Bono disagrees with McGuinness...

[Hoodlem]

So let me get this straight...
People pay a subscription fee to get a handful of songs per month, but they don't get to choose what songs they get?

Am I understanding that correctly? If so, there is no way that is ever going to work. It's pretty much dead on arrival. No one is going to subscribe to get a few songs that they probably don't even want, no matter how great the cause is. The great thing about the whole (RED) thing was that they were selling products that people already wanted. I hope I am misunderstanding this because I can't see any way for it to work.

 

[bonocomet]

I see what you are saying and that could very well happen. I like the idea because I don't always have time to go out and buy and listen to new music (I know... radio, but half the time it's old stuff, or if its new, most the time it goes unidentified and I have no clue what I just heard.) anyways... I'm kind of looking at this like my music magazine subscriptions, I have no idea what the content will be each month, but I keep getting them because I enjoy flipping thru them to see what's going on, even if I don't always read everything.

 

[rihannsu]

So let me get this straight...
People pay a subscription fee to get a handful of songs per month, but they don't get to choose what songs they get?

Am I understanding that correctly? If so, there is no way that is ever going to work. It's pretty much dead on arrival. No one is going to subscribe to get a few songs that they probably don't even want, no matter how great the cause is. The great thing about the whole (RED) thing was that they were selling products that people already wanted. I hope I am misunderstanding this because I can't see any way for it to work.

People could and did say the same thing about record clubs and book clubs. You sign up to get product sent to you every month. By making it necessary to fill out the little card or to return the package to not get a particular selection they took advantage of a particular foible of human beings. Many, many people just got every months selection and paid the bill even when they had no interest in it. This made up for all the savy folks who got all the freebies up front and only bought enough to fulfill their contract. Record and book clubs are very successfull and this really is not all that different. At least one track a week from a major group is a better average selection than the quality of most book or record clubs. The big name artist will be what initially attracts subscribers and you'd be amazed at how much easier keeping subscribers is than getting them in the first place. Think of all the various type of club things that hook you by giving you freebies up front and automatically renewing you if you don't make a concious choice to opt out. ISP's used this to great effect (and still do- hint: AOL) by signing people up to free trials where you have to give your billing info then you have to actively cancel if you don't want to be billed after the free period is up.

This is already a proven business model just now being adapted to the download music industry. You already have subscription radio what with Sirius and whatever that other one is and those have done well as far as I know. It's really not all that out there in terms of business model and it sounds like it really is geared more towards the adults who are not necessarily so adept at hunting the internet as the new generation. They are pairing releases from big name artists with newer artist so it gives exposure to the new acts that is hard to get and it gives the subscriber a way to come across new stuff without having to look for it. I grew up with the development of the PC and the internet but am not really great at searching things out. I like music but not enough to put in the effort to hunt for new bands. This would give someone like me a way to discover new stuff along with known acts that I would probably enjoy without me having to spend time on it and it contributes directly to both a worthy cause and the artist. That would be a win, win for me.

Dana

 

[ahittle]

It's pretty much dead on arrival.

I don't think this model works when there isn't a physical product involved. I love the subscription model and subscribe to emusic, but only because I can browse and choose from a huge inventory.

It's like giving somebody some cash and sending them into a record store, saying, "Oh, just get me whatever sounds interesting." Are people really that ambivalent about what they listen to?