Unlimited Nothing

In an article in this month's Wired, about a proposed subscription-based music service for the Zune: "After all, why buy an iPod if a Zune will give you songs for free?"

This statement is, in my opinion, simplistic and a bit naïve. The Zune wouldn't give you anything for free. One of the reasons that CDs—and even vinyl LPs—are still around despite all the online music services (and piracy) is that people are hoarders. People like to own tangible things that they can hold and touch and collect. Some argue that charging for copy-protected music is wrong because you're basically just buying a bit pattern. But at least under this scheme you still have something to show for your purchase: A local file on your computer.

Music subscription services are different*. You pay a set fee each month, and you can listen to as many songs as you want, and even put them on your MP3 player. Great, right? Sure, as long as you keep paying the subscription. But once you quit, that's the end. You can't download any more music, and the files you do have turn into little digital bricks. Subscriptions like this are less appealing, at least to me, because once you quit paying for them, you have nothing to show for the money you spent. No disc, no record, no reel of tape. Nothing.
*This is my understanding of the way music subscriptions work; I may be wrong...

If all the music labels and electronic distribution services disappeared tomorrow, my Discman (and car, and computer, and Xbox, etc.) would still play CDs. My turntables would play vinyl records. Hell, even my iPod would still play all the MP3s I've bought through iTunes. But I wouldn't have any remnants from my Rhapsody subscription. It's not particularly Buddhist of me, but I just don't care for that idea.