Get Better Gear!

Premier Sponsors

TechRestore

Other World Computing

Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Plans

    • 8 out of 10
    • Death Cab for Cutie
    • With the introduction of Plans, Death Cab for Cutie became a new addition to many user's Artist list after the single "Soul Meets Body" became a hit on iTunes. Offering a fresh alternativ

  • So Jealous

    • 8 out of 10
    • Tegan and Sara
    • So Jealous is the third album from these sisters, and easily the one to single out for an introduction to their music. Some people may not get on board with their vocal styles, which are slightly

  • Live at the Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI

    • 6 out of 10
    • Supersuckers
    • Man, there's nothing like good, old fashioned, rock and roll... add a bit of industry resentment to that with a double-shot of cynicism, and you get one of the best "new" rock bands going. This album
  • Velocifero

    • 6 out of 10
    • Ladytron
    • "Back to the future" isn't the right turn of phrase for Ladytron's newest album,

  • Spanks for the Memories

    • 8 out of 10
    • Asylum Street Spankers
    • The Asylum Street Spankers are...well...The Spankers. Hailing from Austin, where I saw them live dozens of times, the band played entirely acousti

Reader Specials

Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!

News

Yahoo Bails On Music Service, Moves to Rhapsody

Yahoo is closing down its online music rental service, Yahoo Music Unlimited, but current customers won’t be left high and dry. Instead, Yahoo struck a deal with RealNetworks that transitions YMU subscribers to the Rhapsody music rental service.

The YMU shutdown and Rhapsody migration is expected to happen in the first half of 2008. YMU customers will be able to keep their current subscription libraries and payment plans for a limited time, but Yahoo and RealNetworks aren’t saying just how long that limited window will last -- which means that eventually YMU subscribers will either have to pay the higher rates that Rhapsody charges, or lose their rented music libraries.

While the Yahoo Music Unlimited shutdown will likely leave many disappointed subscribers in its wake, it doesn’t hold the sting of the Sony Connect music rental shut down where customers were left with unplayable DRM-laden tracks.

This latest subscription service shutdown isn’t likely to help bolster the record label’s stance that music rental models are better than music purchase models like Apple’s iTunes Store. Until the labels can convince customers that they don’t really want to own the music they listen to the ongoing start-up/merger/shut-down subscription music service cycle will continue unchecked.

Post Your Comments

  Remember Me  Forgot your password?

Not a member? Register now. You can post comments without logging in, but they'll show up as a "guest" post.

Commenting is not available in this section entry.