For anyone in the UK who likes music, it’s quite a deal. You pay around $155 to receive a USB security key that lets you download all the MP3s you want from Datz Music Lounge for a year, with no restriction on what you can do with them – burn to CD, transfer to a portable media player, it’s up to you.
Even if you don’t renew your subscription, you still keep everything you’ve downloaded.
Datz has signed up EMI and Warner Music, but still doesn’t have the remainder of the big four labels, Universal and Sony BMG. However, the company expects to add other labels over the next six months.
The real market for this service, Datz boss Michael Richardson told the BBC, is “young teenagers who are downloading illegally."
"The family won’t have to worry about getting nasty letters from the solicitors and the son or daughter gets all the music he or she wants."
"We are not trying to judge ourselves against iTunes. We’re taking on [peer to peer networks] BitTorrent and Limewire."
The annual fee might rise in the New Year, but for now Richardson has stated it will remain firm.
Nokia launched a similar all you can eat service earlier this month, and Sony Ericsson is planning one, but both of those come with DRM protection on the music.
