Thanks to applications like Pandora and Wolfgang's Vault, the iPhone and iPod Touch have already shown their ability to bring a wealth of free music to a handheld device (provided that device has access to a wireless network, in the case of the iPod Touch). Now, alt-rock veterans The Presidents Of The United States Of America are testing out this model for music-distribution by offering an application via the iTunes App Store that allows purchasers unlimited access to streams of every POTUSA album (plus what they promise will be a regularly updated cache of rarities) for a one-time fee of $2.99. Granted, since these are streams, not downloads, the ultimate value of the app to music fans may be fairly low. But for fans of the band who'd like ready access to all their favorite songs (without subtracting from their iPod's storage capacity), or for casual listeners who think three bucks is fair price to pay for hours upon hours of music, this app could be worthwhile. At the least, expect other artists (and record labels) to be watching to see how this and similar music-delivery-via-app-store experiments work out. A new revenue stream may have just opened up—even if it's only a trickle.
Join the discussion...