Itunes DOA ?

It just another forced conversion in the ever-growing list of subscription services.

They don't want you to buy/own any products...they want to keep you permanently hooked into their leasing setup.
This is the same thing many software companies are trying to do...rent you software by the month/year rather than sell it to you.
That way...you never leave, and they get to control everything.

I don't much care...never used iTunes, and don't use Apple Music or Spotify streaming services.
There's tons of music that can be accessed on the net...and if I want to buy something, I'll still opt for physical CDs when available, not files.
 
This is the same thing many software companies are trying to do...rent you software by the month/year rather than sell it to you.
That way...you never leave, and they get to control everything.

Surely that makes leaving easier, because you're just transferring your subscription to another provider and losing nothing?
I'd be much more likely to switch provider on a subscription service than if I had paid big money for a full software license, or invested in a large music library.
 
Surely that makes leaving easier, because you're just transferring your subscription to another provider and losing nothing?
I'd be much more likely to switch provider on a subscription service than if I had paid big money for a full software license, or invested in a large music library.


Maybe for music streaming, though I think you can get probably all the same music no matter where you go...but if you're dug in deep with plugs and apps...not sure how "easier" it would be to drop all of them and switch to a new provider(s) and deal with completely new sets of tools...?

I guess if you're just trying things out...maybe do a by-the-month sub, and then move to another provider to try out...but I think once you're kinda locked in project-wise, not sure how much people would then want to switch. I think If anything, they are more likely to just add new subscriptions.
Either way...they have you stuck forever, regardless how often you switch...because you never own anything.

For me...all the subscription stuff for software has come too late. I have more plugs than I ever needed, that I already bought, from a few of the best plug companies...so going to any subscription services would be totally dumb. They would need to put out a LOT of new plugs/apps that are different than stuff that's already in my hands.
Heck...TBH...I'm kinda moving back to OTB/racked gear, and getting more of that these days.
 
Yeah, that doesn't really work. I have a bunch of plugs that I can take to a number of DAWs but I'm not going to do that because I paid handsomely for a full license for ProTools. I'm getting my money's worth out of that bad boy.

Jumping ship may be a pain in the balls anyway you look at it, but I'd be much more likely to consider it if was paying PT a monthly subscription.
 
This story has popped up for a couple of years now and Apple keeps denying it. I know they want me to subscribe and I know “the kids” are all into Spotify et al, so there’s probably a tipping point where their overhead for supporting the purchased downloads doesn’t make financial sense but I think this is still just a rumor.
 
I got the link in my email ASCAP daily thingy. There was another link sometime back about the changes to licensing rights causing domain hosts like Amazon to plan to stop selling cloud space for copyrighted stuff cuz they are going to have to pay user fees or some such. I was curious if this was related.
 
Hard to believe Apple is going to cede this business to Amazon because I don’t know how many (any) people who use their streaming service while I know several who use Spotify. But maybe they’ll use the money they save to buy a streaming company.

Honestly, I have bought less than a couple dozen songs in my life from Apple and I’m an iTunes user. I buy CDs new and used (and break them in pieces after ripping) or buy downloads from smaller outfits when I can. And, yes, sometimes Amazon. So, dinosaur that I am, I’m obviously not helping their download business, and they probably need to do something to try and look current. I think they’re late to the party but we will see.
 
Hard to believe Apple is going to cede this business to Amazon because I don’t know how many (any) people who use their streaming service while I know several who use Spotify. But maybe they’ll use the money they save to buy a streaming company.

Honestly, I have bought less than a couple dozen songs in my life from Apple and I’m an iTunes user. I buy CDs new and used (and break them in pieces after ripping) or buy downloads from smaller outfits when I can. And, yes, sometimes Amazon. So, dinosaur that I am, I’m obviously not helping their download business, and they probably need to do something to try and look current. I think they’re late to the party but we will see.

I am supposing you destroy the CDs for legal reasons? Does donating them to a charity shop instead bother you? (seems to be 'legal' in UK?)

I can copy internally anything I hear in real time through this W7 laptop but I understand Ms have made this impossible or at least very difficult in W10? Daft really since I can easily loop the analogue or even S/PDIF in-outs on my 2496 card!

Dave.
 
I am supposing you destroy the CDs for legal reasons? Does donating them to a charity shop instead bother you? (seems to be 'legal' in UK?)

I can copy internally anything I hear in real time through this W7 laptop but I understand Ms have made this impossible or at least very difficult in W10? Daft really since I can easily loop the analogue or even S/PDIF in-outs on my 2496 card!
I just destroy them so they don't end up being resold again and again. Kind of in the hope it might generate at least one new sale for the artist (who might make $0.10 I suppose). So, even though I participate in the used market, especially if I'm replacing something I had in vinyl once upon a time, I kind of break the chain. There's nothing [legally] wrong with donating to charity/thrift shops - keep doing it, because I'm a good customer :). (But, yeah, I guess it bothers me to do it.)

Streamed audio is almost always low quality - not that you can usually tell, but, e.g., I've read that SoundCloud streams 128k stereo, regardless of what you upload. I suspect that's probably typical, unless you've got something where they guarantee a higher bitrate. Point being - your copy of the stream, whether analog or digital, isn't quite as good as the ripped CD, or purchased download. Not that I don't do it from time-to-time like when I'm learning a song and maybe want to create a slowed down loop or something to pick apart a guitar lick. Fair use I figure.
 
I agree with Miroslav it's all a push to get monthly subscription revenue. In some economic planning courses I took, they said that monthly subscriptions are the most insidious payments because they seem low and people kinda forget about them and wind up paying thousands for things over the years for things that should cost a few bucks. Anyway, side story: I wanted the Roland TR-808 plugin and couldn't find out how to buy it. I wrote them to ask and they said I can't. Lol! I have to buy a 1 year subscription for $250 instead, and at the end of that year I get to download one plugin, so at that point I can own the TR-808 plug. They tried to tell me this was good because it was like I got all the other plugins free for the year. I wrote them back and said I'd rather just pay a flat rate like $50 for the TR-808, the one I actually want, and not get the others "free".
 
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The concepts of private property and in general ownership, are disintegrating.
No one 'owns' anything. You just rent or lease.
Quite sad.
 
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