I was recently asked via email if I felt there was potential "for a [pay] subscription model for on-line news since apparently print is dying." While composing reply figured I just post it as a blog entry so others can chime in.
Print isn't "apparently" dying in my opinion. It is unequivocally dying. iPad like devices will be the final nails in the coffin. Not saying iPad is end all. But that type of technology will continue to evolve. There are OLED digital displays that you can bend and roll-up. Check out image of a digital display that rolls into a pen.
Large format (size of magazine, not cell-phone) feather-weight hand-held digital screens will be ubiquitous as is internet access. Why would anyone...
-kill trees
-make paper
-print on paper
-ship paper
... when each of the above has both economic and environmental costs and the ultimate solution is less convenient.
Print is dead.
But to answer the question I believe there will be successful pay models for content previously distributed primarily in print. But the content needs to be good enough to pay for. I recently read a MarketWatch editorial on the subject. An excerpt:
So if you drink the Kool-Aid, you'll be reading Newsweek and Time and all the dying print magazines and newspapers on the iPad.
No matter that you are not reading these journals now. For some unexplained reason you'll want to read them on the iPad. How does that make any sense?
The big publishing companies that think that their success or failure is totally dependent on the content delivery mechanism will be in for a surprise. The big winners on the iPad, if any, will be the feet-already-wet publications that have learned from long experience how to produce reader-friendly content for the screen.
I personally agree although I don't think it is exclusively an issue of producing reader-friendly content for the screen. I think it also important to have good, exclusive content worth paying for. I subscribe to Time Magazine. If I had a future-generation iPad-like device I'd easily pay a little less for the digitally distributed version that I didn't have to rotate in my briefcase each week and carry to the curb to recycle.
Note, I wrote "pay a little less." It is ridiculous that it costs more for a digital version of a book on the Kindle or iPad than a paperback version. There are virtually no variable costs (beyond licensing or royalties) associated with the digital distribution of a book, movie, song, or 'newspaper' article. Read Chris Anderson's The Long Tail. There shouldn't be any long term expectation from news media that a digital subscriber will generate same subscription revenue as a print subscriber. But they shouldn't need to. The costs are less.
Another personal hypothetical example of pay-worthy content: I currently subscribe to Bass Player Magazine and it's the only magazine where I've kept every back issue since I've subscribed. There are lessons I might get to someday. Transcriptions of bass lines I may eventually be able to read and play.
Somewhere among my pile of 50 or 60 issues is the transcribed bass line from Young MC's "Bust a Move" which was, by the way, written and performed by Flea. It's just a short 8 bar vamp. If for fun I wanted to play it the big pain in the neck solution would be going through all the issues looking for it. A lesser pain would be going online, searching for which issue, then manually looking for that issue.
Preferably I could just search for it on my iPad-like device. Of course, the Bass Player app should then have some friendly "sheet music" view that makes it easier to view and play from the published music. In a heart-beat I would convert my current subscription to digital if it meant access to archives (and I'd recycle all my archaic print versions).
Just like the music and tv industry previously, those distributing content meant to be read, as opposed to listened to or watched, need to not whine about their inevitable demise, but rather keep their content relevant and unique and best leverage new technologies for its distribution. And then people will pay for it.
Why I downloaded streamed it: While my decade long endeavor to be a bass player has become a mockery, one thing I can credit to the (hopefully someday) hobby is that it changed the way I listen to music. For example, I'll pay more attention to isolating the different instruments (especially the bass), and often try (and fail) to discern chord progressions. Over this time period Led Zeppelin, previously to me just one of many great classic rock groups, has become one of my favorites largely due to the bass of John Paul Jones. Next time you have the occasion, try focusing in on the bass of a whole Zeppelin album and you'll see why.
Of course I was intrigued by the March 2010 Bass Player magazine cover featuring Jones and his new band Them Crooked Vultures. The magazine features a full interview with Jones and from the interview pre-amble:
A collaboration between Jones, ex-Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman David Grohl, and Queens of the Stone Age principal Josh Homme, Them Crooked Vultures takes the '70s-era riff rock of Jone's youth and blends it with punk-rock energy courtesy of drummer Grohl. For his part, Homme taps the sludgy depths of his stoner rock past to create melodic hooks as piercing and direct as gamma rays.
