Mossberg prefers iTunes over subscription schemes

Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal has been testing new music services, and while he likes Yahoo's service, "whether it can dislodge Apple is another matter." Mossberg says he strongly prefers Yahoo Music Unlimited to Real's revamped Rhapsody service, but he still questions subscription services in general. "There are big downsides to the rental model. First, all the songs you ever downloaded will die and become unplayable if you stop paying your monthly subscription anytime in the future. Second, the subscription fees -- $15 a month currently -- are pretty stiff, especially for younger users. Third, the rental services are far more complicated than iTunes, because they sell several categories of songs, with different rules for using them, and offer multiple subscription plans with different privileges."

Filed under: iPod, industry