09-23-2008, 04:10 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Amazon MP3 and Android, Sitting In a Tree...
"Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that the Amazon MP3 music store will be pre-loaded on the T-Mobile G1, the world's first Android(TM)-powered mobile phone in partnership with Google. T-Mobile G1 users can search, download, buy and play music from Amazon MP3, which offers over 6 million DRM-free MP3 songs from all four major music labels and thousands of independent labels that can be played on virtually any hardware device and managed with any music software. "Amazon wants to make it easy for customers to discover, buy, and play their music wherever they happen to be--whether sitting at their computer or on the go," said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music and Video. "We look forward to the release of the T-Mobile G1, which will put Amazon MP3's vast selection of low-priced DRM-free music at the fingertips of even more customers in more places." The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with an Amazon MP3 application, giving customers a phone-optimized version of the Amazon MP3 store and the immediate gratification of buying and playing their favorite music. Amazon MP3 has worked to make its DRM-free music available through numerous products and services, such as Pandora MySpace Music, and now Android and T-Mobile G1." 
The mobile music downloads market just got a lot more interesting with Amazon.com announcing the availability of the Amazon MP3 music store on the Android-powered T-Mobile G1. Its biggest rival is, of course, the iTunes Store on the iPhone and iPod touch, followed by the Zune Marketplace on the Zune. However, Amazon MP3 trumps one or both in a few areas: (a) all tracks are DRM-free; (b) most content is better-priced; and (c) tracks can be browsed, previewed, and purchased on the T-Mobile network, and later downloaded via Wi-Fi. What can Microsoft and Apple conjure to match or beat this?
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09-23-2008, 04:14 PM
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Contributing Editor
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 519
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Darius Wey
What can Microsoft and Apple conjure to match or beat this?
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Answer: Offer a subscription service so users don't have to pay-per-track. I really think the combination of wireless/subscription is an incredibly powerful one, and that goes beyond just "I'm in the mood to buy a song." The subscription allows you to do so guilt and cost-free.
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09-23-2008, 04:28 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 274
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The down side of a subscription is when you arent buying songs you are still paying for the subscription and paying for a service you arent using.
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Back to being The Last Windows Mobile Fanboy - now with a Dell Venue Pro!
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09-23-2008, 04:37 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by efjay
The down side of a subscription is when you arent buying songs you are still paying for the subscription and paying for a service you arent using.
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That would only be true if you weren't listening to ANY of the music you downloaded, which is pretty unlikely. But I suppose, yes, if you were on a vacation for a month and didn't listen to any music, you'd be paying $15 for nothing. But how often would that happen to most people? 
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09-23-2008, 04:38 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Wow, this is pretty big news! I think it's a massive coup for Amazon, not because of this one phone, but if they set a precedent and it works out well, other carriers are going to want to do the same thing. And it's not like Apple is going to create iTunes clients for other mobile platforms...
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09-23-2008, 04:42 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 274
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
That would only be true if you weren't listening to ANY of the music you downloaded, which is pretty unlikely. But I suppose, yes, if you were on a vacation for a month and didn't listen to any music, you'd be paying $15 for nothing. But how often would that happen to most people? |
I am obviously not the target market for subscription music - I typically buy a music track online maybe twice every 6 months so from my standpoint a subscription service is not suitable for my needs. I actually already use Amazon's mp3 downloads and am happy with the $.99 price for each of the 3 songs I have downloaded this year. So if this came to WM I would be inclined to use it as is, but not on a subscription basis.
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Back to being The Last Windows Mobile Fanboy - now with a Dell Venue Pro!
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09-23-2008, 05:08 PM
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Banned
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 372
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Amazon needs to consider some branding. When I hear the name Amazon, music doesn't come to mind. They need a brand like Zune or Napster. Simply sticking Amazon in front of all of their offerings is cheesy.
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09-23-2008, 08:14 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,520
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
That would only be true if you weren't listening to ANY of the music you downloaded, which is pretty unlikely. But I suppose, yes, if you were on a vacation for a month and didn't listen to any music, you'd be paying $15 for nothing. But how often would that happen to most people? |
Well, I think this scenario actually favors the purchaser over the subscriber. If I buy a music track. I can listen to it as often as I like. vacation or not. For free.
As a subscriber, sure I can download for free, but it costs me to listen. And it continues to cost me to listen to the track I downloaded, say 3 months ago.
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Phone: Nexus one Backup Phone: AT&T Samsung Jack; Future Phone: I'm Watching WP7; Media Player: Platinum Zune HD 32GB; Home Server: HP MediaSmart Server LX195 Console: XBox 360, PS3, Wii |
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09-23-2008, 09:19 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 274
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phillip Dyson
Well, I think this scenario actually favors the purchaser over the subscriber. If I buy a music track. I can listen to it as often as I like. vacation or not. For free.
As a subscriber, sure I can download for free, but it costs me to listen. And it continues to cost me to listen to the track I downloaded, say 3 months ago.
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Is this it works, you dont actually own the music when you subscribe but can only listen to it online? I thought when you subscribe you are actually able to download and own any number of tracks for the subscription price.
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Back to being The Last Windows Mobile Fanboy - now with a Dell Venue Pro!
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09-23-2008, 09:25 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phillip Dyson
Well, I think this scenario actually favors the purchaser over the subscriber. If I buy a music track. I can listen to it as often as I like. vacation or not. For free.
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Yes, that's one of the factors that determines whether subscription music is a good fit for people or not: if you're the kind of person who loves discovering new music, and listening to new artists constantly, subscription music is a great fit. If you're the kind of person who only buys six CDs a year, and tends to listen to the same music over and over, then subscription music is not a good fit for you.
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