Rhapsody's review: Vocalist/guitarist Josh Homme, drummer Dave Grohl, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones -- now that's one hefty batch of ego, mojo and ridiculous talent. To purists, this triad of rock godliness may seem like a sign of the apocalypse; to others, it's an inevitable union of some of rock's most prominent figures. The trio's self-titled debut is sludgy, suggestive, stripped-to-the-bone raw: Zeppelin's blues and boogie get seduced by QotSA's narcotic lure, wanton sneer and heavy strut. Each member sticks to his respective role, so there are no real surprises here, just good, clean devilish rock.
My take: I'm not sure my opinion is even necessary for this one as the last sentence of Rhapsody's review sums it up well.
Why I downloaded streamed it: I was pumping some iron the other day and in a workout-to-rap mood, but I was a little tired of everything relatively new. Eminem, 50 Cent, Kanye, et. al. Yawn. I briefly entertained some sort of internet radio (Rhapsody hip-hop-station or Pandora) but I've found for working out I'm most motivated (or distracted) with music I know. So I decided to go old…as old as I can remember. A quick search on the Rhapsody app on my phone brought me right back to 1984.
Rhapsody's review: With his classic debut album, (and the first full-length released by Def Jam), hip-hop pioneer LL Cool J became a full-blown rap superstar. Backed by chunky '80s beats courtesy of ultra-producer Rick Rubin, Uncle L comes through with timeless mega-hits such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock The Bells."
My take: It was over 25 years ago and I remember it like it was, well, 25 years ago. I walked down into the basement of my friend Mel's home and there on the floor he sat with a pile of LPs. I don't remember all of them. One was a Whodini record and one was LL Cool J's Radio. Before listening to any I knew this was something different just by the pictures on the artists on the album covers. To this point my record collection consisted largely of groups like The Police, Rush, Genesis, The Cars.
Then Mel dropped the needle on Radio and I was blown away. There are probably only a handful of times in life where you hear music that sounds like absolutely nothing you've ever heard before and this is perhaps the only one I remember. I couldn't say "this sounds sort of like…" because there was nothing in my personal listening history that resembled this in any way. It wasn't a cappella but there wasn't any traditional instrumentation. No guitars. No piano. The background "music" was funky drum beats and the noises a record made when you "accidentally" scratched it. There was no singing. But it wasn't speaking. It was just over-the-top different. And I liked it.
That week Mel was dating a girl named Yyvette (or maybe he previously had) so the lyrics of "Dear Yvette" instantly became part of our vernacular. Too shy to hit the dance floor of the teen alcohol-free dance clubs Mel would drag me to, "You Can't Dance" was adopted as a personal anthem. "I Can't Live Without My Radio"…"Rock the Bells"…"I Need a Beat". Classic. Classic. Classic.
I don't recall whether I was allowed to borrow the LP to make a copy on cassette, or we made a copy right there. But that cassette was played often and represents my first rap / hip-hop album. Besides being an iconic album for myself, Radio was also the first album released by Def Jam records and was one of the first records produced by legend Rick Rubin who subsequently and successfully worked with everyone. In 2007, for example, Rubin won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for his work with The Dixie Chicks, Justin Timberlake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Green Day, and Johnny Cash.
The album was released pre-video-era, or at least pre-hip-hop video era but I did find some footage of 18 year-old LL doing "I Can't Live Without My Radio" on Soul Train. Also discovered a VHI Hip Hop Honors tribute with "Rock the Bells" performed by the Roots, Eminem and DJ Jazzy Jeff in the role of Cut Creator. Enjoy [below].
As an addendum, it was the early 90s and after having a few drinks during happy hour I grabbed some food at the McDonald's in Union Square. While paying there was all of a sudden some massive hysteria and yelling…"oh my god. LL Cool J". His limo pulled up in front and as I'm leaving, there he is, walking in, relatively alone. (This was apparently before it was en vogue for rappers to shoot other rappers.) With no inhibitions as a result of happy hour I pretty much walked up him, said something stupid but complimentary, and held up my right hand for a chest level bro handshake…which he returned. That was Cool.
11 is a luxury football table for discerning lovers of the world’s favourite game. After a full year of careful planning and development it has now gone into limited production.
