For a long long time, Linux users never really had a built in music store like Mac and Windows users do. That all changed today IF you use Ubuntu, specifically the 10.04 “Lucid Lynx” Beta 1.
The service is run by 7digital in the US and pretty much everywhere. Songs are 320 Kbps MP3′s with no DRM. The store is access directly through Rhythmbox, Ubuntu’s default music player. I did not see a per track price higher than 99 cents so they aren’t going the same route as iTunes with most tracks.
I was able to purchase my song and register a credit card for future purchases in one fell swoop. The song automatically is added to the Ubuntu One storage and will sync to your desktop automatically once all the bugs are worked out. For now, I downloaded it via my web browser.
Some rabid fans will not like that these are MP3′s, but the fact is there will NEVER be a service that uses OGG and has popular music. Partnering with 7digital was one of the best things they could have done. Now they don’t have to worry about all of the dealings with the record companies. 7digital takes care of that.
My first purchase on the Ubunu One Music Store was U2′s Beautiful Day because that IS what it is for Linux users. Thanks Canonical for setting this up! The purchase works well, but the sync isn’t quite there yet. Once that is resolved, I may even start to pay for expanded storage on Ubuntu One. It’s $10 a month for 50 GB and 2 GB of storage is free.
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