A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder.

The magic of the iTunes Store is its consistency. All the music you want is there. You know how much it costs. You know what the quality will be. The shopping experience is measurably more consistent and enjoyable than purchasing a CD or vinyl.

I’d argue building an experience is Steve Job’s magic.

The problem with the iTunes Store is its restrictiveness. I’m not referring to DRM. I mean that you are binding yourself to an entire business ecosystem. If I want to buy a song:

1. I’m patronizing Microsoft or Apple.
2. (EMI excepted) I’m supporting the use of DRM.
3. iTunes encourges the use of an iPod.

Each of these are significant market limitations. For example, Microsoft’s URGE differentiates itself only on the third point. And, as far as I know, there has only been one service that did away with those three requirements…

AllOfMp3 was incredibly popular, and incredibly illegal. It took the US Government lobbying Russia to close it down. Clearly, the model of a website with a consistent experience and none of the above restrictions is demanded by the market.

So, piracy continues in its vaccum.