Yahoo Music Shutting Down

Yahoo Music is shutting down. I knew it was coming but it kind of sucks. I like the Yahoo Jukebox. Anyway, I got this email today:

The Yahoo! Music Store Will Be Closing; Important Information About Backing Up Your Music Files Greetings, The Yahoo! Music Store, along with the ability to purchase and download single songs and albums, will no longer be available as of September 30, 2008. Songs and albums that were purchased through the Yahoo! Music Unlimited Store are protected by a digital rights management system that requires a valid license key before they can be played on your computer. After the Store closes, Yahoo! will no longer be able to support the retrieval of license keys for music purchased from Yahoo! Music Unlimited, and Yahoo! will no longer be able to authorize song playback on additional computers. After September 30, 2008, you will not be able to transfer songs to unauthorized computers or re-license these songs after changing operating systems. Please note that your purchased tracks will generally continue to play on your existing authorized computers unless there is a change to the computer's operating system. For any user who purchased tracks through Yahoo! Music Unlimited, we highly recommend that you back up the purchased tracks to an audio CD before the closing of the Store on September 30, 2008. Backing up your music to an audio CD will allow you to copy the music back to your computer again if the license keys for your original music files cannot be retrieved. For further information on the closing of the Yahoo! Music Store, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions or contact Customer Care. Stay tuned! While the Yahoo! Music Unlimited Store will no longer be available, Yahoo! Music has partnered with Rhapsody so you can still purchase your favorite tracks. Plus, Yahoo! Music will continue to offer users a complete online music experience with the largest collection of music videos, Internet radio, exclusive artist features, music news, and more! Thank you for using Yahoo! Music. The Yahoo! Music team

A few minutes later I got this one:

Important Notice: Yahoo! Music Unlimited will become Rhapsody Keep your current plan, and get access to even more music. Greetings, You may now transfer your Yahoo! Music Unlimited account to Rhapsody. Get more music for the same price when you transfer your account before September 30, 2008. You'll continue to have unlimited access, but the Rhapsody catalog is even more expansive, and playlist sharing, recommendations, and custom Rhapsody Channels offer a more personalized music experience. If you have remaining download credits, your balance will also transfer to Rhapsody and can be used to purchase MP3s. After September 30, 2008, your Yahoo! Music Unlimited account will be closed -- so make the move to Rhapsody today. To transfer to Rhapsody, visit: http://transfer.music.yahoo.com If you do not take any action, your Yahoo! Music Unlimited subscription will be canceled on September 30, 2008. Yahoo! will not transfer any information to Rhapsody unless you agree to the terms presented in the transfer process. Click the link above to start this process. For frequently asked questions about Yahoo! Music Unlimited becoming Rhapsody, click here. Thank you for using Yahoo! Music's services. The Yahoo! Music team

I went to the transer link but it said they were going to send my credit card info to Rhapsody and would automatically renew at close to $80/year. Thanks, but I'll switch to Pandora. It should be an option to switch to Rhapsody and NOT send my credit card info. I don't care if I can change the preferences in Rhapsody. I don't want them to have my info at all.

LewisC

Technorati : music, rhapsody, yahoo

Microsoft Drops DRM?

Let me clarify, MS is not dropping the annoying and invasive phone home crap on their software products. They are dropping the DRM on music sold through Zune Marketplace. So is what's good for the goose, good for the gander? Will MS ease up on its completely bad copy protection schemes? I doubt it. I guess it will take a few more massive lawsuits before MS gets on board. I am sure those invasive techniques are one of the reasons for the very bad uptake on Vista. Having said that, I do like some of the new features of the Zune:

• Wireless sync. Zune devices will automatically sync over consumers’ home wireless networks with this helpful new feature, aimed at ensuring that Zune owners always have the latest podcasts and other content ready to go when they‘re leaving home. Syncing with the collection on their PC happens via a home wireless network and will start on its own when the device is placed in its dock or plugged in to charge. Alternatively, the sync can be started manually.

• Extended wireless sharing.Share select full-length songs, albums, playlists, pictures and even audio podcasts from device to device. Consumers can now listen to any song received up to three times with no time restrictions, and they can now also pass along songs to other friends who have a Zune.

• Recorded television content to go. The Zune software will now automatically import broadcast content recorded on Microsoft® Windows® Media Center for Windows Vista® Home Premium or Ultimate, so consumers can sync them onto their Zune media player and watch them on the bus, in their car or wherever they want when they’re out and about.

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