The Rented Music vs. Owned Music Debate

12 Responses for "The Rented Music vs. Owned Music Debate"

1. Download Music » The Rented Music vs. Owned Music Debate November 17th, 2007 at 4:39 am 1

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2. Jaxim November 17th, 2007 at 7:17 am 2

   I used to think that I’d never rent music, but my thoughts on the subject have changed recently.

   I will never buy music with DRM, but recently the music industry has started to realize that people like me would never buy DRM’d music and they started cave into the idea of letting online music sellers to sell music without DRM. The songs are still a bit expensive for my taste, (compared to a song on a CD), but the music has started to get cheaper ($0.79) that I am now considering buying music online.

   However, now I am also now considering get a subscription service. My wife a few months ago got a Zune, so I am not the only person with a Zune in our household. She’s been complaining that she wants to find more music to listen to, so using the rental services would be a great way for the 2 of us to find more music we like. We used to have Sirius radio, so having a rental service is almost like that. Plus, with the Zune cards, it’s easier to see what other songs people, with similar tastes in music as you, are listening to.

   I still think I’d use a rental service as a “try it out for a few months” service and then I’d purchase all the great DRM-free music that I found that I liked.

3. Rikostan November 17th, 2007 at 7:58 am 3

   I do not lease my vehicles and I do not rent music… I am probably different than most people though. When it comes to vehicles, I drive them until they no longer drive. I currently drive a 1993 ford explorer. It’s ugly and has a few dings, but it runs great, doesn’t nickel and dime me and I have no car payments. I try to live by the belief that if I can not afford it, I won’t buy it… I detest “credit”… Okay that has nothing to do with renting music.

   I have a huge music collection and we always have music playing here at home. I like sorting my music the way I like, editing tags, moving it to multiple devices and having access to all of it at a moments notice. None of the current plans allow something like that. I am locked into a certain OS to access their store, or can only access the store from an actual PC, or I have other restrictions on usage… I refuse to fall into that trap.
   I want the freedom to do what I want with my music and listen to it on any device I so choose.

   Oh yeah, I missed you guys yesterday.

4. Leif902 November 17th, 2007 at 8:09 am 4

   I think it all depends on the situation. For albums I really love, I always purchase a CD, there will always be a market for physical media. For albums I only sort of like but want to keep, I buy them online, and for albums I want to try out (or try before I buy) I use a subscription service.

   The only problem I see with subscription services is the DRM. Now, obviously, for this kind of a service that’s a requirement, but I still can’t bring myself to have DRMed music on my PC for any great length of time.

   I normally download from SpiralFrog, but I will probably be getting a Zune Pass subscription, I only hope that my favorite downloads aren’t un-drmed MP3’s (I never thought I’d say that) as I’d like to be able to get them on my Zunepass too. I think what MS needs to do is offer all songs DRM free (Barring those the record company won’t allow of course) and then allow them to be automatically transcoded by the Zune software for Zune pass use.

   Of course, I haven’t used it yet, so maybe it already does something similar to this.

5. Kriff November 17th, 2007 at 11:37 am 5

   I always purchase music. If I come to like a song I rented, I don’t want to have to buy it again to have it permanently.

6. Chris November 17th, 2007 at 12:18 pm 6

   i do not rent music because you do not actually own the music, dur, and they have all the rights to take that music from

7. Trevor November 17th, 2007 at 1:40 pm 7

   I myself would much rather purchase my music. The whole renting idea just isn’t for me I don’t like to rent things(other then movies). I love the feeling of being able to come back to that song when ever I wanted and playing it. There is just some kind of feeling I get when I buy things and own them.

8. Noble November 17th, 2007 at 5:59 pm 8

   Im not big on renting either. I like to own my music. When I was younger I really didn’t reant games much, because it never felt like mine. I always believes it better to save up the money for what you want then to rent it. When you rent you never really own the music so as soon as you stop paying you cant access it again.

9. Noble November 17th, 2007 at 6:01 pm 9

   Leif902,

   I feel the same way. i try to use my stuff as long as I can without buying a new one. The current electronics culture seems built upon the idea of disposable electronics. You use it for a while then you throw it away.

10. XCG3 November 17th, 2007 at 7:56 pm 10

    Renting music is greate, 15 dollars all you can eat, love it. Thats a step over the ipod that zune is exploting great work

11. XCG3 November 19th, 2007 at 9:13 pm 11

    Does anyone agree with me that zune marketplace should add higher quality on music like itunes plus does, that would be cool. But all there music still sounds great.

    o and Renting all the way, all you can eatttt

12. Lynda November 19th, 2007 at 11:02 pm 12

    I agree…I think its better to get a Bulk rate. Its like either you go to Wal-mart and you buy your Album or you go to Costco and get it for half price, and more. Im just not a 99 cent song kind of person.