Apple has “opened up” the expected iTunes Music Store, and Todd Dominey has a good a good write-up over at What Do I Know?
With over 200,000 digital songs available from all 5 of the big record labels, music lovers can purchase songs one by one for 99 cents, or an entire album for around $10. No monthly subscriptions or ridiculously cumbersome encryption. Once you purchase a song, you can copy the track to up to 3 Macs, and of course, your iPod, to listen to your downloaded music on the go.
Apple has a potential winner on its hands here, but there is one small fly in the ointment picked up in a TidBITS article:
…the iTunes Music Store offers both individual tracks and albums for sale and does not require a subscription, although customers may currently purchase only using a valid credit card billable to a United States address…
No luck for us Brits (or anyone else), then. Though I daresay this shortcoming will be addressed in the fullness of time.
There’s more on Wired News.