John Gruber has used his Magic 8-Ball to answer your questions regarding the 'Napster To Go' subscription service. A must read before you fall for the trap.
I bought my iPod almost a year ago, and since then, I haven't bought a single song on iTunes or any other online music store. And not just because the iTMS was open for business in France only recently. My iTunes library is simply full with my CD collection, which my iPod helped me rediscover. Being a lover of baroque music, I find the catalog and sampling quality of the iTMS quite mediocre, and not a bargain compared to CDs from excellent (and independent, not a coincidence if you trust me) labels such as Harmonia Mundi or Ligia.
In my own perspective, Napster has absolutely nothing to offer. I completely resent the idea of renting music, and their monetary comparison with respect to the iPod is really stupid, but your mileage may vary. I'm listening on my iPod to CDs I bought more than a decade ago. Will Napster stand a decade? I really don't think so.
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You totally described my experience with the iPod. I had well over 300 CDs and I so rarely listened to any of them. Then, I purchased the iPod and moved all of my CDs on to it and now I am listening to music I haven't heard in 10 years. The "random" feature is a great way to discover music I forgot I owned.
Unlike you, I have purchased a few songs and albums from the iTunes site, but not that many. I am still trying to get some mileage out of my old music.
I buy a few songs from iTunes but it makes up about 2% of my music library, the rest being CD's and, like you, resent the idea of "renting" music. Monthly subscriptions so that I am, in effect, paying for MY music repeatedly? No thanks.
Though I'm not a current subscriber, I do think that music subscription services in general are great for new music discovery. I was blown away by 7 bands within the first three weeks of using Rhapsody, which is incredible. The move to mobile devices may make me reconsider..?
Subscriptions are good for independent music, as they give more exposure to bands trying to get their music out; listeners are more willing to experiment. And that's good for the music industry in general, which could use a shot in the arm. I'm sick of manufactured pop.
My 2 cents,
Mike
http://www.GarageSpin.com