Itunes is the #1 digital music seller in the world right now.

#2 is Spotify (3 million paying subscribers x $10 on average x 12 months = $360 mil a year). Way behind Itunes but it's growing while Itunes is leveling. Which beg the question:

When will Itunes launch something similar to Spotify/Rhapsody? ($10 a month for unlimited music?)

There will be 2 type of Itunes:

Itunes (same thing as it is now)
Itunes Unlimited (similar to Spotify/Rhapsody/Deezer)

With its marketing power and fanbase, Apple can make Itunes Unlimited the #1 in music subscription in a short amount of time. The future of music consumption is unlimited streaming for $10 a month and Apple must know this.






Look at the growth and decline of cassette and then CD. The same will happen with Digital Download (Itunes forte). Unlimited Streaming is the future and Apple will jump on the bandwagon within 1-2 years IMO.



With 5 million paying subscribers (5 mil x $10 x 12 = $600 mil a year in revenue), Spotify will be a force to be reckon with. 5 million paying subscribers is about 18 months away.

That's implying Apple is 1) practical and 2) cares about their consumers + follows other trends.

So no, never.

They'll probably find a way to make you spend more $$$ on your music, and get less for it. iTunes Deluxe?

I don't see this happening anytime soon. Why would they take notes from the second best if they're doing just fine at the top? Plus, Apple = innovation, not replication.

Apple won't duplicate.
People won't pay to use iTunes when they already paid to use their producs that NEED it. (iPhone, iPods etc)

Apple won't duplicate?

MP3 players existed years before the Ipod.

Apple just made it better and cooler.

Tell that to all the #1 companies who didn't take note and got left behind.

Blockbuster....went out of business thanks to Netflix/RedBox
AOL....opps, didn't invest in high speed internet
Kodak------opps, didn't invest in digital camera

Nokia-----opps, Iphone and Android taking over

etc....

I don't use Spotify. So you pay a monthly fee and then get unlimited free music?

Yup. Here's a quote that pretty much describe Spotify:

Spotify is “like a magical version of iTunes in which you’ve already bought every song in the world.”


Free Version: with 1 very short ad after every 5-6 songs
Pay $5 a month and you get unlimited music on your computer
Pay $10 a month and you get unlimited music on your computer and mobile smartphone (Iphone, Android).


If you live in these countries: Try it out.

The service is, as of November 2011, available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

10 dollars a month gets you as many mp3 songs as you want? Hot damn, I may need to check this out

Not MP3.

It's renting music. As long as you pay, you can listen to any music you want.

For mobile phone, there is the "offline" mode so you don't have to use any data.

1) download the song
2) put it on offline mode
3) listen to it anywhere on your smartphone


I would suggest you try the FREE version first.

Look at its growth:

January, 2010:------------ 250,000 paid subscribers
March 17, 2010:----------- 320,000
July 20, 2010: ---------------- 500,000
December 8, 2010: ------ 750,000
March 8, 2011:--------------- 1,000,000
July 14, 2011: -----------------1,600,000
Sept 21, 2011: ---------------- 2,000,000
Nov 23, 2011: ------------------2,500,000 paid subscribers

Spotify also has around 25,000,000 free subscribers.


Itunes should watch its back. And if Apple is smart, it will compete directly with Spotify by launching an Itunes monthly subscription for unlimited music.

Remember when Microsoft did that with Zune? $15 a month, unlimited downloads on everything AND 10 songs you can keep? I loved it. It's THE FUTURE tbh.

Kodak actually invented the first digital camera, it just didnt want to mass produce it because it was the biggest distributor of film.

:meatwad:

the only thing i'll agree with is that apple isn't about following other trends... but to say they are impractical or that they don't care about their consumers is your opinion... nothing more.

Well, streaming is taking over in Europe already so Apple should, and will probably launch something to compete with Spotify, Rhapsody etc.
If they don't, they're being stupid.

Hey Dust2, since you seem to know soo much about this topic, do you have any idea when Spotify will be available in Mexico?

Sorry. No.

I would guess within 18-24 months.

WOW: http://allthingsd.com/20120102/not-t...le-this-month/

????

If that were to happen...what would happen to BB Hot 100???

I mean, would sales only come from amazon???

I've been using Spotify since July and I haven't gone back yet. I love it a lot more than iTunes. Instead of paying 9.99 for one album, I pay 9.99 for any album I could ever want. And it's absolutely worth the price tag. The app works great on my phone (I use Droid), and having all my music with me wherever I go is incredibly convenient.

Once Spotify releases an iPad app I'll be done with iTunes!