You're saying this as if Apple is some naive newcomer to the world of online music.
> iTunes serves almost no purpose in a modern world.
Seriously? iTunes invented modern online music distribution. It singlehandedly heralded in the age of digital music distribution.
Just because you don't like the fact that you can't download music from them without using their (very good, in my experience) music player doesn't mean it's useless or their strategy is broken.
They know exactly what you've outlined, and they knew it long before you did. Why don't they do it? Because it's antithetical to their business model. Simple as that.
> iTunes serves almost no purpose in a modern world.
Seriously? iTunes invented modern online music distribution. It singlehandedly heralded in the age of digital music distribution.
Just because you don't like the fact that you can't download music from them without using their (very good, in my experience) music player doesn't mean it's useless or their strategy is broken.
They know exactly what you've outlined, and they knew it long before you did. Why don't they do it? Because it's antithetical to their business model. Simple as that.