“A day ahead of the launch of Apple Computer’s iTunes music store in Europe, local rival On Demand Distribution, or OD2, on Monday rolled out a new streaming service aimed at bolstering its appeal against the powerful newcomer. As announced in January, the new service will allow listeners to pay just .01 euro (1 cent) per song, without being billed a monthly subscriber fee. The streaming service is available in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, the same countries where the company’s download service is available,” John Borland reports for CNET News. “As before, customers can also pay .99 euro ($1.20) to download a song permanently.”
Full article here.
Whoop Dee Doo.
Oooooo .. isn’t that what streaming internet radio is for? And that is free.
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I would pay a penny to stream a song I was considering buying – I would prefer a full paid preview to the free 30-second preview currently available.
good point
Apple keeps building the same box with the same formula…
While creative vendors offer alternative plans and use more complainant box’s (pick any MP3 player you like) and software (the widely distributed WMP).
Apple once again was at the top for a moment, and then consumers had better options and better value, thanks to the great provider.
I all ready have all the parts on my Windows computer why would I want to change…
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Sputznik,
Get a clue.
I wouldn’t consider Windows a better option or value. It’s an OPTION, but not a BETTER one.
This 1� to preview feature sounds really cool, but I wonder how long it’ll take before someone uses Wiretap (or somthing similar) to get that song ultra cheap. If that happens, this feature won’t be around too long.
sputnik trade names with me
Also, these songs won’t be able to be played on the iPod, so that may (and most likely will) limit its appeal.
“I all ready have all the parts on my Windows computer why would I want to change…”
Because maybe you wouldn’t sound like such a brainless thickhead if you did? Plus, OS X has a very good spell checking system.
How about if iTunes allowed full preview once per song for free. You would have to be logged in, so the iTMS would know what songs you have already previewed, and only allow the 30 second preview on songs already listened to one time. I think Apple could use it to provide valuable marketing info to the labels in return… not per user of course.
It’s an alright feature. Nothing that will bring the masses over from the iTMS though….
What you have here is a box with an iPod and over 65 turds in it. iTMS users only get to use the iPod. Users of other online music stores get to use their choice of several different pieces of Sh… Well, you get the point.
Oddly enough, Sputnik, Apple has yet to take over the planet, so that means you have the right to choose whatever solution you find best for you. Anybody at Apple will tell you as much. They feel they offer the best solution, and many people agree. You feel you can be better served elsewhere, and many agree with you too.
You’re just lucky Apple is around to push the envelope and get other people doing things that would have otherwise never have been done. While Apple may not be your delivery system of choice, you can still thank them for all the choices you now have in this area.
what’d be pretty interesting would be for Apple to have random track sampling.. IE you could preview 30 seconds of a song, but each time you previewed you could get a different part of the song. That would still make stealing the song difficult, but would make it easier for people to find out if this is thee track they want.
30sec previews are enough for me. The only streaming I’m interested in is on WMP with my fly open.
Must get the next bimmer that can control an iPod from the steering wheel. Why’s it taking so friggin’ long?
I’d actually like to see that option on iTunes but it isn’t important enough to me to make me use a PC for my music.
“iTMS users only get to use the iPod.”
Al, I’m not getting your point. Why would I want to use anything else?
“30sec previews are enough for me. The only streaming I’m interested in is on WMP with my fly open.” – Less is More
A friendly reminder: be sure to shutdown and unplug your PC before you do.
“Apple once again was at the top for a moment, and then consumers had better options and better value, thanks to the great provide”
As long as you don’t mind waiting another year or two for those options and getting a lesser final product while the Mac crowd has already moved onto the next great thing, go for it!
Well I agree with Steve Jobs – I want to own my music!
Not subscribe, stream or rent I WANT TO OWN!
I don’t give a toss fro the other inferior options out there – Apple’s encoding is flawless sound.
ANyone who is serious about music will use the itunes music store – why do you think nearly every musician on the planet uses Apple Macs to record or write their songs!!
By the way – just used the UK Itunes Store and it is flawlessly simple – and well worth the wait!!
Maybe the windowwwwwzzz users out there should try it – it’s even simple enought for them to use it!
Good one Apple – go wipe out the competition with itunes – the global music standard for mac and pc!!!
Sputnik needs to wise up and get a Mac!
If he is so pc loyal – how come he looks at mac websites??
I reckon he’s a closet Mac fan!
Here’s an interesting thing about napster that I got off the bbc website comparing music services:…
Napster argues it is different by offering an “immersive experience”
Primarily a subscription service that aims to build a community around its users.
Library:
700,000 songs
Costs :
�9.95 a month for an unlimited number of downloads onto the hard drives of up to three PCs. A further 99p per track to copy the track to a CD or transfer to a portable device. Non-subscribers pay �1.09 per track to download and burn to a CD or copy to a portable device.
Format:
The songs are downloaded in the encrypted Windows Media Audio format, which can be transferred to 60 different portable players, not including Apple’s iPod.
Features:
Napster has 10 interactive radio stations and its community services include a personalised radio station that is automatically created by selecting just three songs. Subscribers can browse each other’s playlists and share songs via email. Napster also promotes new music and has developed forums for discussions about music.
The interesting bit for me is that even if you subscribe you have also have to pay 99c PER TRACK to copy onto a cd!!!
“I all ready have all the parts on my Windows computer why would I want to change…”
And he CONTINUES to troll MacNN? Puhleez.
“Guys, I really wanna Mac so I can have more fun with Mommy’s AOL, but I just go this great new motherboard from Radio Shack� and a cool joystick to play games with, so I’m broke.”
Get on with life, Sputnutz.
99p to get something to your iPod or sorry… to your Dull JD? well if you pay 79p you can get that on your iPod using iTMS GFUK and basically no limitations. Much easier and much more convinient. Rest of the Pan European area it is 99 cents including VAT. I am very happy with that price. It is excellent and solarflare is absolutely right… Napster is No Go. People are not so stupid not even in the America except Bush Jr. Then again BJr has PB and iTMS.