Hi, my name is Julio. And I used to be a music snob.

Oh, sure. Being a music fan lends itself to a certain degree of snobbery. After all, one is never just a "music fan." Music is so personal and touches us in ways we don't often share that we can become territorial, critical, and, most of all, passionate about it.

So in this vein, I used to shun online music services such as Zune Pass and Rhapsody. Sure, the price was great ($14.95 a month) for unlimited downloads, but then I wouldn't own my music. It was like renting a car or a movie. Sure, I may like it very much, but at the end of the day, when I stop paying for it, I have to give it up. Or in this case, I lose the ability to listen to my acquired music collection.

I wanted to have control over my music CDs. I wanted to rip it my way and in my format, whether it be in WMA or MP3 or FLAC, at whatever compression and quality. Because the Man wasn't going to tell me how to control my music.

But after using Zune Pass for a month I was not only sold, I realized that I was wrong to blow the service off.

I love the Zune Marketplace in version 2.x. The Marketplace is fast, with a great breakdown of music genres. I remember when I was a teenager, I loved going to the music store and flipping through cassettes and CDs (and occasionally vinyl!), searching out for that next great album that would get me moving, thinking, and feeling. Searching through the Zune Marketplace gives the musichead inside of me that same thrill. The Marketplace isn't built to just be an experience, it's built to be an obsession.

So couple this ability to go through and find great music (and podcasts... man, did the Zune team nail the podcast experience on the 2.x platform) with, essentially, an unlimited budget. That's what $14.95 a month for Zune Pass gives you. Using the related artists, the bios, top hits, and recommendations, there is a maze of music love to get lost in.

"But if I can't own it, I don't want it," you may say.

Here's my response: go cancel your cable or satellite TV subscription.

I pay for 200+ channels of television right now. There is no way that I am able to watch (and with my DVR, record) anything close to all the content available to me through my cable subscription. And I don't even *own* these shows- I just watch and record them. Does that stop me from using it? Not at all. Do I complain about the inherent "DRM" of cable? No, that would be crazy. The same applies to XM / Sirius satellite radio subscriptions. All those channels with music that I'm missing when I'm away from my car or listening to one specific station. Do people complain? So then how does it make any sense to denounce music subscription services? I get access to a large library and I get to pull it, when I want it. Sounds very reasonable to me.

In the end, this is one of those debates that people can get very fiery about. In the end, everyone should do what they feel is best for them, but as a music and Zune fan, Zune Pass is invaluable. Music subscriptions, in my opinion, make a lot of sense, not only for the music want but for the music you have yet to discover.

Until next time, happy listening!