James Kim,
Senior Editor
June 28, 2006
Like it or not, music subscription services--first introduced by Pressplay and MusicNet a few years ago--are here to stay. In general, these services give you lots of value if you're into discovering music, especially if you go with an affordable option such as Yahoo Music Unlimited. Apple's iTunes, the world's most popular online music store, does not have a subscription feature--yet.
Subscribers gain all-you-can-eat access to gigantic catalogs of music (Virgin Digital has more than 2 million tracks) to download and stream for a monthly fee of $15 or less. Subscription services include community features, excellent smart-radio streams, customization, and the ability to transfer tracks to subscription-ready portable devices. The downside of subscription is that you don't actually own the music, so you can't burn it and won't be able to listen to it when your subscription ends.
While all services have their own charms and kinks, we recommend Rhapsody and Urge. Napster is the granddaddy of services, while Yahoo Music offers the lowest prices. And then there's always eMusic, which offers non-DRM MP3s in its indie-heavy service. Perhaps the best thing about subscription is that there are choices.
For more information about music-subscription services, read our quick guide to subscription services.
- More Resources
- Quick guide to music subscription,
- CNET Music Center
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| Review date | April 27, 2005 | May 08, 2006 | August 08, 2005 | May 14, 2006 | July 16, 2004 |
| The Bottom Line | A ton of new features, including Rhapsody To Go and full jukebox functionality, gives this elegant subscription service some fresh and very powerful legs. | Napster often leads the field in new features and now offers a welcome free streaming plan--but it doesn't lead on price. | The updated Yahoo Music Unlimited subscription service has more to recommend it than its low price. | Despite some glitches, MTV Urge is one of the best subscription music services we've seen to date. If taking your choice of millions of songs with you anywhere sounds appealing, make sure you check out this offering from MTV. | Open usage policy, a low per-download price point, and intelligent editorial content make eMusic a boon for fans of independent labels. |
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