If I don't like it, I can trot down to the used-CD store and trade it for something more appealing. If I had to pay monthly fees for all the songs I listen to, well, it'd be cheaper to pay some cover band to come to my house and play them live. Perhaps the music industry is so enthusiastic about the subscription model for the same reason software makers such as Microsoft are, however silly renting a word processor seems. As the tech-news site Cnet explains, the trouble with selling software is that revenue is dependent on sales of the latest products. Investors want nice, steady, growing profits.
Regular subscriptions make for a smooth, steady income flow.
If revenues fall a little flat, just jack up the monthly rates to meet the quarterly expectations, as AOL just did. Whether the public will subscribe to such ideas is another question. No subscription required. My Closet - Call me a wuss, but I am turning into a secret fan of Windows. Early Morning Stoned Accountant - The online game Pimpwar is as bad as you'd suspect.