iTunes and Apple get some real competition

[ThePresence]

Text

Apple finally looks like getting some real competition in the online music business with the announced entry of a collaboration between cable entertainment group MTV and Microsoft. A beta version of a new online offering called Urge will debut on Wednesday and will be integrated with the latest version of Microsoft's Windows Media Player, which can be downloaded.

The pricing model of Urge will borrow from both Apple iTunes and the monthly subscriptions offered by services such as Napster, the company that started the music download revolution. Like Napster, Urge will enable users to download songs to computers and MP3 players for a monthly subscription of $9.95 and $14.95 respectively.

However, mindful that the subscription model, which stops access to downloaded music unless the subscription is maintained, has not eactly been a roaring success for Apple's competition, the Urge service will also enable users to buy tracks for download at the same price as iTunes, 99c or Albums for $9.95. What's more, at launch, Urge promises to have more than 2 million tracks available for download just like iTunes.

Things start to get interesting when it becomes apparent that iTunes and Urge are not compatible. Urge will not allow downloads to iPods but will be compatible the myriad of competing MP3 players on the market, such as the iRiver, which have not been able to dent the iPod's dominance of the market.

The entry of MTV and Microsoft into the music market with a serious offering may finally inject some real competition into a marketplace, in which Apple has almost as much dominance as Microsoft has on the PC desktop.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Meh, can't download to an iPod? (Probably having to do with the DRM format, which the iPod can't read) That'll hurt it's legitimate chances.

I was reading in the WSJ about a service Amazon.com was putting together (also planning on launching their own player, being made by Samsung IIRC) - that seemed to be the only legitimate threat to Apple.

 

[z0mb13]

I've got the urge to take a dump on apple...

 

[DeviousTrap]

It's a good idea but they're shooting themselves in the foot by not allowing downloads to iPods.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
It's a good idea but they're shooting themselves in the foot by not allowing downloads to iPods.

Yeah, not a good move. I've got a Nano, so there goes one less subscriber.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
It's a good idea but they're shooting themselves in the foot by not allowing downloads to iPods.

Yeah, not a good move. I've got a Nano, so there goes one less subscriber.

Well like I said - I think it's more about DRM than it is not allowing downloads to the iPod. It'd have to be DRM-less I believe in order to do so. I don't think you can download music from Napster or (existing download music service goes here) without being a normal MP3 or AAC file or whatever formats the iPod supports.

 

[thehstrybean]

DRM sucks.
I hate iPods

audiolunchbox.com will still own...no DRM FTW!

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
It's a good idea but they're shooting themselves in the foot by not allowing downloads to iPods.

Yeah, not a good move. I've got a Nano, so there goes one less subscriber.

Well like I said - I think it's more about DRM than it is not allowing downloads to the iPod. It'd have to be DRM-less I believe in order to do so. I don't think you can download music from Napster or (existing download music service goes here) without being a normal MP3 or AAC file or whatever formats the iPod supports.

Whatever the reason, if it won't play on an iPod, they've got a problem. I'd go a far as to say, as long as there is no iPod support, iTunes will reign supreme for a LONG time. iPods are great DAPs, and iTunes is pretty dang good too. I don't think people will be giving up their iPods for this new service any time soon. Just my opinion though.

 

[NogginBoink]

Wait until the service launches before making any conclusions.

Microsoft is well aware of the number of iPods out there and the number of subscribers they'll miss out on if they don't support iPods. The article may be right about MS not supporting iPods, but then again it might not be.

 

[ThEFeAR]

As this is a MS thing, I'd say that the files are going to be WMA with DRM. As ipods don't support WMA, this would explain the lack of compatibility.

 

[yowolabi]

So there's a service that's about equal to Itunes, but doesn't support Ipods. Why would someone choose the new service?

 

[tw1164]

This sounds more like competition for Yahoo! Music, or Napster not iTunes

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: tw1164
This sounds more like competition for Yahoo! Music, or Napster not iTunes

Exactly

And before any iPod haters with an IQ below 50 waltz into this thread, the iPod (AND iTunes) itself have NO INHERENT DRM, the DRM is only present in FairPlay AAC files obtained from the iTunes Music Store.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: yowolabi
So there's a service that's about equal to Itunes, but doesn't support Ipods. Why would someone choose the new service?

Because they don't have an iPod?

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: yowolabi
So there's a service that's about equal to Itunes, but doesn't support Ipods. Why would someone choose the new service?

Exactly.

 

[Kur]

MTV & MS? So instead of the song we wanted to hear we will have a 30 second clip of it followed by useless talk about how brittney spears is pregnet again? No thanks. (This is a referance to how TRL turned out the way it is today if some people did'nt know)

 

[sunzt]

Can't you just import the music files downloaded from URGE into iTunes and then download them to the iPod?

 

[venk]

Originally posted by: Lonyo

Originally posted by: yowolabi
So there's a service that's about equal to Itunes, but doesn't support Ipods. Why would someone choose the new service?

Because they don't have an iPod?

You want to check what % of the DAP marketshare apple owns? Fighting over the scraps isn't Microsofts style.

 

[zainali]

is the beta version of wmp 11 out yet?

 

[dawks]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: JackBurton

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
It's a good idea but they're shooting themselves in the foot by not allowing downloads to iPods.

Yeah, not a good move. I've got a Nano, so there goes one less subscriber.

Well like I said - I think it's more about DRM than it is not allowing downloads to the iPod. It'd have to be DRM-less I believe in order to do so. I don't think you can download music from Napster or (existing download music service goes here) without being a normal MP3 or AAC file or whatever formats the iPod supports.

Yea. The problem is Apple only supports their FairPlay technology on the iPod and will not license it out. They will also take anyone to court who tries to introduce their own DRM system to the iPod, which is technically possible. Its really just Apple trying to protect their own interests by not allowing anyone else to use their device.

 

[arod]

the beta was leaked already... i have it installed on my machine. i like it alot better than wmp10 and itunes.

 

[GeneValgene]

this reminds of the wired article from last year haha

80% of microsoft employees with portable music players have an iPod

i won't even give this a try unless i can somehow get these songs to my ipod. so far, itunes is sufficient for me.