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AT&T Deal With eMusic Excludes iPhones
ubermiester writes "ArsTechnica reports that AT&T has inked a deal with eMusic, a direct competitor to Apple's iTunes music store. eMusic specializes in independent artists and offers DRM-free content for direct download. For a monthly fee (the number of tracks one can download per month depends on the package) the site's catalog will be available to AT&T customers using Samsung and Nokia handsets, but not the iPhone."
Songs bought form iTMS can be played on 5 computers and an unlimited number of iPhones and iPods.
But you have to ask for permission first. Some of us don't like having to ask permission to use something we own.
iTMS+ songs are DRM free (and at $1.29, cheaper than eMusic).
This new phone service costs more than itunes, yes. But regular emusic plans run about $0.30/song.
5 * $0.99 is not $8.00
True, they should price their phone service more in line with their internet service.
eMusic's catalog is not identical to iTMS (eMusic is smaller/indie music).
True enough, emusic's catalog is much better.
The only real downside I see to emusic is that they're still using MP3s. AAC is pretty sweet.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Once you download a song from emusic.com, you can download it again over and over! My experience was that even though I cancelled service for a year (had gotten all the music I wanted at the time) when I re-joined I could download every song I had ever bought from them. I dunno if this is policy or they liked me or what.
I guess I'm an eMusic fan-boy...I just love the small/indie/obscure tracks and the pure MP3 files.
Blar.
I'm no expert in partnerships and marketing but there's something about the AT&T/iPhone deal that's a little strange.
Apple is advertising like crazy for the iPhone but it's almost as if AT&T is forbidden from advertising using this relationship. Has this struck anyone else as strange or am I having too much coffee?
No, a cartel implies collusion. I am not trying to suggest that Apple and eMusic work together in the sense of collusion, but in terms of a user's experience.
If I usnderstand their business practices correctly, eMusic unilaterally chose not to get themselves into a battle against iTunes, where all others (Napster, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc) failed to become profitable.
Legal on-line music distribution is a difficult business to get into. eMusic found a decent way - one which permits the user to keep their relationship with iTunes/iPod, but allows the users to shop at eMusic too. Most other services force you to abandon iTunes, but don't provide enough reason for most users to leave iTunes.
What's dishonest about that?
Also which other company can you buy the last year's computer at last year's prices today?What's dishonest about that? Did they advertise false prices?
... and then they built the supercollider.