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iTunes and DRM -- Not that hard to solve. Why not an iTunes unlimited subscrption for $5/month?

If Steve Jobs is so open to changing the way things work, why not try a different business model?

"I bought my music on iTunes and I can only play it on my iPod" - a common complaint among new iTunes customers (and by the way, the reason my total purchases of iTunes music has been $0.99). For those who haven't figured out the issue, it's because contrary to most every other form of music you buy or get, the iTunes store is bound by contract to include a DRM (Digital Rights Management) system to prevent illegal copying of music - remember the original Napster? Why is this such an issue with iTunes when I can buy CDs and receive digital satellite broadcasts that I am free to record and play on any device in my home?

I'm wondering what the fuss is all about with DRM when solutions are staring us in the face every day? Steve Jobs writes in his Thoughts on Music that the right solution is to have the Big Four music companies remove the DRM requirement from music sold online. But I'm going a step behind that and asking why is iTunes Store different from all the other stuff I get? I rent DVDs from NetFlix, I get free over the air digital broadcasts of HDTV that I can record on my TiVo, I get XM Satellite music that I can record and replay any time I want. The issue, and the difference in the model is how I pay and how I get. For NetFlix I have no desire to rip every DVD I get because I can get it again anytime I want - I pay my monthly subscription and I have a bunch of DVDs available at home - on Demand. Same with Cable and OnDemand services right? Whether it's Comcast OnDemand or TiVo and DirecTV, as long as the shows I want to watch are available whenever I want I am not compelled to save everything to a DVD.

I read a review of Rhapsody vs. iTunes and I didn't get it at first, but it did get me thinking and as soon as I saw the DRM piece from Apple I got it. Of course! This makes a lot more sense!

But then the gotcha! Our household now has 6 iPods so, as usual with proprietary systems, we're kind of stuck. But if Mr. Jobs is as game to play nice as he claims in his letter, why not offer an additional option on the iTunes store that's a subscription model? C'mon Steve? It works for everything else! What if iTunes charged me $5/mo for unlimited access to their library? By your own math: 90 Million iPods have paid an avg of $22 each (in their lifetime!) to the iTunes store. At $5 a month (maybe even have more limited $3/month and $1/month plans for having unlimited access but only 50 songs or 100 songs at a time a la Netflix). I'm guessing you collect $12-$40/year from your 90 Million iPods instead of the $22 you've gotten so far. Far be it from me to tell you how to make more money and deliver a better service but c'mon! You're fighting a fight that doesn't need to be fought.