11’s sweeping curves reflect the beauty and grandeur of today’s modern stadiums, while its atmospheric lighting and chromed metal players capture the excitement and drama of a classic sporting encounter.
Each individually numbered table is meticulously hand-finished to the very highest standards by skilled European craftsmen.
This award-winning design was first showcased at the Milan Furniture Fair in 2008. After attracting much critical and public acclaim, it has now been developed for limited production.
Over the years I've shared a few foosball tables, my favorite still being the $73K table where you can have the faces of the dudes (or dude-ettes) customized by sending in photos of your friends and family.
This one, at a mere $30K, takes the cake in terms of gaudiness. Perhaps it would be must have if I were pimping out my home for an episode of Mtv Cribs. If by chance you were thinking of picking one of these up for me for the holidays, I don't want to seem ungrateful, but perhaps you can save the money and get me the $73K table next year? The wood would go better in my basement than the gold.
More pictures, including a less gaudy white and aluminum version, on their web-site.
Why I downloaded it: One day when rounding up my library with some old school hip-hop - specifically looking for Licensed to Ill - I noticed an album from the Beastie Boys that I had never heard of. The review (next paragraph) piqued my interest.
Rhapsody's review: Playing The In Sound From Way Out! to unsuspecting Beasties haters has been a popular parlor game since its release in 1996. Now comes an excellent and similarly groovy sequel, and it's just as likely to wrong-foot those few friends you still have who continue to disparage the Boys' talents. As jazz funk albums go, this probably isn't going to excite or offend serious jazzheads too much, but for the less educated among us it's a fun diversion from the Beasties' normal canon, and you can never have enough Hammond organ in your life.
My take: Ever been dragged by Hersh and Matar to a slightly off the beaten path - say west of Gramercy Park in NYC- lounge? That's the vibe given off by this instrumental and non-stereotypical-Beastie Boys album. Kind of funky. Somewhat jazzy. A good compliment to a martini. It's the type of music that'll provide a good, hip backdrop but won't distract from conversation. Tunes to "mix up" in a cocktail party playlist.
In the past I've used my personal blog for discussions about Multiply. My latest, Ironing out the Wrinkles, was posted on our staff blog. Please check it out. Thanks.
(This blog entry was automatically generated by Multiply's Wish-list Cross-posting feature.)
Below are items recently added to my Amazon wish-list. If you are familiar with anything below and have any comments or alternate suggestions, please leave a reply.
Why I downloaded it: It was 170 days ago that I purchased Police tickets for tonight. Can't believe it's here. Anyway, figured I should dedicate this weekly rhap to The Police but since I've owned all their music for years (LP, cassettes, and CDs) there's no reason for me to download any of it. So I downloaded something related.
Rhapsody's review: [None]
My take: Reggatta Mondatta - A Reggae Tribute to the Police. This is the type of stuff Rhapsody is great for. I'd never buy something so obscure, at least not at the album level and probably not at the individual song level. But reggae covers of classic Police songs by the likes Ziggy Marley, Shinehead, and Steel Pulse are certainly fun diversions (as are most covers of great songs in alternate musical styles than the originals).
The Police's music, especially their early stuff, was very reggae influenced so many of the covers work well. Many don't though, and a few border on painful. Check it out if you're a Police fan, a reggae fan, or if you're looking for a couple songs to round out your next pool party's playlist and you want a little familiarity with some island flair.
About the Weekly Rhap: Anyone that follows my Multiply knows that I'm a huge proponent of Rhapsody (and other unlimited music subscription services). The model has changed the way I consume music as much as the DVR changed the way I watch tv. What I love most about it is that I can check out any new album or artist on a whim risk free, and by check out I don't mean a 30-second preview. I can put the whole album on my MP3 player and listen 20 times. Sometimes I get too busy and don't check out new stuff as often as I should, so I'm going to try to briefly review an album a week to ensure I don't miss anything. If you have any suggestions for albums I should listen to, let me know!
Why I downloaded it: Rhapsody promotes new releases on their home page. It was a no-brainer to check out this album from (most of) the group that created the best rock album of the late 80's - Appetite For Destruction.
