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iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G

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Kaiser-Machead
01/06/09

In reply to iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G
With a full DRM library, I no longer care to look elsewhere for music, unless of course, it's simply not available. I like my distros simplified, and it doesn't get much simpler than this.
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Geisrud
01/06/09

In reply to iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G
These keynotes must be much more exciting in person. This one damn near put me to sleep.
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Monty
01/06/09

In reply to iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G
I suspect this thinking is a small minority, but my collection is completely MP3 files, so until Apple can switch to that format for downloads, they will not have my business. Regardless, the Amazon music download store has been flawless for me and updates my iTunes database to boot.

Still, it is a good move to dump the DRM, and the three tiered pricing seems reasonable as well. I never fully understood why it had to be 99 cents only.
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tande04
01/06/09

@Monty: Why?

There are some older players that don't work with AAC but I thought the vast majority did now.

I mean if it doesn't work with your player I could understand but short of that why do you need/want it as an MP3?
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Jim Topoleski
01/06/09

@Monty: MP3s have a limited life. In another couple years I doubt any of the music devices will used them as you have to pay to use MP3s while AAC is free and the replacement industry standard that was developed because of the fact that MP3s cost money.

Nintendo even removed the MP3 playing ability on their Wii and DSi instead adding AAC playing abilities instead.
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Monty
01/06/09

@tande04: In my car (2006 model) I have an MP3 CD player. AAC won't work there. I have two SANSA music players. AAC won't work there. I have not checked, but I do not believe the PS3 will play AAC files (but I could be wrong), and I use our PS3 as our media hub in the living room.

Then there is the simple fact that you have to search pretty deep to find anything that will not support the MP3 format. However, half of everything out there does not support AAC. The other half is made by Apple.
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Monty
01/06/09

@Jim Topoleski: We do not have a Wii. We do have a Nintendo DS, but I was not aware that it could play music. In any case, my kids all have MP3 players -- one of them has a Nano (AAC will work) and the other has a Creative device (AAC will not work).

It only takes one device that we use not supporting AAC to make the format unusable to us.
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Monty
01/06/09

@Jim Topoleski: In addition, I am not certain I understand your comment that "MP3s have a limited life". All formats and technology have a limited life. As for whether MP3 or AAC will still be used ten years from now, that is anyone's guess. However, there is no question that nearly everything supports the MP3 format, and AAC does not have that universal acceptance. Yet.
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bonedog73
01/06/09

In reply to iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G
So what about all the songs I have bought from iTunes with DRM, will the be de-DRM'd ???
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tande04
01/06/09

@bonedog73: For a price.

$.30 per song.

$.60 per video.
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pantsonfireliarliar
01/06/09

@tande04: Wow that's pricy. So if I bought a 15 song album for $9.99, they want an additional $4.50. So basically I should've just bought the inflated CD price in the first place. Screw that, so glad I'll be replacing my DRM'ed iTunes files with downloaded MP3s.
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someToast
01/06/09

@pantsonfireliarliar: So if I bought a 15 song album for $9.99, they want an additional $4.50.

An additional $2.99. Album upgrades are 30% of the album cost.

In addition to losing the DRM, you're also increasing the bitrate of the songs from 128 to 256 kbps.
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badhatharry
01/06/09

@someToast: So I have to pay to strip the DRM off of music I already purchased. I'm a pretty big Apple fanboy, but this pisses me off.
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someToast
01/06/09

@badhatharry: In addition to losing the DRM, you're also increasing the bitrate of the songs from 128 to 256 kbps.

The original DRM'd tracks continue to work if you don't want to pay for the upgrade.

This would be better if Apple would change their upgrade-all-or-none approach.
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badhatharry
01/07/09

@someToast: I get that, but I'm paying an extra 30% for a song I already own. They should unlock them for free. Bitrate be damned. The stuff I bought from there, I wasn't concerned about the bitrate. Otherwise, I would have gotten them from somewhere else.
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tehdorkz
01/06/09

In reply to iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G
so what makes a song a certain price?
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frigg
01/06/09

@tehdorkz: Primarily age (/popularity). New music will inevitably be the most expensive, back catalogs will be the least expensive, and everything else will be Malcolm In The Middle.
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David Devenport
01/06/09

In reply to iTunes Gets DRM Free, New Prices, Purchase Over 3G
first comment!!! so whats the diff between prices?
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92BuickLeSabre
01/06/09

@David Devenport: Had you bothered to check the reaction to your prior comments, you might have saved yourself from making this one.
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imTheKing
01/06/09

@David Devenport: you twit. You were third comment and now your banned you fool.
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David Devenport
01/06/09

@imTheKing: am i really oh yeah cause I am on dial up right now so it took about 5 minutes to load....
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Kaiser-Machead
01/06/09

@David Devenport: Being on dial-up is an even BIGGER REASON not to say "First", other than it being totally douchetastic.
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