Jobs: iPod users don't want to rent music

I'd sign up for a subscription model. As it standards right now if I want to try something out there that I'm not willing to drop $$ on I have to find a torrent. I'd much rather give my money to the artist in a way that doesn't break the bank.

did i say no thanks? cuz in case you didn't hear, i'm not interested in music subscription...

music subscription? no, no, and no. not for me. movie subscription? yes, yes, and yes please.

I wrote up a blog post about this on my website, basically the point is that I think the future of digital music is a DRM protected subscription service combined with non-DRM music that you can purchase and own. As others have pointed out I think that a subscription services gives consumers who want it a lot of flexibility. If you like a song and want to own it forever you can just purchase it. If you don't like the subscription service just don't use it, keep on buying individual tracks. It's not like you have to do both.

I don't see why everyone is so anti-subscription, especially considering no one knows for sure what kind of system Apple would put in place. If anything, a sub model would be an *addition* to the purchase model, not one or the other. I would love to have unlimited downloads for a flat monthly fee, and then only purchase the music I haven't gotten sick of after a couple months. I use my iPod everywhere (including the car) so this would be fantastic for me.

And don't think Steve isn't already thinking of a "new" way to subscribe to music. The fact that he says "Never say never," and "The subscription model has failed so far" sound like dares to me. And don't forget, this was the guy who played coy about adding video to the iPod a few years ago, saying that most consumers were more interested in music. Subscriptions are coming. Guaranteed.

For me that's true. I want to own my music.

I don't mind renting videos I do that now and this would save me a bit on gas since I have to go all the way across town to the video store plus traffic. Music I don't want to rent. It seems to me from the little poll here on TUAW that there are some who would not mind renting and others who don't want to rent at all. Pehaps a model that allowed for both renting and buying would be a good thing here and as said before he did just mention music which dooes not mean that he won't do videos.

"If you don't want subscription, just don't use it. Why campaign against it? It's not a threat to purchasing. Can't they exist side-by-side? Or is subscription so heinous that it must be eradicated?"

Um, YES. Everybody is looking at this from THEIR OWN perspective. With the popularity of the iTMS, just imagine the BANDWITH costs and strains on the service with an 'all you can eat' download service. A slim profit margin would disappear and prices would go up. Sorry, but I LIKE buying music, especially for $0.99. Other companies have subscription models, it doesn't need to be integrated into iTunes and cause problems and eat money. Now, if you want that in "streaming" format, that might be different (i.e. be able to create you're own playlist online and pay for a single listen of the streamed music).

I don't see why it is such a big deal. iTunes should offer it, if you don't subscription fine, keep doing what you are doing now, if you do, then that gives you a reason to buy an iPod.

I passed on buying an iPod because I wanted subscription. I purchased an 4 GB Sansa, and went with Yahoo music, I just ordered my Sansa Connect, so I can DL music away from my PC.

I DLed about 600 songs, about 200 of which sucked and I deleted, but I kept 400 songs I didn't already own, and some stuff I never knew I liked. That is $400 if I boght them all, that isover 2 years worth of subscription services. For me I love it. I was going to get an iPod, but Apple lost a customer. I know I am only 1 person, but how many of me are there?

Remember, Rhapsody is available for the Mac, just through the web-client.