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I can say I hadn’t really heard of eMusic till earlier today I saw a post that referenced it as the 2nd largest online music store next to iTunes. Really? 2nd? Why haven’t I heard of it before?

Well I went to check their site, and here’s the thing…THEY GIVE YOU DRM FREE MP3′S! You can play them on any device you want! Any Zune, iPod, Creative, or any other device that plays mp3’s. How do I sign up?

Well it gets even better. Just for signing up you get 25 free songs. They have over 2 million to choose from.

So how do they make money? The charge $9.99/month and you get 30 tracks of DRM free mp3’s. You can do whatever you want with these tracks.
Other plans include 50 tracks for $14.99/month and 75 tracks for $19.99/month. That is 27 to 33 cents per track!

This is MUCH cheaper then iTunes, and since AllofMp3 doesn’t take Visa/Mastercard, are getting sued by the recording industry, and a trade agreement between US and Russia to not allow the site in the US, it seems like the 2nd best option.

Where is the downside? Well if you can’t find 30 tracks per month to download, then you are losing out. Right now with my Zune, I am using the Zune Marketplace subscription service, but if/once I stop paying $14.95/month the music is gone. With this service, you keep the music and put it on any device you want.

Even if you don’t pay for the service, the initial 25 free tracks makes it worth it to sign up with their 14 day free trial.
There is rumor that Amazon is about to launch a similar service where you can get totally DRM free mp3’s. No word on price or if it will happen, but rumor is that it will be more expensive then eMusic.
Check it out today

Have you bought your loved one an iPod or Zune yet this holiday season?

Amazon along with many other merchants show today as the absolute last day to get your order in for next day shipping. Make sure to check the shipping policy of the site you are purchasing. Don’t want to end up opening presents on December 26th when the UPS man arrives.

You can now buy the song used in the E3 Halo 3 trailer (a slow and dramatic version of the Halo theme) on the Apple iTunes Store, and I just did.

The ironic part, is that Microsoft owns Bungie the creators of Halo, yet you can’t find this track on the Zune Marketplace, nor any other Music download service. Isn’t that just a little bit counterintuitive?

This isn’t the first time that I’ve purchased music from a Microsoft (or Apple for that matter) ad. I most recently purchased Mad World which is used in the Gears of War ad (which is available on the Zune Marketplace).

I’m not sure how many people out there have experienced or even seen the Zune to Zune transfer feature. I found a few videos on YouTube that really show you how fast it is.

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Also one that shows not only music, but photos. (Video transfer is not supported ::crosses fingers:: yet)

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Some valid points, some positives and negatives, although mostly negative. Maybe he should start appearing on Cranky Geeks.

I updated my Zune firmware to 1.2 from 1.1 on my Zune yesterday. Over at Engadget they had a little bit of trouble with it, but mine went flawlessly.

The update said that it included, “stability and performance improvements.” Turns out of of the major performance improvements is compatibility with Vista. The device until now has not been compatible with the latest version of Microsoft’s OS. I know a lot of people already have their hands on Vista through the business distribution or from other various methods. It’s nice to see them rolling this feature out now instead of waiting till Vista officially launches.

I know I can’t wait to at least try out Vista. I haven’t seen anything but the screenshots so far. I think the Ultimate Edition would be best suited for my needs as that it includes Media Center.

Well this past weekend, I joined “the social” officially by sending and receiving songs from two separate people. There was a guy on my flight from Tampa to Atlanta that had a Zune and was sitting right across the isle from me in business class. He said he got it as a birthday present just 2 days prior.

I didn’t see that he had the Zune till we were in the air, but in reckless fashion we both enabled the wireless mode mid-flight and sent a song to each other. I was watching a movie when his came through, and a little popup on the screen asks if I want to accept. I do, and the transfer takes place. 1 song approximately 10-15 seconds. He sent me I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith off the Armageddon soundtrack. I sent him Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy.

After it was over, I listened to the song once, and went back to my movie. I haven’t listened to the song since. It would of been cool to be able to browse his library and request a song from him. That would be a neat feature.

After I got off the plane, there was a guy sitting right there with a Zune which he had just purchased the previous day. He hadn’t tried the wireless out yet, so he sent me Peaches En Regalia by Frank Zappa (which I still haven’t listened to). I sent him a 30 minute podcast. It took a little longer to send the podcast, but it made it over.

The podcast, which was 100% free, featured the same 3 day 3 plays DRM. I understand Microsoft’s need to do this, otherwise the Zune would become the next Napster (when it was illegal).

I tried to send a movie, that didn’t work. Pictures can be sent as well, but I didn’t think to try that.

Only one other Zune encounter on my trip, and I kept hitting the search for nearby Zunes. I found one, but it must of been someone walking past me, because when I tried to send it a song it was gone.
I will say that the Zune makes a great (better then the iPod) device for watching tv shows and movies on a plane.