Napster Apple App/New Subscription Plans

[MikeJW]

has anyone else checked out Napster lately? They finally have an app available in itunes and now new subscriptions plans. Like MOG and Rhapsody, you can pay a $10.00 per month fee for mobile access and home access, but if you purchase a yearly plan it's only $8.00 per month. They still have the regular, non-mobile plan as well, and it's just $50.00 for a whole year. I've used the non-mobile plan for the past 10 months due to a free year I got when I purchased my computer. I have now signed up for the mobile/home plan. For me it's better than Rhapsody and MOG due to Napster having more of the kind of music I prefer.

The app has already been updated and it's really nice. For $8.00 per month I now have full access on my ipod touch, my squeezebox boom, and my computer.

 

[Ehilbert1]

I just tried this on my EVO. They gave you a 7 day trial. I'm really really impressed. I'm thinking about sticking with it. The year mobile plan is nice.

 

[MikeJW]

i agree. having it now for over a week, i'm very glad a bought the yearly subscription. to me, beats out the competitors, but seems there isn't a huge buzz about it out there so far.

 

[Ehilbert1]

Your right about that. I have Slacker and I enjoy it,but this blows it away. Just to have access to all the billboard charts on demand is awesome.

 

[Ehilbert1]

If anyone out there cares Napster updated their app for Android. You can now listen to your playlists off line. You can download entire albums and save it to your SD card. I have a playlist with 35 songs. It works really really well. All they need to do now is add landscape mode and a sleep timer. With this added feature and on demand I think I'm done with Slacker.

 

[DAB]

I tried Napster here recently, they have a huge problem with normalization. One song is super loud, one is really low, then next two might be about medium. I complained about it and was advised that they are aware of this and working on two options. Normalization in the software which is what Slacker does or just normalizing their volume across their library like MOG and Rhapsody do.

It maybe cheaper, but I also found the iOS4 application to be highly unstable. Crashed when you least expected it.

MOG is the best of the pack right now, with Slacker coming in very close with their in-demand coming soon. I am one of their beta testers, so I can't really share anything, but it will be SWEET!

I don't recommend Rhapsody anymore simply because they tie your subscription to a single device. Where as MOG, Slacker, Napster etc allow you to use it on any device you want, but you can't use it on multiple devices at the same time.

Also Pandora is out of the game in my book, though to listen to them, they have 80 million subscribers. Which means that since they started the service they have had 80 million user accounts created, several of which are mine and abandoned.

 

[limegrass69]

I tried Napster here recently, they have a huge problem with normalization. One song is super loud, one is really low, then next two might be about medium. I complained about it and was advised that they are aware of this and working on two options. Normalization in the software which is what Slacker does or just normalizing their volume across their library like MOG and Rhapsody do.

It maybe cheaper, but I also found the iOS4 application to be highly unstable. Crashed when you least expected it.

MOG is the best of the pack right now, with Slacker coming in very close with their in-demand coming soon. I am one of their beta testers, so I can't really share anything, but it will be SWEET!

I don't recommend Rhapsody anymore simply because they tie your subscription to a single device. Where as MOG, Slacker, Napster etc allow you to use it on any device you want, but you can't use it on multiple devices at the same time.

Also Pandora is out of the game in my book, though to listen to them, they have 80 million subscribers. Which means that since they started the service they have had 80 million user accounts created, several of which are mine and abandoned.

I have Rhapsody and don't see the same problems that you do. I can use my Rhapsody sub on multiple computers, my Sonos system, on my Blackberry and my iPod Touch. I can also register my Blackberry and mp3 player to use offline. I believe there is a limit to concurrent connections, but I've never had problems.

I have noticed the normalization issue on Rhapsody. I've also noticed some songs with glitches and less than stellar quality. But overall, I'm very satisfied with the service. Every once in a while, you do run into music that is not available, but that will happen with any service.

I used to have Napster, but there were some documented connectivity issues with the Sonos music system I use at my house, so I flipped to Rhapsody.

 

[DAB]

I have Rhapsody and don't see the same problems that you do. I can use my Rhapsody sub on multiple computers, my Sonos system, on my Blackberry and my iPod Touch. I can also register my Blackberry and mp3 player to use offline. I believe there is a limit to concurrent connections, but I've never had problems.

I have noticed the normalization issue on Rhapsody. I've also noticed some songs with glitches and less than stellar quality. But overall, I'm very satisfied with the service. Every once in a while, you do run into music that is not available, but that will happen with any service.

I used to have Napster, but there were some documented connectivity issues with the Sonos music system I use at my house, so I flipped to Rhapsody.

Should have clarified, if you want to pay $14.99 per month vs $9.99 and even $7.99 per month (yearly on Napster) then you can active (yes Rhapsody requires you active your devices) then you can have up to 3. Slacker, Napster, MOG, none of them require this or have this limitation at their $9.99 pricing.

Library wise Rhapsody has a killer library, SQ isn't always that good as you said. I find MOG has the best SQ of the ones I've mentioned, followed by Slacker. MOG has a darn good library, much better than Slacker and/or Napster. But Library wise Pandora has to be the ultimate worse.

Sonos system, I think Rhapsody considers it a separate devices that isn't locked into their little proprietary activation system, so you may get away with that one. But if you are like me and have multiple iOS devices you will pay $14.99 per month and Rhapsody simply won't get that from me when other service doesn't cost me extra and I can have as many devices as I want.

 

[limegrass69]

I am paying $9.99 per month for Rhapsody. I threatened to cancel and they dropped the price.

