I was doing some research on the best subscription based music application the other day and I ran across this review on CNET, in regards to the newest of these models called URGE, by MTV and Microsoft. It pretty much sums up why I think the subscription based model is far and away the best, and why I think it’s the future of music. How you ask?…Because it’s uncrackable music, that can always be encrypted in different ways in the background, and can be yours indefinitely. Here’s a portion of the review:

I don’t get people who don’t see the value of the subscription model over the purchase model (of course, the Windows services offer both). I have a Creative Zen Vision:M. I can download 30GB of music for $15/month and listen to it on my PC, in my car, wherever I want. I don’t see the need to purchase a this point, since the music I want to hear is available anywhere I want to hear it. True, I can’t burn to CD, but why would I? CDs, to me, are somewhat useless, since I don’t need them at home, portably, or in my car. True, I can give the music to my friends, which I could if I owned it, but I don’t feel that this “limitation” is a fair point for purchase over subscription since it involves technically breaking the purchase agreement. So long as I maintain my subscription, I essentially “own” the music.

As to the cost, fill your 30GB player at 99 cents a track and compare the cost to $15/month. Then factor in the fact that you can freely explore any music you want to discover at no additional cost to you past the monthly fee. To me, this is the strength of the subscription model: discovery of music at “no cost” in a sense. And listening to music is what this is all about, to me.

I feel that Apple will eventually move to a subscription model: they will likely do it first with movie “rentals” and then expand to music. I am sure they will sell it as a revolutionary way to explore you tastes. And we will all think that they “invented” this amazing new way to listen to your favorite music. And they will succeed, because Apple is brilliant at marketing and taking complex ideas to the public. I like Apple, always have, like the iPod (have three) and wish they had a subscription service. When they do, I may just jump ship and move 100% to iTunes.

By the way, the best of the models, is Rhapsody(as compared to Yahoo, Napster and Urge) at this point. The widest selection of music, with the best customer support. There are still many DRM kinks that need to be ironed out, but the future of music and radio lies with “renting” your music. Count on it.

Napster Announcing OTA Service with Subscription Model(Ability to listen to any song on your phone)

Now get that service in talks with Satellite radio…and you’ll get your music on demand at anytime, anyplace.

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