Sony BMG/IPods

o, there might not be an iTunes subscription plan, but that doesn't mean the labels are any less enthusiastic about a monthly cash drip. According to their CEO, Sony BMG is "working on" its own subscription service, which would "provide access to our entire music catalogue for all digital players, including Apple's iPod" for about $9 to $12 a month. Better yet, he said it's "even possible that clients could keep some songs indefinitely, that they would own them even after the subscription expired."

One big question is how the DRM would work, since subscription music is obviously totally tied up, but not all players support the same DRM scheme: Zune's got its own set of chains and the iPod's got FairPlay. So they'd probably have to have player-specific subscription setups.

But here's the real problem: A subscription to a single label for $10 a month? The only way it makes any sense for consumers is if they're sitting on a fat pipe to all four of the majors, and likely, it's the only way they'll bite. And maybe still, only with Apple mojo to boot, if history's any guide.