You go ahead. The Macalope couldn't eat another bite.

The big news today is the rumor (wait, "news"... "rumor"... is that an oxymoron?) that Apple is in talks with the record companies (wait, do they make "records" anymore?) over subscription and so-called "comes with music" plans.

Chances are, like most of these rumors, any number of the details are wrong. Indeed, these rumors hardly ever come out of Apple so they must be coming out of the recording industry. That's why it sounds so much like recording industry porn. "Apple's gonna pay us $7,000 for every iPod they sell!" It shouldn't be surprising such talks are going on, though.

While some people swear by them, the Macalope has never been a fan of all-you-can-eat services. He'd rather pay less and get to keep, you know, the music that's actually good. But, of course, the Macalope's already got seven or so iPods. Apple's already got his business. If you're a subscription service nut, you probably don't have an iPod. Or, at least, you don't have seven. And Apple wants you to have seven. They're kookie that way.

Further, even if the recording companies' 5-year business plan reads "Keep acting like petulant children", Apple has to do something to get them back to the table. iTunes continues to defy the nay-sayers because the kids love one-stop shopping and convenience, but you can't sit still and expect to wear your big "We're #1!" foam hand without it becoming painfully ironic. The industry apparently won't give Apple access to its catalog DRM-free, so it needs to find another way to push the envelope.

Not the envelope with the MacBook Air in it. That's a different envelope.

Remember, Apple's goal is to push iPods and iPhones, not sell songs. And now its challenge is to keep turning over rocks to find more buyers.

Not that the Macalope is saying subscription music fans live under rocks.

They actually live in caves!

[mrFriday]

Couldn't agree more. I wish all of the tracks would just be iTunes Plus (non-DRM) and we could be done with it. If it's not DRM-free, I'm not going to buy it.

I just don't ever want to be held hostage just because I don't want to pay a monthly subscription anymore.

[ripragged]

I already have an all-you-can-eat subscription music service. It's completely free. Well, you have to buy the player, but you can pick one up at the Salvation Army for a buck or two.

It's a mature technology. It's called radio. Works great.

www.rip-ragged.com/dross

[ripragged]

I already have a great music subscription service. It's free. It's a mature technology. All you have to buy is the player, and you can pick one up at the Salvation Army for a buck or two.

It's called: Radio

[ripragged]

Um....kill the last two of these comments, would you please Mr. Macalope. Sir?

[Macalope]

Alas, the Macalope's evil CNET overlords have not granted him such powers. On the plus side, he thinks both those comments count toward his monthly traffic totals.

[CallMeDave2]

In the music business a "record" is a recording, not a mechanical product. Doesn't matter if it ends up as plastic tape, polycarbonite disc, compressed binary bits or black vinyl. In the same manner, an "album" is a collection of records, no matter how it's distributed.

[Peter02l]

Macalope,

Are you by any chance related to Mac the knife?