--> music.yahoo.com/unlimited

For just under $60, you get 12 months of unlimited downloads of 192 kbps WMA files along with LAUNCHcast Premium service. It's similar to that "Napster-to-Go" service, but the files actually sound decent. You lose access to the files if you cancel your subscription (thanks, DRM!), but shit, it's less than $5 a month. The label selection is decent but seems to be improving every day.

Sorry iPod users, but you can't transfer the files to an iPod - you have to use one of the "approved" MP3 players.

if it was ipod friendly, i'd sign up today

or you could just do it illegally...it's not like the artists themselves give a flying fuck, it's the record company bigwigs who are up in arms about the 'digital revolution' and subsequently trying to cash in one 'what the kids are doin'

I think this is a ridiculous, absolutely RIDICULOUS idea. Renting music? Are they kidding? You NEVER own anything, and if you stop, even ten years from now after pouring hundreds of dollars into it, you lose the right to hear any of that music? What a fantastically stupid idea. And counting out the many, many, MANY millions of Ipod users? What a super-fantastically stupid idea.

Does anyone know how successful these ideas have been so far? How well is Napster To Go doing? I really cannot believe anyone would actually fall for this crap, but someone must. I just hope it's not enough to sustain it as a business model.

okay but seriously 5 bucks?

thats a third the cost of one cd......i buy at least one shitty cd a month that i end up selling back for 3-5 bucks and i lose 10......

plus this is unlimited music....

Half the price of satellite radio.

i've considered satellite radio, but i have yet to be convinced (with streaming internet radio already at the tip of my fingers)

i never have, and never will, pay for downloads. If youre going to pay money for music than you need to get the hard copy with the case and the cover art and everything. Why pay for someting intangible?

i used to feel the same way

what changed you?

the ease of digital music. remembering the change from vinyl to casette to cd and now digital.

but it is sort of nice.

i have an era of music that is represented by vinyl

i have an era of music that is represented by casette

i have an era of music that is represented by cd

and a new era of digital music.....

there is cross representation in formats also...

none of these formats are obsolete to me, i just appreciate them all for what they were then and what they are now....

i will still buy vinyl, cd's, (not to hot for casettes....) and i will buy digital....

enjoying all of these formats has freed me from trying to decide which is best or which one to go with and it keeps me from being upset that a new format is being launched....

im not sure how much that made sense....but....

on a side note.....the new dave matthews album on i-tunes came with a digital booklet ( i didn't buy it digital, but i think that its a great idea....)

I used to be Mr. Anti-Digital (still am in certain instances), but then I realized that I was already paying $5/month for privileges on Soulseek. Sure, I still do (and will continue to) buy lots of CDs, but services like this are a great way for me to sample new music or acquire those albums that aren't quite worth paying full price for. Files are of a uniform quality (unlike P2P services) and, while not as great as CDs or virgin vinyl, sound pretty good. I was already thinking about subscribing to LAUNCHcast Plus for $2.99/month for use at work, and this is only $2 more for that service + unlimited downloads. Would I pay $20 for a service like this? It's highly unlikely, but $4.99 sounds damn good to me.

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