Despite the initial coverage blitz, we really haven’t heard much of Nokia’s creatively-named ‘Comes with Music’ initiative lately. Despite a lack of interest in Nokia’s offering to this point and a company history of unlimited service opposition, Apple is reportedly considering a fee-based service that would grant subscribers unlimited access to the iTunes music store. Initially reported by the Financial Times (who oddly dubbed the concept a “radical new business model”) as a result of alleged tips from senior Apple personnel, the potential offering is said to be in development and would apply to iPhone and iPod owners. Nokia’s service is structured in such a way that a handset can be purchased at an elevated cost and the difference is applied to fees paid to content owners (Universal in this case). This inflated margin accommodates one year of unlimited downloads, after which the service can either be renewed at a fee or dumped. Apple is supposedly in talks with labels with regards to a similar offering but may be having trouble achieving the desired pricing structure. Referenced studies indicate that customers on average are willing between $7 and $8 per month for an unlimited download service; a hell of a price point when all things are considered. What would you pay for unlimited iTunes downloads?
Apple Working on Unlimited Downloads for iPhone and iPod?
Updated Dec 19th, 2018 5:58PM EST
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Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.
His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.
