definition and HD from pretty much all major studios: Miramax, Touchstone, MGM Lionsgate, New Line Cinema, Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount, Sony, and Universal. First-run titles will be available on the iTunes Store 30 days after the DVD release (unfortunately). Over a thousand titles are expected to be available for rent “by the end of February.”

Movies are available in HD Dolby 5.1 while other media is available/supported as well: podcasts, audio, video, and photos (via Flickr and .Mac). Movies now have previews and start playing relatively quickly (within 30 seconds) but have to be watched within 24 hours of being started. Pricing is $2.99 for older titles and $3.99 for new releases. But that’s for standard definition; high-definition titles are $1.00 more.

All of this is mostly good news, and I must say that part of me is definitely interested. But online movie rentals have been around for years now with consumers mostly ignoring the option. And Apple isn’t necessarily doing anything revolutionary. I still need a separate box, which has to be setup with my system. Plus, I pay a high premium per movie ($5) and am required to finish watching the movie within 24 hours (a limitation which makes it nearly impossible to start a movie one evening and finish it the next evening).

So Apple TV is really just another option among a crowded-and-ignored group. What sets Apple apart is a slew of little things, such as the fact that these rented movies can also be played on a PC, Mac, iPod, or iPhone (and you can apparently start watching it in one place, such as your TV, and then pick up where you left off but on your iPod). Mix that in with the previously mentioned Flickr / podcast / music support, and you have some differentiation.

But the core product of watching digital movies on your TV isn’t much different than what we already have. Enter Netflix:

Netflix recently announced that subscribers will have unlimited access to movie viewing online. It used to have a quota/hours system in place, which was based upon how much you paid for your mail-in DVD plan. But that isn’t the only Netflix announcement recently. Netflix has partnered with LG and is creating a cable-like box that will allow you to watch movies on your TV via Netflix streaming. More importantly, Netflix hopes to partner with videogame console makers.

Let’s take a look at the advantages: no waiting 30 days for new releases (if you can’t wait, just have Netflix send you the DVD), no having to finish a movie in 24 hours (finish it whenever you want), no high price per movie fee (if you watch more than 2 movies a month, why would you pay iTunes the high fee of $5 per movie when you can get unlimited movies for close to the same price?), and possibly no new device to hook up to your TV.

But Netflix can’t get on your iPod, and Netflix doesn’t care much about your pictures or music. Even so, I’m leaning more toward Netflix (I’m already a member as it is, but I’m talking about the purchase of a set-top box). And if Netflix becomes available on a gaming console or two? Then definitely, Netflix. But Apple has no shortage of fans and has been known to innovate quickly. It will be interesting to see how this consumer technology evolves.

*Update* Looks like HD content via Apple TV can NOT be transferred or used on any devices other than your TV. Also, TechCrunch has a poll asking who might buy Apple TV.

[phpbay]dvd player(s), 10[/phpbay]

Netflix Preemptively Takes On Apple: Unlimited Online Movies

Bob Caswell — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:55:59 +0000

Netflix will be making a big announcement tomorrow, coincidentally one day before Apple will be making some [similar] big announcements of its own:

Starting Monday, January 14, 2008, Netflix subscribers will have unlimited access to movie viewing online. The company plans to do away with its quota/hours system it had in place before (viewing hours per month were based upon how much you paid for you mail-in DVD plan). The only group of Netflix subscribers to be left out of this unlimited plan: you who pay the minimum of $4.99 to rent just two DVDs per month.

Right now the Netflix online catalog consists of approximately 6,000 titles, which is still only a fraction of the 90,000 titles in the company’s DVD collection. But the number of movies available for online viewing is still on the rise and has doubled since the online service went live a year ago. And it’s still a bigger library than most other video-on-demand services available.

This news has even bigger potential when combined with the previous Netflix announcement of Netflix and LG marketing an LG-branded device (like a cable box) that will allow you to watch movies on your TV via Netflix streaming. The LG partnership is to be the “first of many” Netflix hopes to announce this year with makers of hardware devices, including videogame consoles.

Netflix’s news of unlimited movie watching comes just one day before Apple’s expected release of an iTunes movie rental service. The main advantage Apple will have is that its digital content will be viewable on iPods and iPhones along with computers. But so far, most consumers appear to prefer watching movies on their big-screen TVs. Apple already has a product, Apple TV, which syncs movies from your computer to your TV. But it has been met with some critism and is not without its limitations.

The Netflix unlimited plan may be more attractive than Apple’s expected $3.99 per movie plan, which will likely require movies to be downloaded and viewed within 24 hours of purchase. Whatever the case, more competition in this space is definitely a good thing.

Note: This article is cross-posted at BobCaswell.com.

DRM Officially Dead for Music: Amazon Now Offers DRM-Free Tracks from All Four Major Labels

Bob Caswell — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:37:21 +0000

Just a few days after our coverage of DRM-free music options for 2008 comes news of Sony BMG now offering its music on Amazon restriction-free. Sony BMG represents artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Santana, and Justin Timberlake. And this makes Amazon the first online music store to offer DRM-free songs from all four major labels: Sony BMG, Warner, EMI, and Universal Music.

