Napster vs. iTunes
Napster taking on Apple’s hot iTunesThe Napster To Go ad with Do the Math theme is on the Super Bowl roster.
Napster is back - and ready to take on Apple’s super popular iTunes music store.
The once rogue file sharing service unveiled a legit digital music emporium yesterday that will let fans download all the songs they want for a monthly subscription fee of $14.95
This is the email i received today. Interestingly enough our hockey team’s goalie is in this Super Bowl commercial [guess i have to watch football now] 
So let me see if i have this right… For $14.95 a month Napster is going to let me download as much music as i want but IF i stop paying the monthly fee(which I’m sure will rise over time) then my tracks will not work? I’ll be curious to see how this works out.
I’m left with more questions than just that.
1. What if i was a previous Napster customer who purchased a song in the past for $0.99….will these tracks suddenly stop working?
The most important question of all….
2. As an artist with music on their system, how do i get paid? If someone can download my tracks and am i just paid on the initial download? Shouldn’t the artist receive a monthly little kickback? I’m very confused on all this.
I have friends over at Napster(since i used to work there when it was PressPlay.com) so i should probably be asking them rather than asking these things in a blog.
Yes, i worked at PressPlay in the “QC department” AKA Quality Control…Which basically meant, i was paid to listen to music all day and make sure the tracks matched the titles. You would think this would be a fun job??? I really loved the friends i made there but having to listen to music you hate can be torture!!!!–though once in a while you run across something really great.
The only thing i know is… iTunes pays me regularly. So either no one has purchased any of my tracks on Napster or they’re not paying their Indie Artists. Of course, i also get a little kickback from iTunes with their affiliation program so i continue to push iTunes.com. They’ve been good to me…I’ll be good back 
I guess time will tell. I still think iTunes is going to come out on top… Mainly because …If most people are anything like me…They listen to music is spurts. Sometimes, I’ll go a few weeks without listening to anything. Why pay a monthly cost for something you’re not using? Another reason i think iTunes will win the music battle is because the iPod…Wasn’t that the top selling Xmas gift last year…And the year before? I’m guessing whatever people get used to 1st is the one they will stick with.
More to come on this.
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