So I've been pretty quiet about my position on DRM'd media content. Been willing to pay for the iTunes service because it worked for me with or without DRM, though I have upgraded to the DRM-free iTunes Plus items whenever they became available. Mostly because they tended to trickle-in a few at a time and were therefore an easy 'micro-payment' type purchase. I've spent a ton of money on music based on the micro-payment model. A brilliant market model as I am the proof. Then ...
Today Apple announced their move to DRM-free "iTunes Plus" as the default format and made a huge chunk of the library available for upgrade and promised to have the entire iTunes library available in a few months. Great. Only problem is, this throws the micro-payment model out the window as the upgrade can only be done in one step. For me this would be a $110 purchase. This is not how I buy music and I'm very unlikely to pay so much at once.
The net effect: the best (read: most loyal and prolific) iTunes customers get the most inhibitive upgrade process. This is too bad. It breaks the iTunes purchase model and certainly discourages me from making the upgrade to DRM-free.
Maybe there's something in Apple's business model that makes it impossible. But if not, Apple, you guys need to find a way for good customers like me to make the upgrade in a more graduated way. Upgrade by album and songs would be ideal. Until then, you've totally discouraged me from upgrading--from paying you more money. Something I don't mind doing. Thanks.
Update: 1/30/09 Apple has bowed to reason and now allows DRM-free upgrades by song and by album. Good news for me since Apple's continued expansion of the upgradeable library has my total now at $165.
So now, what to set free first? Hmmm ... okay.
- Guns 'n Roses - Chinese Democracy
- Led Zeppelin - Mothership
- Depeche Mode - Violator
- Red House Painters - Songs for a Blue Guitar
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