With the launch of the new Telecom Music Store on 24 June 2009, many are comparing it to Apple’s iTunes Store.

The iTunes Store has been around for years and is recognised as the largest legal music retailer in the world, and although we all know the Telecom Music Store is never going to take out iTunes title, the new Telecom Music Store is billed as New Zealand’s largest mobile music store.

So we here at Etch are going to break-down the two for you, so you can choose which digital music store is best suited and most convenient for you.

iTunes Store

The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store, launched by Apple in early 2003. It allows the user to purchase and transfer songs easily to an iPod through the iTunes application.

Until recently the iPod was the only digital music player that could work in conjunction with the iTunes Store. Now using Wi-Fi technology you can access the iTunes Store with an iPod Touch and iPhone for music on the go.

The store has more than 10 million songs available, with new songs added to the iTunes catalog every day. As well as music, audiobooks, video, games and apps are available to purchase through the iTunes Store.

While most downloaded files have previously included restrictions on their use, earlier this year iTunes initiated a shift into selling DRM-free music. Digital rights management prevented files from being copied to an MP3 player or other device.

Apple has also recently introduced three tiers of pricing: $1.29, $1.79 (where most songs sit) or $2.39. Prices are dependent on popularity and the price set by the record company.

Telecom Music Store

Telecom’s music store offers customers of the new XT network just over 3 million songs, which are accessible through TWorld, Telecom’s XT internet portal and downloadable to certain music-store-capable XT mobiles.

The cost to download music on your XT Mobile is currently $1.99 per track and it’s free to browse. Customers can also preview a song for up to 30 seconds for free before purchase.

The new Telecom music store has been criticised for wrapping its songs in copy protection or DRM. With iTunes recently eliminating its DRM many wonder why Telecom hasn’t done the same. There is an exception however, if you upgrade or change XT mobiles you can re-download each song.

What is unique about the Telecom Music Store is it has a local feel with Kiwi artists featuring on the home page. You can also check out “What’s fresh” and just like iTunes you can get high-spec graphics, bios and photos of key artists and albums.