Steve Jobs has stated time and time again that music subscriptions don’t work because people ultimately want to own their music. And while that may very well be the case, the music landscape is changing and Apple may soon be forced to adjust accordingly.
According to a report today in the New York Post, Apple is in talks with major record labels about a music subscription service that would give iTunes users unfettered access to songs for a monthly fee.
Apple iTunes boss Eddy Cue was on the phone with music honchos as recently as a few weeks ago trying to figure out how the partners can move forward.
One source said the service could have tiered pricing ranging from $10 to $15, although there are issues to be ironed out, including how much music would be included in each tier and how long consumers would be able to access that content.
Record labels have always been supportive of a music subscription services as it gives them a nice stream of steady income. The Post notes that music execs are especially interested in such a service now as it might provide a boost to stagnating sales of digital singles.
Rumors of an iTunes subscription service have been making the rounds for some time now, but with so many avenues for users to access music for free these days (i.e Pandora, YouTube), Apple’s pay-to-play business model may be prime for an update.
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