Here's the rundown:

Yahoo! Music Engine
- With a $5/month with a yearly subscription, $7/monthly, you can access any songs in their database
- Discount prices to own/burn songs/transfer to device - $0.79 - Songs are $0.99 without subscription

iTunes
- No subscription service
- Songs to burn/own/transfer to device $0.99

Napster
- Regular subscription $10/month, that includes access to all the songs in their database, and discounted prices to own songs at $0.80 - Songs are $0.99 without subscription
- To Go subscription $15/month, which includes all features of regular subscription, but unlimited ownship/burning/file transfer to devices of songs.

They all have their pros/cons, which would make each one ideal for certain users. For example, Yahoo! Music Engine and Napster subscriptions are good for people that use a computer as their primary music source for listening. The discount prices of songs from these services goes without mentioning. But, if you plan to burn more than 15 songs/month, why not subscribe to Napster To Go? Although most people that I know like iTunes the best, I see it is that iTunes really cannot compete with Yahoo! or Napster - especially Napster. I rank these music services in the following order - Napter, Yahoo!, iTunes. What is your thought about these music services?

[Edited on February 6, 2006 at 11:06 AM. Reason : blah]

2/6/2006 11:06:25 AM

teh intarweb >>>>> paid music service

2/6/2006 11:07:24 AM

Well, I agree. But, since I have a career now I'd rather buy music that steal it.

2/6/2006 11:08:36 AM

true enough.

i bought the last few albums that came out that i liked in physical form.


If an album comes out that i like, i'll buy a physical copy.

itunes is a terrible program and the restrictiveness and small range of availible formats sucks balls.

and i'd probably get sattilite radio before i got one of those subscriptions.

2/6/2006 11:16:56 AM

After further review of the three music services aforementioned, I have shifted toward Y! Music Engine. This is because of the price. I misunderstood the products terms when I very first read them. After using the free trials for for Napster, and Y!ME for a day, I was easily convinced.

2/9/2006 8:12:12 AM

Quote :

"Yahoo! Music Engine - With a $5/month with a yearly subscription, $7/monthly, you can access any songs in their database - Discount prices to own/burn songs/transfer to device - $0.79 - Songs are $0.99 without subscription "

This would be good if you like streaming music, but at .79/song + $60 for the yearly subscription, you would have to buy at least 300 songs before you make back the $60 you paid for the year. If you just want to stream music, that's not too bad (or you could also listen to the free last.fm custom tailored radio streams).

Quote :

" iTunes - No subscription service - Songs to burn/own/transfer to device $0.99"

No subscription service, but it's the only music download service that will play on the iPod without extra, lossy conversions. Also has video store.

Quote :

"Napster - Regular subscription $10/month, that includes access to all the songs in their database, and discounted prices to own songs at $0.80 - Songs are $0.99 without subscription - To Go subscription $15/month, which includes all features of regular subscription, but unlimited ownship/burning/file transfer to devices of songs. "

Same with Yahoo, good for streaming, but not really worth it if you want to own your music.

2/9/2006 8:49:55 AM

- To Go subscription $15/month, which includes all features of regular subscription, but unlimited ownship/burning/file transfer to devices of songs.

you don't own the songs. it just means you can d/l an unlimited amount, BUT it gets erased after you load more.

2/9/2006 9:40:37 AM

ALLOFMP3.COM

2/9/2006 9:44:44 AM

^ I know that. That is why I decided that Y! was better. For me, Y! is very good for me, since I listen to most of my music in the house from my computer that has a nice speaker set-up. If I want a cd for the car, I just buy what I want and burn them. Unless you have an iPod, there is no need for iTunes. So, what I cannot find on Y!, I can find on NL. BTW, i am about to experiment with which service has the most [EXPLICIT] music. That makes a big difference, too.

[Edited on February 9, 2006 at 9:51 AM. Reason : blah]

2/9/2006 9:49:30 AM

iTunes is kind of jumping into the subscription game, introducing the "Multi-Pass"
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060308-6342.html

For a flat fee, e.g. $9.99, you get the next 16 episodes of a show, like The Daily Show (TDS and The Colbert Report are new additions also). The shows are still available a la' carte for $1.99 a piece, which many have arugued is ridiculous for daily, 30 minute shows. Now with the multi-pass, a month's worth of TDS comes out to about 60 cents each - much more reasonable.
This really opens up iTunes to be even more of a force for distributing TV. If they start offering subscriptions, multi-passes, whatever, they will bring in lots more people

3/8/2006 6:51:32 PM

Used CDs is the way to go.

3/8/2006 7:41:55 PM