iTunes + iPod + kiosk = music anywhere

Australian company 22Moo (ugly website) is releasing an iTunes kiosk for the iPod that will be placed in several high traffic areas such as airports and malls.

This is a great idea of which I am surprised has not been implemented yet.

What’s wrong with the idea? They are restricting usage to only iPods thus creating a brand around a single piece of technology rather than an idea. The idea of providing the delivery of MP3’s anywhere is an awesome idea. I have friends without computers who own iPods and use my music library to stock up. There is also the market for impulse buys if you heard a song on the way to the mall, you can buy that song when you get there.

Granted the iPod is by far the most popular consumer MP3 player but in the everchanging world of technology and the even more changing sector of consumer electronics how long can this dominance last?

So the question is — if you are going to lengths of implementing this technology why not create one that works with all MP3 units? There’s no word yet on how 22Moo will make money off of this deal. I imagine they will charge a few extra cents on top of the iTunes charge. Understandably it would be much more difficult and require far more capital expenditure to create their own delivery model to disintermediate iTunes thus increasing their profitability.

This is a very promising and young niche for which I can see many entrants over the next several years. Someone will get it right eventually, but I do not think it will be 22Moo.

22Moo Press Release

New iTunes kiosk in development - Engadget

technorati tags:22Moo, iPod, PodBuffet, Kiosk, MP3, business, music