DRM sucks. Yes, I've downloaded my fair share of stuff of unsanctioned stuff in the past, but a buck to get a high quality recording I know will work is okay with me. The record companies should have realized that the old ways were dying a long time ago!

Now, if the Hollywood would take their heads out of their collective a**es, we might see some progress in the digital downloads of movies (nevermind the High def DVD fiasco).

hhtuttle

eineins

Then Job's tricked the Record labels into allowing downloads that were comparable to CD's. Of course, they were only trying to slow illegal downloads at the time. They never considered that people would actually rather pay for quality downloads. But the fact that people were willing to pay for quality downloads, triggered the greed nerve in their fat CEO head. Now the Labels want you to think that you have won and they are going to cannibalize their own CD sales by selling DRM-free tracks.

Now, you say iTunes sucks, but DRM-free at "iTunes-like" is cool. Ok. However, Just keep in mind that the weaker iTunes gets, the more level the playing field becomes the stronger the Record labels become again. In the beginning of 2007 Job's had they're backs against the wall, as well as studios, and you guys want to let them tap-out.

Now 128 bit ACC's are not good enough. Fine, but the Labels are not raising the bitrate to lossless levels (which would probably make the internetz explode on the first day of sales). The music is only DRM-free. As in, "Don't download a song and convert it to DRM-free MP3 files, we'll save you some time, you lazy bastards. Because we love you."

Maybe you guys should go get your old Rio's out of the drawer and remember what Record label heaven was like.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Have fun downloading DRM free tracks from "iTunes-like-fill-in-the-blank-eMarketplace-online" while it lasts.

mudman

teknohed

Headfoot

Is Wal-Mart evil to you? Don't shop there and TFSU
Is Amazon a thorn in your side? Don't shopt there and TFSU.

Bloody whiners.. Unplug, get some friends and swap CDs.

Or, if you are more economically inclined - use your collective market force. Here endeth the lesson

tri.bassett

Galley

manguero

@omg-ponies: @RalphWiggum: well done!

manguero

Oh and include cheaper music videos/TV shows/movies.

Of course there always is Zune, the new browser does kick ass, unlike its laggy autistic older brother, and they have over a million DRM-free tracks.

Tomahawk214

Really? Apple doesn't use a proprietary DRM encryption called FairPlay that prevents certain hardware from playing it? So when I buy a song for $0.99 I'm not limited to only the devices they like? You should really let manufacturers like Creative and Sonos know that they've got it all wrong, you seem to be much more in the know than them.

RalphWiggum

Turbodego

And what gives with putting "your music" off in quotes? Are you implying that purchasing a CD or downloading a song grants the purchaser a license only? If so, that's great. I have a bunch of old CDs that are all beat up. If I have a license to listen to them, arguably, there is an implied duty on the grantor to replace my CD. Plus, I lost some tracks when my drive crashed, but since I have a license for the media, I can always redownload - again and again and again and again.

Or does purchasing an album regardless of format equal buying the media and all the attendant fair-use rights such as space-shifting and archiving?

OMG! Ponies!

I hope that's a poor attempt at sarcasm, because Apple has never told you damn thing about what you can do with "your music".

Or is this one of those cleverly disguised "Apple is a Monopoly!!11!" comments?

His_Shadow

crash

firesign

UnnDunn

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

dame1234

Although it doesn't give you the option of where to put the files, it figured out automatically that I had iTunes, and where my path is, and put everything there. So it is easy enough to find and move the files if you have somewhere else you want them to go.

noamjamski

Allofmp3 wasn't even in the same league. They gave no portion of their profits to the artists. If you were going to use Allofmp3, you should have just been using torrents. At least that way you weren't paying someone else to rip folks off for you.

RalphWiggum

AlexNC

Either way, it is great to have a legal way to get my hands on digital media. Now, we just need to get the movie industry on board =(

AlexNC

ANoel

berribrand

justrick

Amazon crossed with itunes for the win.

brodie123

MrHellpop

fmccb

I hope.

jibbly

I don't have an ipod, and i dont want itunes, and out of simplicity i use windows media player for most of my stuff. computer geek that i am or not, im lazy and since most consumers are lazy or don't know how, they tend to stick to the basics or get all the random crap that kills their setup. for those that stick to the stability of the basics, i'd like to see a plug in for windows media player where if i'm fired up and listening to music, i could have a search bar on the right side or something that connects with amazon.

seems like it would be easy to make. type in your search string, hit enter, then in the built in browser within wmp show the site w/ amazon interface for picking out and purchasing stuff. then maybe have it query the wmp for default media storage places, and when downloaded auto add to library...

i dont know if itunes comes std on macs or not, but if i was a webbased company i'd focus on making my interfaces integrate well with the standards that everyone's used to. then make some crazy installer that will automatically download and install all of my interfaces, some spyware, and pron w/o consent. also have an icon on the desktop that can't be removed.

soldstatic

(eMusic all the way!)

Atomische

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

I buy CDs if I know the album is good. MP3 downloads are for one hit wonders.

jibbly

weatherman

glass

phoenixavatar2

phoenixavatar2

ClutchDude

satan gave me a taco

You've also got to be careful, because some albums available on Amazon in MP3 are only available on Wal-Mart's site in locked-down 128kbps WMA.

Good point, but one thing you didn't cover here is what the bit-rate of the DRM-free mp3s are. I saw some tracks recently on amazon that were 256 kbps and was disappointed they weren't 320 instead. Any chance walmart's one-upped them and provided 320's?

Keebler

satan gave me a taco

kibets

Apple is out of their mind for thinking they have a right to tell me what type of hardware I can play MY MUSIC on.

RalphWiggum

sdonham