Sony has uploaded around 200,000 tracks to Amazon so far (the most actively purchased music), but the company’s entire catalog apparently will be uploaded over time. I reviewed Amazon MP3 when it first came out and switched to it from iTunes as my preference for buying music online.

Amazon MP3 is better (for me, at least) for the following reasons: it’s cheaper ($0.89/track), it’s all DRM-Free, it’s higher quality (256 kbps), it’s more accessible (MP3), and there are no switching costs (integrates seamlessly with iTunes). If you haven’t already, check out Amazon MP3 here.

See Amazon’s press release below:

SEATTLE–January 10, 2008–Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that DRM-free MP3 music downloads from SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT will be available to customers on Amazon MP3, Amazon’s DRM-free MP3 digital music store where every song is playable on virtually any digital music-capable device, including PCs, Macs®, iPod®, Zune®, Zen®, iPhone™, RAZR™ and BlackBerry®. When SONY BMG is added later this month, Amazon MP3 will be the only retailer to offer customers DRM-free MP3s from all four major music labels, as well as over 33,000 independent labels. Amazon MP3 customers will discover DRM-free MP3s from SONY BMG’s vast rosters of artists representing virtually every genre of music.

“We are excited to offer Amazon MP3 customers DRM-free MP3s from SONY BMG, which represents many of the most popular musicians from the past and present,” said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music. “Our Amazon MP3 customers will be able to choose from a full selection of DRM-free music downloads from all four major labels and over 33,000 independents that they can play on virtually any music-capable device.”

“We are excited to be working with Amazon as they continue to build new markets for digital music,” commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business & U.S. Sales, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. “We are constantly exploring new ways of making our music available to consumers in the physical space, over the internet and through mobile phones, and this initiative is the newest element of our ongoing campaign to bring our music to fans wherever they happen to be.”

Launched in September 2007, Amazon MP3 offers Earth’s Biggest Selection of a la carte DRM-free MP3 music downloads, which now includes over 3.1 million songs from more than 270,000 artists. Every song and album in the Amazon MP3 music download store is available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software and is encoded at 256 Kbps to deliver high audio quality. Amazon MP3 customers are free to enjoy their music downloads using any hardware device, including PCs, Macs®, iPod®, Zune®, Zen®, iPhone™, RAZR™ and BlackBerry®; organize their music using any music management application such as iTunes® or Windows Media Player™; and burn songs to CDs for personal use.

Most songs available on Amazon MP3 are priced from 89 cents to 99 cents, with more than 1 million of the over 3.1 million songs priced at 89 cents. The top 100 bestselling songs are 89 cents, unless marked otherwise. Most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99. The top 100 bestselling albums are $8.99 or less, unless marked otherwise. Buying and downloading MP3s from Amazon MP3 is easy. Customers can purchase downloads using Amazon 1-Click shopping, and with the Amazon MP3 Downloader, seamlessly add their MP3s to their iTunes® or Windows Media Player™ libraries.

TC News: The 5 Most Annoying Programs & 2008 “Can’t Live Without” Web 2.0 Companies

Bob Caswell — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:57:08 +0000

TechConsumer News is a feature we started out of a hobby of tracking the latest happenings within the consumer related technology sphere. The goal is to provide a concise, compiled overview of the most intriguing stories from the last few days. Feel free to give us feedback or send us tips. If you like what you find, you can subscribe via email or RSS.

Today I thought I’d point out some of the best most recent compilation lists:

Download Squad explains its picks for the top 5 most annoying programs, which are the following:

Acrobat Reader
iTunes
Real Player
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Outlook

The reasons for being annoying are spot on with bloated, slow, resource hogging, and nagging as the main culprits. Luckily, there are alternatives to each of these (such as FoxIt Reader instead of Adobe Reader or Firefox instead of Internet Explorer) even if most on the list also happen to be fairly dominant in their respective fields.

One piece of software conspicuously missing, but nevertheless fairly annoying, is Norton AntiVirus. The most well known and used antivirus software is often credited as being the most bloated while offering mediocre protection.

Meanwhile, Michael Arrington over at TechCrunch lists the Web 2.0 companies he simply can’t live without. His list (in no particular order) is the following:

1-800-Free-411
Amazon Music
Amie Street
Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Firefox
Flickr
Gmail
Google Reader
Netvibes
Skype
Techmeme
Technorati
TripIt
Twitter
WordPress
YouTube
Zoho

Of the 19 listed, I give the following my own “can’t live without” status: Amazon Music, Digg (though this one is debatable), Firefox, Gmail, Google Reader, Techmeme, and WordPress. If you are at all into downloading music, finding content online, browsing online, sending emails, using RSS, reading news, and blogging, it’s hard to miss any of these. I’d also add to my list Netflix, LogMeIn (for remote control of your computers), RottenTomatoes (aggregator of movie reviews), and Mozy (online data backup).

What are your most annoying or “can’t live without” programs/companies?