A guy can dream

Rumors of Apple being in talks with Sirius satellite radio are floating again. As with most rumors, grab your salt, but here's an apple-ish thing that would make such a deal make sense for Apple. (Sirius-on-iPod, I think, would mostly benefit Sirius, riding the iPod's coattails.)

The main challenge when selling media like music and books is to take customers, and segue one thing they like into another thing they like. There are many reasons iTunes is successful, but I think two are absolutely key: The previews and iMix, etc.

I love the preview feature. Sometimes, I'll be at a store, looking at a CD, so I'll grab it, and sit down. I will then search for the album, and sample the music on iTunes. If I like what I hear, the CD is mine. Of course, usually I like a few of the songs, but hey, I'm already at a store. Why don't I just buy what I want and be done with it? Sometimes, I opt for the physical disc, especially if I like the whole thing, and I suspect my darling girlfriend might like it, too. Either way, I have happy Apple-directed thoughts.

iMix and its retinue are the bane of my existence. By which I mean they are the sucking machine hovering over my wallet. I walk in looking for one song, and I walk out with 40. This happens often. Why? Because iMixes are real playlists that people actually listen to. The free-association magic is astoundingly effective at finding me what I like. Which gets back to our original question: How else to segue from one sale to the next?

If done properly, a Sirius iPod could do that. Radio stations (assuming they don't suck, a stretch, I know) are a good way to get new music out there, in a way that isn't easy (one assumes) to copy or "steal". And better than a preview, you can hear the whole damn song. The only point of disconnect is the time between hearing a song you like, and buying it. But what if there was a button on your radio to add the song just played to your iTunes shopping cart. Perhaps the song could be sent to your iPod if you set it up properly, but it would be enough just to queue it up so that, the next time I go to check out, there be the music. This seems eminently doable, and if there's any credence (doubtful) to the rumors of Apple-Sirius talks, I hope this is what they have in mind. I'd buy it.