Unlimited Music Downloads?

Consider how much you would spend if Apple unleashed a new concept: an iPod with unlimited downloads from iTunes. You think it sounds pretty awesome, right? Keep your fingers crossed—it may just happen.

Apple is thinking about it, too, and has started talking with record companies about the idea. But giving the people what they want isn’t as easy as one-two-three. How much additional cash would you cough up when purchasing an iPod, in the name of unlimited downloads for the lifetime of your device? $50? What about $100? The extra money would go to the music industry, in compensation for using their music…but executives familiar with this process say determining how much the extra fee would be is often where complications erupt.

Another consideration is a monthly subscription, similar to other music download software such as Napster or Rhapsody. However, would iTunes then lose its trademark quality of being able to keep your music if you choose to end your membership? Many monthly subscriptions today terminate usage of all downloads after cancellation or not connecting to the software within a given timeframe. Changing the format of the iTunes library may be unsettling to the millions of users who find it satisfying just the way it is. [Financial Times]