The recurring monthly charge makes me think a bit as well – again, mostly because I’m not into music in a big way. I like what I have, a few dozen CDs from my favorite groups so I have my favorite tunes. By the way, they’re called “oldies” now – I’m not that old am I? Guess that makes my dad’s Beach Boys and such “classics”; which sounds more, …well, classy – guess I can’t poke fun at dad’s oldies any more.
Anyway, being the frugal fellow I am (read: cheap), I signed up for the 14 day free trial.
As far as price goes, I’m on the fence. Its $10/mo. and $15/mo. for the ability to sync every track to a MS-based media player. They’ve got annual fees that end up giving you a 2-month freebie. I’m going to look into a subscription – mainly because Amy would make huge use of it.
I’m warming to the idea of a subscription-based model for media consumption, as long as I can really use it without running into the DRM enforced walls. As I don’t intend to pirate the music, I’ll be disappointed to find the limits, unless MTV and MS have done their homework on this area.