Zune subscription takes on MP3 format

One major drawback with subscription music download services is that once the user decides to cancel their subscription, all music downloaded as part of the service will no longer play.  To help users gradually build up a permanent collection without paying for every individual song, Microsoft has signed a deal with the 4 major labels EMI, Sony BMG, Universal and Warner that will allow users to choose 10 songs per month to download to keep in the MP3 format, which are DRM-free and can be played on any MP3 player.  This deal will cover 90% of the music available on the Zune Pass tracks.  The MP3s are encoded at 256kbps.

Despite many years of Microsoft aiming to compete with the MP3 format and trying to show how superior its WMA format is to the MP3 format, it is really interesting to see them using the MP3 format for its DRM-free downloads.  On the other hand, this also gives the Zune another advantage over iTunes.   At present, iTunes only offers DRM-free music from EMI and independent artists, which is provided in the M4A format.  There are only a small number of MP3 players compatible with the M4A format, where as the MP3 format can be played on any virtually every music player on the market, including the iPod series, many DVD players, Hi-Fi systems and car stereos.

Microsoft has already modified its current subscription service such that existing and new subscribers will be entitled to this.  As songs typically cost 99¢ from most music download stores, this means that that anyone who chooses to keep 10 songs each month would be saving about $10 a month, unlike most other subscription music services. 

With how desperate the music industry has got trying to get consumers purchasing music again, never mind their endless rounds of lawsuits, it will be interesting to see if it comes to a point where they allow all songs downloaded from a subscription service to be kept.  While the music industry is likely worried that one would subscribe, download a large number of songs and cancel their subscription, this is unlikely going to happen, especially anyone who regularly browses the library to discover new music. 

Also, if the user could download any number of songs as part of a subscription without being locked to specific models or a certain brand, it would make subscription services far more attractive.  For example, imagine the chaos if NetFlix decided to restrict its rentals to a specific model or brand of DVD player that customers must purchase to play them…