I really like The Reminder.

I know it's blasphemy around here, but after some time with iTunes - it sucks. I just don't like it...Amazon has already gotten more of my money than Apple.

As far as the labels go - I wouldn't hold my breath. There's a reason they're giving Amazon DRM-free music. Sure, they will all eventually show up on iTunes too, but it will be later than sooner...much later.

I don't think iTunes the application sucks at all. I like how it organizes music. I just find it odd that the labels are stiffing the company that essentially saved their asses.

I'm not sure the labels see it that way.

Either way, I have a feeling the labels don't like the idea of someone holding the same sort of power in music distribution that they have slowly lost over the past few years.

Competition is good for for the customer (prices, selection, etc) and the labels (control) - the only ones it's not good for is Apple. Look how quickly even someone like you (a big Apple supporter) is jumping to a competitor to buy music...and it's all because of the labels' decisions to create some competition and give Apple less leverage.

Keep in mind though that, if you really believe the analysts, that iTunes exists only to sell iPods. If their margins really are as low as they say on music, it stands to reason that market share is not a huge concern. Now that the transformation has made huge strides, at this point their only concern is that it's easy to get music into iPods so they can keep selling them.

Yeah, but if people aren't tied to purchasing an iPod because they don't have to (or want to) buy music from iTunes...

...suddenly alternative devices make viable choices thanks to the additional music purchasing options - which, in the case of Amazon, are better options.

I guess what I'm wondering is how many people purchased an iPod instead of a competing device just because iTunes has been the only decent place to buy music online...until recently.

When you do the math of iPods sold versus songs sold, it work out to a couple dozen songs per unit. That says to me there's a lot of ripping and stealing to fill those iPods.

I also just discovered Amazon and purchased a song that iTunes only had for purchase if you buy the whole album, and I wasn't going to buy the album again just to get the 'delux' extra 2 songs. Amazon's price was 10 cents lower (on a 10 minute song), and they have that nifty feature that lets you download something that automatically puts it in your iTunes. I no longer feel tied to iTunes, but I'm sure I'll still use that AND Amazon (which I always got DVDs from anywho).