Yes, eMusic is a subscription model; I’ve been a member for over two years. But comparing that to ZunePass is comparing apples to oranges. eMusic’s model is not renting, you OWN the tracks downloaded each month, which is obviously why there’s a limit on how many you get each month. If I stopped paying eMusic next month, all the music I’ve downloaded the last 2+ years is unaffacted, still there, still playable, and still DRM-free.

It should be understood that for the purposes of this post — which was about Microsoft implying $15 gets you the same as $30,000 — a “subscription model” is of the “unlimited” kind, which is is also what Napster advertised. My point is that if you’re OK with a model that lets you RENT unlimited music, you’re OK with DRM. I never said it was good or bad, that’s for the user to decide. But you can’t be OK with unlimited music rental services like ZunePass (or the old Napster) and not also be “OK” with DRM. The latter is what allows the former to exist.

As for Apple’s dropping of DRM to be recent, so what? Amazon MP3 — Apple’s best competition for major label music — is a fairly recent occurrence as well (around 19 months old), and didn’t start with near as many tracks as iTunes had at the time. The fact is the labels were awfully strict about doling out their wares DRM-free, which neither Apple nor Amazon could control. I’m not going to slam Apple for this any more than I’d slam Amazon for not opening their store five years ago.

#24 Tom Reestman says:
“Any support of a subscription model requires being OK with DRM.”
That makes no sense. DRM is not equal to a subscription and to say that a subscription requires compliance with DRM makes just as little sense. I’ve been happily purchasing DRM-free music through my eMusic _subscription_ for years now. DRM is embedded protection that lets the licensing party of the product control its use even after purchase. Don’t try to change that definition just to help your argument against Microsoft.

“iTunes Store music works on any player worth noting, including the Zune. The absence of DRM does that.”
And this has been the case for all of what? 4 months now? And what about the years worth of music that you purchased before that? To portray Apple as a company that opposes DRM is misleading to say the least.

I don’t want to sound like I’m pro-Microsoft, because I’m not. I just get really tired of reading posts where people act like Apple is some perfect company. The fact that Microsoft-bashing usually accompanies this blind support for Apple makes the whole conversation seem simultaneously elitist and childish. Honestly Apple is just as capitalist/monopolistic as Microsoft; they just haven’t been as successful at it yet.

You do realize that all of those years that you were “buying” that DRM crap from Apple you were doing the exact same thing (at a much higher price), right? You don’t own any of the music that you “bought” through the iTunes store (unless you purchased it recently). You were, and still are, leasing all of the music with DRM. Bummer, huh? Maybe you should have read the fine print (especially before bashing other companies that are essentially doing the same thing – it just makes you look ignorant).

Wouldn’t it technically be $15/month for unlimited rentals?

Both systems use DRM, Tom, and I’m going to guess that you were purchasing music on iTunes prior to them offering DRM-free music (not that the music isn’t still wrapped in FairPlay), right? You could rather conveniently say that you’ve never bought any DRMed music from iTunes because you’re being challenged on it, of course, but such a claim would seem highly unlikely. And what does that mean? Well, I *guess* it would mean that “Any support of iTunes requires being OK with DRM.” Never mind the fact that purchasing an iPod/iPhone would be implicit endorsement of the system as well, as they all come with iTunes, and there’s still DRM actively being used for video content and applications.

“Because Apple doesn’t do the same thing. ZunePass subscription music works only on Zunes. Period. iTunes Store music works on any player worth noting, including the Zune. The absence of DRM does that.”

It hurts your credibility if you’re suggesting that Apple doesn’t have DRM in iTunes, because it suggests you haven’t done the scant research required to know what you’re talking about.

I’ve got a bunch of music on my iPod and iPhone that will ONLY work with those devices. Why? Because I bought them when DRM was still actively being used in music, and I don’t think it’s fair to have to pay 30 cents per song to unlock them. That’s an odorous system, and while I’m sure you think it’s cool because of el Jobso, I don’t see Microsoft pulling that kind of a stunt.

To the point that MunchE made: Very true, he *is* saying that MS sucks for offering more options. I’m sure Tom would disagree, and say that the games (and video, as I’m guessing Tom has such a cursory knowledge of the Zune that he doesn’t actually realize the breadth of content available on the thing) and apps on the iPhone alone more than make up for it.