Students choose iTunes, despite Napster partnership
updated 03:35 pm EDT, Mon July 11, 2005
iTunes wins over Napster
iTunes is the among students at one university, despite a partnership with the subscription-style Napster music service. College students gave Napster high marks, but more than 7 out of every 10 still buy music from Apple's iTunes Music Store, according to a reporty by the Ecommerce Times. Drawing from a recently released survey from the University of Rochester, the results show that students favor the iTunes-type song purchase model. The survey found that students were quick to sign up for the free service and were impressed with the service; however, they never purchased songs to make them a permanent part of their colleciton, citing limited compatibility with MP3 players, including the iPod. The survey also found that more than half of the students who used Napster still turned to other music sites, including 71 percent to iTunes as well as MusicMatch (16%), Rhapsody (4%), and Music Now (2%).
Sorry Napster
07/11, 04:21pm reply
"However, none of those surveyed bought songs from Napster when they wanted to make a track a permanent part of their music collection during the fall semester of 2004. An earlier survey found one student had bought songs from Napster in the spring of 2004."
It's free and they still don't use it. That speaks volumes.
greenG4
Grizzled Veteran
Joined: Aug 2002
Napster not Free
07/11, 04:43pm reply
Students have also reported that it's an extra $70 tutition to have access to napster. Plus the fact that Napster doesn't have the easy to use interface and the music selection is limited as far as what you can purchase. Not to mention you can't use Napsters service with an iPod. Most students probably have iPods not other players.In any case iTunes is clearly the way to go for most of them. The colleges just don't get it obviously.
jhorvatic
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
Yup, that's my school...
07/11, 09:02pm reply
So, as a student of the University of Rochester... I wasn't surprised at all by the survey answers. I actually don't know of anyone who really buys any music from Napster; the closest people seem to get to that is when they suddenly exclaim, "Hey, let's listen to some bad (insert decade/genre here) music because we're bored/drunk/crazy!" and then promptly find the songs which are tethered and don't require payment (if the song isn't available for free, they just give up on it.) Not really the kind of use Napster was looking for. Yup, the administration didn't really think it out. ESPECIALLY when (in their zeal to make all sorts of corporate deals) they have an APPLE STORE on campus that sells /iPods/ , which as someone mentioned, are /not/ compatible. Probably also helps that iTunes is an actual media player (and Napster is just a shoddy product made for making money).
feedmec00kies
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2005
Napster not all that
07/12, 01:14am reply
Napster you always have to pay and pay, if you ever stop paying then you lose all of your songs. Basically you're renting your songs. I rather buy the songs I want from iTunes or go out and buy a CD from a store. It doesn't matter if Napster advertising we have over 1 million songs, basically everyone only listen to certain kind of music and doesn't care for the rest.
Shootingstars
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005
Napster ad...
07/12, 01:31am reply
As I was reading through the comments, I look over to the left side of the page and see a Napster ad. Cute.
Sandkat
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2005
people in charge...
07/12, 03:41am reply
Just further proof that college universities have no idea what to do with the thousands of dollars from their students.
Ralf_Wiggum
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2002
Napster Ad
07/12, 09:30am reply
Yeah, i see the banner ad at the top of this comments page. Nice...
go4it
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2005