It's only a hypothetical unfortunately.




eMusic used to have something similar.

$11.99 per month for 30 downloads ($0.40 per song)

$14.99 per month for 50 downloads ($0.30 per song)

$19.99 per month for 75 downloads ($0.27 per song)

$24.99 per month for 100 downloads ($0.25 per song)




Why is this a good idea and the music industry should consider it? 95% of digital music is from illegal downloads, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

Assume 100 million subscribers at $9.99 a month. That's $11.988 billion a year in revenue.

i like this! but theoretically they could LOSE money too.

If they did this and they were in iTunes/high quality, I would do this and never illegally download again.


Well, 100m people times 50 songs would be 5 billion songs a month, so if they only gave back a miniscule 15 cents a sale to the label, then they'd make money.

In the short run, maybe.

But they will be making a lot of money in the long run.

The thing about monthly subscription is that once a customer sign up, they rarely ever cancel.

Netflix is on its way to 25 million paying subscribers right now. Surely, there will be at least 100 million subscribers world-wide who are willing to pay $9.99 a month to download 50 songs each month.


This number jumps out at me.

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/indus...05218632.story

-- 225 million iTunes accounts, all w/ credit cards and one-click purchasing

One more thing to add.

In South Korea, you can pay $7 monthly subscription to download 50 MP3

Ala Carte is about $0.50 per MP3.

As a result,


copied from 6theory forum

GAON DOWNLOAD CHART TOP 10 - week ending MAY 28, 2011

Rank--------------Song------------------------mp3 downloads

#1. Kim Yeon Woo----------If the same as me---------------644,650
#2. Lim Jae Bum----------Everybody----------------549,607
#3. Kim Bum Soo----------Always-------------------------504,184
#4. Baek Ji Young--------Average------------------------413,019
#5. IU-------------------Hold my hand-------------------365,931
#6. Lim Jae Bum----------Love---------------------------362,129
#7. YB----------------------Run Devil Run-----------------347,092
#8. BMK-----------------------Beautiful Rivers-------------332,506
#9. 2NE1-----------------Lonely-------------------------325,270
#10. BEAST--------------------Fiction----------------------309,598


GAON DOWNLOAD CHART TOP 10 - week ending MAY 21, 2011

Rank--------------Song------------------------mp3 downloads

1. 2NE1----------------Lonely---------------465,735
2. BEAST---------------Rainy Days-----------311,168
3. Baek Ji Young-------Average--------------303,217
4. Sistar19------------Ma Boy--------------285,587
5. Sunny Hill----------Pit-a-pat------------272,743
6. BEAST--------------Fiction---------------271,312
7. Lim Jeong Hee-----Golden Lady------------265,424
8. G.NA----------------Because you're mine---245,399
9. Lena Park-----------I hope---------------244,085
10. Lim Jae Bum--------Love-----------------212,082


GAON DOWNLOAD CHART TOP 10 - week ending MAY 14, 2011

Rank--------------Song------------------------mp3 downloads

1. Lena Park------------Hope So ---------529,093
2. 2NE1-----------------Lonely-----------432,701
3. Sistar19-------------Ma Boy-----------348,849
4. Lee So Ra -----------No. 1------------339,488
5. Yim Jae Bum----------Empty glasses------321,165
6. Dynamic Duo----------Foolish---------311,449
7. Lim Jeong Hee--------Golden Lady-------308,005
8. BEAST ---------------Rainy Day---------248,339
9. Lim Jae Bum--------------For You------------235,609
10. Seo In Young-------------Wash----------------232,722



Take 2NE1 'Lonely"

it sold 1,223,000 MP3 in its first 17 days. This is a country 1/7 the size of USA population.


2. 2NE1-----------------Lonely-----------432,701
1. 2NE1----------------Lonely---------------465,735
9. 2NE1-----------------Lonely-------------------------325,270




Also, the thing with a 50 MP3 monthly subscription, you don't have to be picky. Which mean, there will be a lot more MP3 purchased.

my logic was that people would still download illegally while those who bought music would do so at a cheaper rate thus causing losses. but i could be wrong of course.

This is what the music industry will develop into.

Monthly subscriptions for set amount of albums/singles.

That's what the music industry is hoping for.

But in order to make monthly subscription works, they need to lower the price of MP3, something they are not willing to do.

Rhapsody has $9.99 monthly subscription for unlimited downloads (DRM protected). Though when you cancel your subscription, all your downloads will go away. Rhapsody has something like 750,000 subscribers.

People want to download and own the MP3. A reason why Rhapsody will never take off.