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[bjsolem]

It has been hinted a few places in Interact that J River's big deal that they are working on is a starting a music store with the MusicNow service.

See the pic at the top of this thread: http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=16055

And these links from 10th on an ITunes thread: Quote:
 
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=10493;start=msg64495#msg64495

Back then they had forgotten to airbrush the music store section in the tree and it was called 'Music Now'. Screenshots:
http://www.jriver.com/~jriver/misc/mc91228.jpg
http://www.jriver.com/~jriver/misc/mc91228_2.jpg



So my question is, has anyone used the musicnow service?  

I downloaded the software, it works through WMP (maybe MC soon??).  It looks like it has a radio service and a download level membership as well.  It is currently $9.95/month for the premium service.  There is a free seven day trial.

I'm not a fan of subscription style services so I haven't tried it yet.

[KingSparta]

Music Now Uses A Modified Windows Media Player

[lOth]

Music Now Uses A Modified Windows Media Player

Yeah, but services tend to move a lot from companies to companies these days. For instance, check out www.pressplay.com for a program that used to be integrated in WMP as well. You might be surprised by how their homepage looks like now...

[sraymond]

bjsolem certainly wins the award for "Attention to Detail"!  I'd bet a six-pack of beer he's on the right track.  Any takers?

Scott-

[bennyd]

[bjsolem]

bjsolem certainly wins the award for "Attention to Detail"!  I'd bet a six-pack of beer he's on the right track.  Any takers?

I may be a little obsessed.....

[crowfan]

Personally, I hope that if they did work something out with MusicNow, that the service options change or at least expand. I don't like subscription services. Then again, this thread gives me hope...

Despite my dislike for subscription services, I have total faith in JRiver and would give anything of theirs a chance. They've won me over completely  

[lOth]

bjsolem certainly wins the award for "Attention to Detail"!  

What about me? Back in August! Don't I deserve the award?  

I'd bet a six-pack of beer he's on the right track.  Any takers?

Won't bet against you, he's definitely on the right track IMO. I don't think we'll have to wait for very long to know. Except for brief board policy inforcement, JimH hasn't made any comment at all despite all our blurb about iTunes and music stores since yesterday. I guess he just lurks waiting to disclose the big announcement... Jim?

[bjsolem]

If we're right, than JimH should know that I, and others I'm sure, are happily, legally filling the holes in our collections from Itunes/Musicmatch.

If I'm going to be able to do this with MC soon, then I would like to give JRiver the business.  Since we are just speculating, I'm continuing to use the other services until I know otherwise.

If they have a timeline that includes announcements in the near future, I'd like to know if I should hold off on spending any more money elsewhere....

Also, yes 10th deserves the credit.

There also used to be a thread asking for Minnesota testers to test downloading music.  I can't seem to find that thread anymore....Hmmmm.

[lOth]

I would like to give JRiver the business

Me too...

I'd like to know if I should hold off on spending any more money elsewhere....

Although I certainly don't have any insider info (just checking out screenshots in detail like you) I've got this feeling that you should hold off.

Also, yes 10th deserves the credit.

Thanks  

There also used to be a thread asking for Minnesota testers to test downloading music.  I can't seem to find that thread anymore....Hmmmm.

I remember that thread too. Let's hope that what will make MC music store different from competitors is NOT that it is only available to people living in Minnesota  

[markp99]

I just popped over to the MusicNow site...

Questions/Observations

1.  $9.95 monthly subscription
2.  Streaming music @ 128kbps (free as part of subscr)
3.  Can also BUY tracks/albums, though COST per track is not published (cannot purchase as part of 30 day trial)
4.  Not all tracks on all albums are available for download on the ~3 albums I selected due to *legal* concerns (??)
5.  Interface is via Windows Media Player (& very slow / clumsy)
6.  Not sure of D/L file format or bitrate
7.  Library size is unknown
8.  Playlists look rigid in this interface

- JRiver...these guys need a real interface  

- Monthly subscription would be a BARRIER for me, considering iTunes subscriptionless approach.

- I hope D/L file format is MP3 or WAV, not WMA

Cannot wait to see the developments here...hopefully they come soon!!

[Marko]

There's no way I'll pay a subscription to get the opportunity to buy tracks.

IMO, this is plain daft. If HMV made you pay to get into their stores to then buy cd's, but Virgin let you inside for free, where d'ya think everyone's gonna go?

Stuff like that really gets my back up. It's amazing what we as consumers appear to have been groomed to blindly accept. Take sattelite/cable TV.... We pay for "premium" services, and then have commercials every 12 - 15 mins, and then we all go and pay again for access to pay-per-view events!!

Crazy ?

[cct1]

Yeah, I gotta agree with that 100%.  A subscription service is doomed to failure--a pay as you service would work great.  There is a huge void that needs to be filled w/r to online music--either mp3 or .wav based nonsubscription, pay as you go format.  I think it would be huge, but then again, what do I know...

[KingSparta]

the service should use advertizing like on radio & TV to pay its own way.

most people do not buy all that many CD's per year and the $10 cost per month for $12 months is more than most users would pay in a year for cd's. plus the cost of the track.

however there are many that will pay more.

[lOth]

Please let us know of any stability / crash problems as soon as possible -- we want a stable build for the weekend.

Dixit Matt in the download thread of .281. What is that stable build for so shortly after 9.1 is out? Would it mean that the announcement is for Monday?

And as a side note, even if JRiver has a deal with MusicNow, I don't think it necessarily means anything in terms of subscription yet. I guess that the current MusicNow subscription could well be revised or even abandoned as part of a general overhaul of the service, of which the deal with JRiver (if such a deal there is) is itself a part. I guess that two things are unlikely to change:

1) At least 200,000 titles in the catalog. Hopefully more. Seems like it's a little short to compete with other services these days (and it will seem even shorter when Napster 2 comes out with 450,000+ at the end of this month)

2) files will probably be wma. First because it doesn't seem worth converting these 200,000 to mp3 or anything else, unless one is looking for a DRM free solution, but I don't think JRiver is going that way (they seem keen on listening to their lawyers lately, cf. giving up on the brushed metal look). Second, because the stubborness of JRiver in implementing wma within MC could well be explained by this deal Jim said they had been working on for the last 6 months.