Rhapsody's review: We know they're experienced -- between the five members and uber-producer Brendan O'Brien, Velvet Revolver have logged over a century in the biz. Thus, it's overcoming the STP meets GnR tag that is VR's greatest challenge, and they do a fine job with Libertad. Although each member gets his time to show off, the group sounds more comfortable binding together. Tightly composed, upbeat, carnal and suave with the huge riffs you'd expect, songs like "She Mine" and "Mary Mary" are fitting for a cruise down the Sunset Strip -- or at least for a quality session of air guitar.
My take: Guns N' Roses minus Axl Rose plus Scott Weiland (ex-lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots) times second album together equals Good Rock Album.
But not quite a great rock album. It's better than their debut Contraband and more of the songs have a GnR sound to them. It's just not revolutionary or exciting while sounding more like late 80's, early 90's rock than something released in 2007. That's not a horrible thing if you like late 80's rock or more specifically Guns N' Roses or Stone Temple Pilots, and it's worth a free download or stream if you do.
About the Weekly Rhap: Anyone that follows my Multiply knows that I'm a huge proponent of Rhapsody (and other unlimited music subscription services). The model has changed the way I consume music as much as the DVR changed the way I watch tv. What I love most about it is that I can check out any new album or artist on a whim risk free, and by check out I don't mean a 30-second preview. I can put the whole album on my MP3 player and listen 20 times. Sometimes I get too busy and don't check out new stuff as often as I should, so I'm going to try to briefly review an album a week to ensure I don't miss anything. If you have any suggestions for albums I should listen to, let me know!
Why I downloaded it: There was a 2 page story in the May issue of GQ that discussed how ridiculously popular this band is in the UK. Shortly after that I read a review of the album in Bass Player magazine's "BP Recommends" section. (Great example of the effect of repetitive coverage, with the secondary coverage prompting my checking out the album.)
Rhapsody's review: The Arctic Monkeys' 2006 debut was a massive hit in their native Britain and even broke the U.S. Top 40. The excitement of the new is gone for this follow-up, but the Arctic Monkeys prove they weren't a flash in the pan. Here, their guitar sound is streamlined, putting even more of a spotlight on Alex Turner's cheeky teenage narratives. The feel of the AMs sets them apart more than their sound does. They don't ape the Beatles, the Smiths or the Jam, but update their quintessentially English approach, showing that poor, provincial yobs can see right through their "betters."
My take: You ever try on a pair of shoes and they fit but aren't necessarily comfortable? But you figure after a while you'll wear them in. Music used to be like that. You'd shell out your allowance and buy a CD after hearing one or two songs on the radio, or you sacrifice beer money to buy the fifth album from a favorite group on the day it comes out. After listening for the first time you're like "eh." But because you just shelled out the bucks and you can't just go to the store and get a new CD you listen to it again and again and again. Eventually you know all the songs and lyrics and you think it's great!
For better or for worse, those days are gone with digital music and especially subscription music. If I download an album because I like a couple a songs and the rest of the album doesn't appeal I just delete the songs I don't care for. Or if I try something by someone I never heard of before and the first couple tracks don't appeal, I don't even bother with the rest. I just listen to something else.
After listening to Favourite Worst Nightmare for the first time, I listened to it a second time. And a third. And it's still getting heavy rotation. Like a rare pair of shoes, it was comfortable the first time I put it on and it became a favourite very quickly. Rhapsody classifies the genre as Indie Rock but if I had to describe it I'd say it's a cross between punk and pop rock, with a subtle 80's new wave influence. Heck maybe that's what Indie Rock is? I don't know. What I do know is that this album was enjoyable from the get go and if you like groups as diverse as The Clash, Green Day, No Doubt, Maroon 5, White Stripes, or Depeche Mode - or in other words - if you like music - you'll probably dig this album too.
About the Weekly Rhap: Anyone that follows my Multiply knows that I'm a huge proponent of Rhapsody (and other unlimited music subscription services). The model has changed the way I consume music as much as the DVR changed the way I watch tv. What I love most about it is that I can check out any new album or artist on a whim risk free, and by check out I don't mean a 30-second preview. I can put the whole album on my MP3 player and listen 20 times. Sometimes I get too busy and don't check out new stuff as often as I should, so I'm going to try to briefly review an album a week to ensure I don't miss anything. If you have any suggestions for albums I should listen to, let me know!
Why I downloaded it: Over a year ago Time Magazine briefly reviewed Lady Sovereign's debut album, Vertically Challenged, as one of 5 CDS You Should Not Miss. I downloaded it and it was a pretty good listen. More recently I read that she's currently opening for Gwen Stefani and that Jay-Z signed her for his label.
