I recently read a review of online music programs and associated music services. Eight different services were covered, and their accompanying software on Windows.
All of the services reviewed limited use of the tracks purchased or rented. Most were crippled by Digital Rights Management schemes drummed up to invent additional revenue and/or limit what the purchaser/subscriber could do with the music.
Fear not! There is a sucessful business model employed by a business unencumbered by DRM that works now. One company saw the demand and filled the need. The site is called allofmp3.com, and charges for tunes by the megabyte. It makes sense. Allofmp3.com leverages differences in international law and economics to its advantage, with some great technology behind the scenes.
Allofmp3.com does not require a monthly or yearly fee, and provides some optional slick client software(Alltunes) for searching and downloading the songs you've purchased. It gets better. Customers can choose from multiple codecs(no DRM included!) such as OGG, MP3, WMA, and AAC. I normally pay between 12 and 18 cents per downloaded track for 192kbps variable bit rate(VBR) MP3s, which, excepting classical music and superhuman ears, sound very good and burn to CD well. I've stopped purchasing CDs because of their superior business model. As a Russian site, allofmp3.com does not fall under the oversight of the RIAA, and their innovation shows as a result.
Music pirates grow up to be paying consumers, and my music dimes go to the Russians - they're providing what the world wants to hear.
