Alternatively, Apple is considering offering an iTunes subscription service that would give users unlimited access to music for the life of their device.

For a $100 premium fee, customers can pay to have unlimited access to the complete iTunes library for the lifetime of their device, whether it be an iPhone or iPod. Or for a $7-8 monthly fee customers could have the same unlimited access, though at this time it looks as if the subscription service will only be offered to iPhone customers.

I assume this would be similar to Yahoo’s old Music Unlimited program that I subscribed to at one point – offering tracks with DRM so as soon as you stop your subscription the downloaded music becomes unusable.  That service was $7.99 a month, I believe.

If the music really does last only as long as the device lasts, I’m thinking it’s a good day to own this company.

Let’s look at some of the assets MS would be acquiring:

1. The Yahoo brand (arguably the strongest online brand ever)
2. The #1 trafficked news site
3. Top social site Yahoo Answers
4. Top photo site Flickr
5. #1 web mail product
6. Yahoo Music
7. del.icio.us
8. Yahoo Shopping / Stores
9. Hotjobs
10. A legitimate search engine and PPC network

Whew…

I’ll try to post more later, but I’d like to hear your thoughts on this deal.

DRM is the stupid policy that prohibited digital music from being used in a free manner.  That is to say, songs purchased on iTunes could only be played with an iPod, and songs purchased from wal-mart couldn’t be burned to a CD, etc.

“DRM tends to punish the innocent more than the guilty,” says Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, a technology research company. “It was hurting folks who were trying to follow the rules more than the folks who were pirating the music.”

Soon I will be able to purchase any song, and enjoy it any way I want.  On my iPod, from my desktop, steamed to my D-Link MediaLounge, etc.

Along with this announcement is that fact that Amazon is pushing it’s way in front of iTunes, as recording lables have become increasingly frustrated with Steve Jobs and his strong-arming techniques.  Apple is now forced to sit out and wait, reaping some of what it has sown.  Of course it won’t be long before Apple has the same agreements with the major four labels – they just have to play second fiddle for once.

A co-worker and I have signed up to play in the first ever PowerFM Golf-A-Thon. We’re going to play 50 holes in one day! I’m trying to raise a minumum of $1,500, so I’m appealing to you for help. If you can spare a few bucks and would like to pledge a per-hole donation to help this financially-struggling radio station, please click here. To encourage sponsorship (and so you don’t feel like you’re paying for my day of fun), I’m matching $0.25 for every dollar donated. Every amount is appreciated, even if you can only donate $0.50 a hole.