I’m a pretty avid music collector and like most people I hate the disappointment that comes with purchasing an album – whether CD or download – and then finding out that it sucks isn’t as good as I hoped it would be.  Although I was initially reluctant to “rent” music through a subscription service, after trying one I came to enjoy the option of listening to an album before I purchased it.  Even better, I began to discover bands that I might never have considered if I had to put cold, hard cash on the line.

I first tried Rhapsody’s subscription service, then I moved on to Napster (actually, Napster To Go).  Finally, I started using a Zune Pass when Microsoft altered their service to allow subscribers to keep 10 tracks per month.  For $14.99 per month, it provides a balance (for me, at least) between “renting” and “buying” music.  I also liked that I could synchronize my Zune and take subscription music with me.

Now, Napster is joining the mixed plan market with a new $5 per month subscription that allows the user to download and keep 5 tracks per month.  If you’re someone who tends to purchase singles, that’s probably pretty good – unlimited streaming and you keep 5 tracks (mp3 format).  If you’re the type that tends to purchase whole albums, however, you’re going to be kicking in a few more dollars each month just to get that whole album. Of course, that’s also often true with a Zune Pass, considering that many albums are longer than 10 tracks these days.

The new Napster deal allows subscribers to stream music on any computer, but it does not allow the user to take tracks with them on a portable device.

Details about Napster’s new subscription plan are here.

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