Rhapsody's review: One day, while taking a break from his busy schedule of (still) not(officially) dating Beyonce, Jay-Z looked at the Def Jam roster and realized what was missing was a pint-sized female rap prodigy. So faster than you can say "retired," Jay recruited the motor-mouthed, Cockney slang-slinging emcee Lady Sovereign. Public Warning, her rollicking Def Jam debut, is so good that it's easier to list what doesn't work: "Those Were the Days" is kind of boring. That's it. The moral of the story? As usual, Hova knows best.
My take: A unique combination of the female braggadocio of a Missy Eliot, the pitch of an MC Lyte, and the lyrics and ability to alter flow of an Eminem. With so much rap sounding the same and talking about the same things, it's great to hear something that's not only unique sounding, but very good. A must listen for any hip-hop fan.
About the Weekly Rhap: Anyone that follows my Multiply knows that I'm a huge proponent of Rhapsody (and other unlimited music subscription services). The model has changed the way I consume music as much as the DVR changed the way I watch tv. What I love most about it is that I can check out any new album or artist on a whim risk free, and by check out I don't mean a 30-second preview. I can put the whole album on my MP3 player and listen 20 times. Sometimes I get too busy and don't check out new stuff as often as I should, so I'm going to try to briefly review an album a week to ensure I don't miss anything. If you have any suggestions, let me know!
(This blog entry was automatically generated by Multiply's Wish-list Cross-posting feature.)
Below are items recently added to my Amazon wish-list. If you are familiar with anything below and have any comments or alternate suggestions, please leave a reply.
We're
soon going to officially announce a new feature we're testing out.
Below is an early draft the blog entry we'll be placing on our official staff blog. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
This is a real concern for users of most blogging and photosharing
solutions: If you post a blog or upload photos somewhere and nobody knows about them, are
you really "sharing"?
Multiply has been addressing this concern
for years; its unique messaging solution notifies your whole social
network -- direct and indirect contacts, alike -- whenever you post
something new.
Multiply has built its new Amazon Wish-List feature to address a similar
problem: If you add something to your Wish-List but nobody knows about
it, who will buy it for you? If you already have an Amazon Wish-List,
visit the setup page at http://multiply.com/setup/wish-list and enter the e-mail address you used to register with Amazon. And if you don't, this is the perfect time to start one!
After
that Multiply will check your wish-list once a day and automatically
create a blog entry listing any new items you've added.
More
importantly, just like all other posts on Multiply, a new message will
get sent out to everyone in your social network. When your friends and
family log in to Multiply, they'll see on their home page that you've
added something new to your wish-list. Some other social networking
services or "personal page" tools may let you import and present your
whole wish-list on a page, but only Multiply provides a genuine
notification tool.
With more people that you trust checking out your wish-list - your contacts and
their contacts - chances are somebody has some familiarity with the
items on it. Whenever somebody adds a comment, the wish-list thread is
bounced back to the top of the home page for everybody in your network.
(See the "5 replies (5 new)"
line in the previous image beneath Jeff's wish-list post.) Multiply is
unique in its tracking of replies for everything in your network (and
not just your stuff or your contacts) and combined with the larger,
trustworthy audience, conversations and discussions happen. Using
Multiply's wish-list feature won't guarantee somebody buys you a
present - especially if a 70" t.v. (Nice try, Jeff), but we increase
the chances and provide a great way for you to get some feedback and
advice.
(This blog entry was automatically generated by Multiply's Wish-list Cross-posting beta feature.)
Below are items recently added to my Amazon wish-list. If you are familiar with anything below and have any comments or alternate suggestions, please leave a reply.
Peter first posted 5 things about himself.Click here to read why.
Dozens followed suit. Click here if you don't believe me.
Since all the cool people are doing it, below are mine.
