EMusic Acquired, Halting Unlimited Downloads

wallabywatson writes "EMusic.com have announced that they are cancelling their $9.99 a month unlimited download service after being acquired by Dimensional Associates LLC. Instead, subscribers will be limited to 40 downloads (ie 3ish albums) per month. A new premium $50 a month service will allow 300 tracks (~25 albums). The service details have been released as have new terms and conditions. If, like me, you think this sucks and want to cancel your subscription go here before November 8, 2003."

Comments

Link...

[herrvinny]

The link provided is to UPGRADE your account, not delete it. Someone get a real deletion link.

Re:Link...

[supabeast!]

To cancel your emusic subscription, click here. I already canceled mine. One a related note, as of today the emusic downloader is unable to retrieve more files after ten consecutive downloads, and must be restarted to work.

I not sure whether or not users will be committed to pay until the end of the account's three-month or one-year term, however. I recommend that anyone charged beyond October dispute the charges.

Don't go "there"

[hrbrmstr]

The "go here" URL takes you to the upgrade account page.

Just login to EMusic and stop your subscription if you want to cancel. I just did.

Darnit, no more all I can download cheesy sound effects MP3's...

There's actually 3 plans

[media_Assassin]

For those who don't want to RTFA, there's actually two plans, plus a third for subscribers who signed up before 10-8-2003:

EMusic Basic: $9.99 per month/maximum 40 downloads
EMusic Plus: $14.99 per month/maximum 65 downloads

EMusic Premium: $50.00 per month/maximum 300 downloads*

*Only for members who signed up before October 8th, and only if you sign up for Premium by November 8th.

Cancel subscription link

[no_demons]

The word is out! I'm sure you'll all get this eventually - but here is the full text of today's email announcement. To cut to the chase and cancel your account, the link is:

Cancel link

----

Dear EMusic Subscriber,

Over the past several years, EMusic has stood alone in its commitment to providing digital music consumers a service that offers flexibility and portability. We remain the ONLY service offering downloads in the standard MP3 format.

We are also unique in our focus on music from the leading independent labels. Unlike other services, we understand that many music consumers want to go beyond the Billboard charts. We remain firmly committed to continuing to provide avid music fans an alternative to the mainstream.

The digital music industry continues to change rapidly, and EMusic also continues to evolve. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of a number of important changes that will affect EMusic Subscribers.

First, we are pleased to inform you that EMusic.com Inc. is being acquired by Dimensional Associates LLC ("Dimensional"), a private equity group focused on providing innovative online music distribution services. Dimensional shares EMusic's consumer focused philosophy of providing low cost, convenient access to great music. Dimensional plans to continue enhancing the EMusic service with new features and content and you can look forward to hearing more once the acquisition has been completed.

Although our current privacy policy remains in effect, http://www.emusic.com/help/privacy_policy.html, when the acquisition is completed, EMusic's privacy policy will be changing to reflect Dimensional's ownership and your Personal Information (as defined in the privacy policy) will be transferred to Dimensional. Please take a few moments to review this our new policy which will take effect around
October 30, 2003.

http://www.emusic.com/help/privacypolicy. html

As always, EMusic is firmly committed to consumer privacy and we believe the new policy continues to reinforce this.

As an avid digital music fan, you are also aware that the music industry continues to suffer under intense financial, legal and technological pressure. As a provider of music downloads, EMusic is subject to a complex system of intellectual property rights and technological challenges that impose high costs and often uncertain risks on the company.

In order to respond to these ongoing challenges and maintain a compelling service for our valued customers, EMusic will be making a number of significant changes in the coming weeks and months. As part of these changes, we will be discontinuing the unlimited service plan and replacing it with a new service offering.

Unless you visit the link below: http://help.emusic.com/cu/index.cgi?cmd=step2&st=1 &categoryID=1198 and notify us of your intention to cancel your subscription prior to November 8, 2003, your EMusic subscription will convert into EMusic Basic. Under EMusic Basic, you will be billed $9.99 per month for access to the service with no minimum monthly commitment, but you will be limited to no more than 40 downloads during your monthly billing cycle.

In addition, EMusic is pleased to present a special, limited time offer available exclusively to current subscribers - EMusic Premium. Designed for our most active subscribers, this plan allows you to download up to 300 tracks per month (approximately 25 albums) for a monthly charge of $50.00 - a price of just 16 cents per track - with no minimum monthly commitment.

If you are interested in registering for this subscription plan, you must complete the EMusic XL registration form no later than November 8, 2003.

http://help.emusic.com/cu/index.cgi?cmd=s tep2&st=1&categoryID=1998

You will still have unparalleled access to the best MP3s available from independent mu

Re:Lets do some math....

[Zigg]

You can't do the $50 thing twice a year. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to subscribers that opened their accounts before October 8, and it's only good till November 8. You cancel it, it's toast.

As a current subscriber, I'm not so convinced it's the olive branch they intended it to be. Maybe at $25.

Re:Piracy

[believekevin]

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html# Piracy

Publishers often refer to prohibited copying as ``piracy.'' In this way, they imply that illegal copying is ethically equivalent to attacking ships on the high seas, kidnapping and murdering the people on them.

If you don't believe that illegal copying is just like kidnaping and murder, you might prefer not to use the word ``piracy'' to describe it. Neutral terms such as ``prohibited copying'' or ``unauthorized copying'' are available for use instead. Some of us might even prefer to use a positive term such as ``sharing information with your neighbor.''

Sorry! I had to be that guy.

Re:ITMS

[Rogerborg]

>I'll play with it on my Windows box, but I'll still do all my purchasing on my Macs.

What purchasing? You're renting. It's DRM crippled encrypted data, and your license to decrypted it is revokable. You'll be paying them money to the day you die.

Re:ITMS

[Anonymous Coward]

You can burn it to a CD. Vola no DRM. Then you can do whatever you like with it.

Re:instant responce

[Dot.Com.CEO]

Emusic had Lame-encoded VBR MP3s after a major upgrade some months ago. Cannot really imagine any better quality than this...

Finding new Music

[DonGar]

Magnatune (which I found from Slashdot) allows you to try everything before you buy.

http://www.magnatune.com/