Online Music, Unshackled
By DAVID POGUE
NYT
Everybody seems to think that record company executives are big, greedy dunderheads. “How dare you charge for music?” the college set shouts. “Music wants to be free!”
Well, the recording executives may, in fact, be big, greedy dunderheads. But over the years, little by little, they’ve tried to make online music sales fairer and more convenient.
Today, Web music services are spread across the entire price/convenience/permanence matrix. Some offer music that’s free and legal, but you can’t choose exactly which songs play (Pandora.com). Some let you download song files to own forever for 79 cents to $1.30 each (iTunes and Amazon.com). Some let you rent music — that is, listen to all you want for a flat monthly fee, but you’re left with nothing when you stop paying (rdio.com, Napster.com, Rhapsody.com).
And some services are illegal.
(More here, with hotlinks.)
NYT
Everybody seems to think that record company executives are big, greedy dunderheads. “How dare you charge for music?” the college set shouts. “Music wants to be free!”
Well, the recording executives may, in fact, be big, greedy dunderheads. But over the years, little by little, they’ve tried to make online music sales fairer and more convenient.
Today, Web music services are spread across the entire price/convenience/permanence matrix. Some offer music that’s free and legal, but you can’t choose exactly which songs play (Pandora.com). Some let you download song files to own forever for 79 cents to $1.30 each (iTunes and Amazon.com). Some let you rent music — that is, listen to all you want for a flat monthly fee, but you’re left with nothing when you stop paying (rdio.com, Napster.com, Rhapsody.com).
And some services are illegal.
(More here, with hotlinks.)
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