Illimited music downloads

As an answer to illegal music downloads, media Majors have launched individual music purchases (you pay each time for listening). But this system has shown limits and does not fit user needs any more. A new way to address the market is a system that allows for a montly fee to download illimited music. NapsterToGo has experimented this system and is followed now by rivals. Universal is launching BuzzMusic with about 50,000 titles and clips to be downloaded up to five times in a PC or an MP3 device. Access to the service is conditioned by using a MCA Tech' s Galeo device purchased for €99. During the first six months, access is free, then is priced €10 a month. Universal has also signed a deal with Microsoft to download its Universal catalog in the Zune platform, against royalties for each Zune platform sold. FNAC (France) has updated its music service with illimited listening of its 90,000 titles-rich album ofr €10 a month, without the ability of downloading.

Overall, the business model is not yet finalized, but the basic trend is both to pay at the source (royalties for each device purchased are very attractive for media majors) and to pay a fee per month for illimited downloading/listening.