Amazon to Open Music Store?

Today @ PC World - Amazon to Open Music Store?: "Our friends over at IDG News Service tell me that the Wall Street Journal says that Amazon.com plans to launch its own Internet music service. I don't know all the details, but I think it would be good for Apple and iTunes to get a substantial rival. (By the way, IDG is our corporate parent, and the New Service is a bunch of hard-working reporters and editors stationed all over the world.)

For one, I'd continue to think that songs at 50 cents a pop is the price that is going to turn my wallet loose. I can't quite embrace 99 cents per song on a regular basis. Also, as an iPod mini owner, I'm dreaming of the day that Apple ditches its one-player, one-PC rule that drives me nuts--the music I want to pour into my player is NEVER on the PC I'm near. (I interact with three on a daily basis.) I'm talking about my own purchased CDs that I've ripped to get into the iPod.

However, the Journal said that Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, plans to sell its own branded portable music players, and a subscription service that would offer deep discounts and preloaded songs to users of its music players. Oh great, another proprietary player.

Apparently Amazon is in advanced talks with four global music companies about a digital music service that could be launched as early as this summer.

The report also said Amazon may tap South Korea's Samsung Electronics to build its digital music player.

Amazon has discussed offering the portable music players free as part of a long-term subscription package, or selling them with preloaded music that could be swapped out for other songs during the course of the subscription, according to the Journal.

Am I the only owner of a digital music player who would like my expensive hardware to have all access to all music and have it loadable from any computer--or at least any computer I regularly use? I'm happy to pay a reasonable price for this. And what's your sweet spot for paying for a song?"

Image Found: Here