After you read this, don't be lame. Add yours too. (Be sure to include tag '5things')
1. For 4 weeks, I was a home-run hitter.
I played little league from about 8 to 14 years old. While I could
always put the bat on the ball I never had what one would consider
'pop'. One summer, when 12 or 13, I went
to a baseball day camp for 4 weeks. The mornings were instruction. Each
afternoon was a game. Chosen to bat lead-off, I hit a home-run, the first of my life, in the first at-bat of the
first game. A double in my next at-bat. I was moved to clean-up for the
next game...and I hit another home-run. While that torrid pace didn't
keep up, I did bang out a few more over the next few weeks to lead the
camp/league in home-runs. I never hit another home-run the rest of my life (little
league nor softball leagues).
2. I worked in the tallest building in Brooklyn, and the tallest building in Queens.
For a year I worked for Citibank in their Long Island City tower, and
for a few years I worked for Republic National Bank in the historic
Williamsburg Savings Bank building in downtown Brooklyn. For those not
familiar with the boroughs, unlike Manhattan and the Bronx, Brooklyn
nor Queens have any sort of skyline. Both these buildings are extremely
conspicuous (see images at bottom of this post).
3. I fractured my skull.
In the summer of 2001 I was working for SportsLine in their NY sales
office and was invited to play on their softball team in a Central Park
League. In my first (and last) at-bat of my first (and last) game I
roped a single. Trying to get to third on the next batter's single,
while sliding my face met with the jumping third-baseman's knee. Concussion and a fracture in my skull beneath my eye socket.
4. I am (or at least used to be) very good at foosball.
I have something like a 5000 and 2 record playing singles since I was 16 or so
with many those victories being of the 10 to 0, 10-1, 10-2 variety.
Since many people know this already, in the spirit of these being 5
things people don't know I will publicly expose an old secret practice
technique. Rather than positioning the defenders and goalie in a formation and
trying to hit shots around/through them, I'd move those guys out of the
way, and wedge a tennis ball in the goal. Aiming for the small
remaining opening helped hone my shooting accuracy and the rapid and unpredictable ricochet off a tennis ball, as
opposed to the dead-ball effect of hitting into a defender or goalie,
contributed to my ability to prevent opponents from
clearing my front-line or middies.
5. My top, front, right tooth is fake.
It's a cap and if you already knew that, maybe you didn't know that my
dad made it. If you knew that my dad made it, maybe you didn't know
that I needed a cap because my real tooth got cracked in half when hit
with a bat. If you knew that, maybe you don't know who hit me with a
bat.
(This blog entry was automatically generated by Multiply's Wish-list Cross-posting beta feature.)
Below are items recently added to my Amazon wish-list. If you are familiar with anything below and have any comments or alternate suggestions, please leave a reply.
Anyone who has followed my blogging knows I'm a big proponent of the subscription model for listening to digital music. (See iTunes is dead) It's perhaps the 2nd most impactful (after DVR) example of technology altering my lifestyle.
There's a lot of coverage today on MTV's entry into this market with their Urge offering. Like Rhapsody, Napster, and Yahoo Music, users of Urge can pay a flat monthly fee ($9.95 for just streaming / $14.95 for streaming and downloading to PCs and MP3 players) for virtually unlimited music.
Two things make this news especially compelling. First MTV, despite the fact that there's no music on the main network itself anymore, is still a tremendous music brand, perhaps the strongest if you consider the ability to promote the product. Apple with it's iTunes and iPod and iBono are certainly in the arena but they need to pay for those hip commercials. Perhaps some would consider MySpace a good music brand. Maybe if you're 20 years old and like hunting for independent stuff. If somebody can think of a better music brand and outlet for virtually free promotion (I have something like 8 or 9 MTV or VH1 channels on my cable system) please reply.
Second, as opposed to coming out with a proprietary music player as Yahoo, Rhapsody, and Napster have, MTV's Urge will work natively with Windows Media Player 11. You can play and manage music you download from the other subscription services with WMP, but you can't browse, stream and download from WMP. With Urge you can. This means more promotion for the service when you think about all those PCs pre-installed with Windows Media Player.
Some may cringe with some stale "Microsoft is evil" sentiment. Before you do, please keep in mind that you can only play songs you buy on iTunes on iPods, not other MP3 players, nor will songs you buy on other services work on iPods. That's more iRestrictive than anything Microsoft is doing, in the digital music realm at least.
I'll definitely check out Urge as my $5/month Yahoo subscription runs out in a couple of months and I'm not re-upping with them. If nothing else, hopefully Urge, MTV, and Microsoft will bring more awareness to what is a vastly superior way to pay for music.