 

[DAB]

I am paying $9.99 per month for Rhapsody. I threatened to cancel and they dropped the price.

Cool Deal, I just switched services and never bothered to try to get a lower price. I find their iOS software to crash alot, which is mainly why I didn't bother with it. Though I will say if I had a Sonos I may have gone the extra mile to keep them.

 

[jmcmahan]

I've read that Rhapsody is considering pulling the app off of iTunes. I wonder if MOG, Napster or Slacker are considering this as well. I can understand their position though considering Apple is going to require about 1/3 of all sub fees. To me that seems a little steep. My guess Android/Google is watching this closely. Does anybody have any idea how this will effect Sirius/XM?

 

[limegrass69]

Either Apple backs down from this model, or you'll see anti-trust litigation.

 

[DAB]

I've read that Rhapsody is considering pulling the app off of iTunes. I wonder if MOG, Napster or Slacker are considering this as well. I can understand their position though considering Apple is going to require about 1/3 of all sub fees. To me that seems a little steep. My guess Android/Google is watching this closely. Does anybody have any idea how this will effect Sirius/XM?

Apple has freaking gone crazy with this BS. Might be a bunch of us jumping to Droid if they keep this kind of crap going on.

I agree there will be litigation, but as much as I use MOG, Slacker and the like, if they pull their apps, I am gone.

 

[limegrass69]

Apple has freaking gone crazy with this BS. Might be a bunch of us jumping to Droid if they keep this kind of crap going on.

I agree there will be litigation, but as much as I use MOG, Slacker and the like, if they pull their apps, I am gone.

I don't blame Apple for testing the waters. They are always looking for new revenue streams. It's only a matter of time before the mobile carriers start trying to figure out a way to get their dirty mitts on the app revenue stream too.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I tried Napster here recently, they have a huge problem with normalization. One song is super loud, one is really low, then next two might be about medium. I complained about it and was advised that they are aware of this and working on two options. Normalization in the software which is what Slacker does or just normalizing their volume across their library like MOG and Rhapsody do.

Slacker is really bad at volume normalization. I am surprised you list them in the good category.

Apple has freaking gone crazy with this BS. Might be a bunch of us jumping to Droid if they keep this kind of crap going on.

I agree there will be litigation, but as much as I use MOG, Slacker and the like, if they pull their apps, I am gone.

I think its time for Microsoft style anti-trust suit against Apple. But I can see the solution is yes you can sign up for a year of Slacker via iTunes. Instead of $47.88 it will be $71.82. Want it cheaper? Goto slacker.com.

ETA: Missing those apps would cause me to evaluate my phone platform next renewal.

 

[mrpacs]

Apple has freaking gone crazy with this BS. Might be a bunch of us jumping to Droid if they keep this kind of crap going on.

I agree there will be litigation, but as much as I use MOG, Slacker and the like, if they pull their apps, I am gone.

Same here with Slacker. Apple has lost it. Start worrying about fixing their antenna issues and stop worrying about taking 30%, sheesh.

 

[DAB]

Slacker is really bad at volume normalization. I am surprised you list them in the good category.

ETA: Missing those apps would cause me to evaluate my phone platform next renewal.

I find Slacker volume normalization isn't perfect, but I would hardly consider it bad when compared to the other services. I listen to it for hours and hours each day; never have to adjust the volume which is good enough for me.

I think if Apple start losing music apps there won't just be you and I evaluation our renewal decisions going forward. I think it is like lime is suggesting. They are just testing the waters, they will likely back off this.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I find Slacker volume normalization isn't perfect, but I would hardly consider it bad when compared to the other services. I listen to it for hours and hours each day; never have to adjust the volume which is good enough for me.

Only other music service I use is SXM which does a very good job at volume normalization.

I think if Apple start losing music apps there won't just be you and I evaluation our renewal decisions going forward. I think it is like lime is suggesting. They are just testing the waters, they will likely back off this.

Looks like Google may force their hand.

Media Life Magazine - Google one-ups Apple on its pay plan

In the great race to make acquiring digital content easier for consumers, publishers have a new ally, the search giant Google.

Just a day after Apple unveiled a service allowing consumers to make digital subscription purchases on its mobile devices, Google responded with its own service, called One Pass, that’s very clearly intended as a direct competitor.

It’s also a much better deal for sellers of content, allowing them keep a far larger share of what the consumer pays; Google will keep 10 percent versus the 30 percent commission Apple is set to collect on subscriptions and the like sold through its stores via its iPhones and iPads.

Further, under the Apple plan, media sellers will not gain access to information about the consumer. Apple, servicing as the storefront, will keep that information for itself.

But under Google’s One Pass, transactions will be transparent, with its service serving simply as a means of connecting buyer and seller.

Publishers who sign up with Google to provide the service will be able to offer consumers the option of signing into their Google accounts and making their purchases through Google Checkout, its online payment service.

In addition to selling subscriptions and access to single articles, publishers will be able to sell subscriptions for their mobile app designed to work on devices powered by Android software.

The advantage for publishers is that it allows them to avoid the expense of setting up their own payment systems.

Analysts as well as publishers laud the arrival of Google’s One Pass as welcome competition to Apple. At the least, the offering will win some support among publishers long disgruntled over the free distribution of their content by Google without compensation.

 

[DAB]

Only other music service I use is SXM which does a very good job at volume normalization.



Looks like Google may force their hand.

Yes Sirius XM does a great job with that!

Hurray for Google! They keep doing stuff like this, I may have to look at an Android!