Unlimited iTunes for Life?

Apple's currently discussing a plan involving music subscriptions for iTunes. Although no specific parameters have been set, the general idea is that the consumer pays more for a new iPod and in return gets unlimited streaming/downloading access to iTunes for a year. After that (here comes the catch) you either lose all that glorious music that you got for free OR pay a subscription fee to 1) keep all your current music and 2) get more.

Which would you choose?

....duh. The rumored price for the monthly subscription is something like $7, which is a waaaay better deal than that 99 cents-a-track bullshit that they have going on now. Supposedly consumers also have the option of a lifetime subscription...which would be something like $100 for unlimited music FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!! Well...your iPod's life anyway....which after further consideration actually caps out at around 3-4 years if you're lucky.



But still, this is a good move on Apple's part in a lot of ways. Illegal downloading, even with the recent RIAA prosecutions, is at an all-time high. More and more Gen Y-ers are staunchly unwilling to pay out the nose for their DRM-loaded iSongs when they can download anything they want for free elsewhere...and put it on any device they want. One of the ONLY ways to lure our fickle consumerist generation back would be to offer unlimited access for a reasonable price. The subscription fee would be just like another bill that we pay every month in order to still receive things we take for granted: a place to live, water, heat, music.

Some foreseeable problems:

iTunes still doesn't have a considerable amount of important music. No Tool, only a couple Beatles songs, etc.

Why pay $7 for unlimited iTunes songs (which you supposedly LOSE if your subscription lapses, forcing you into paying this monthly fee forever) when you can get unlimited (albeit illegal) access online for FREE and KEEP your music however long you want to?

This is a brave and valiant attempt, Steve Jobs, I'll give you that. But dealing with our generation sucks for people like you sometimes....and we'll just have to see how this pans out.