Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Forum => Topic started by: milatchi on October 16, 2003, 05:19:49 pm
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In case you haven't heard iTunes for the PC is now
available iTunes Download (http://akamaidownload.apple.com/530x3824/akform.html). Now, thanks to Apple you can organize your music to the point of anal retentive precision with artwork and smart playlists. This is the best music program I have ever used. It's better than musicmatch, WiMP, or WinAmp. iTunes also includes a free built in encoder for AAC (MPEG-4), AIFF, MP3, and WAV not to mention the iTunes music store (U.S.) with close to half a million tracks at the flat rate of 0.99 cents.
Other features:
Easy ID3 Tag Editing (for music)
Visualization (sound scope type thing)
Built in DVD archiving of music library
Easily set gap between tracks when burning to cd
Built in adjustable equalizer (for optimal listening)
Sound check (adjust all mp3's to same volume despite bit rate)
VBR & CBR encoding
and it's a great Jukebox!
iTunes Download (http://akamaidownload.apple.com/530x3824/akform.html)
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Dang, beat me to it!
I've been playing with iTunes all day. Best media player I ever used. And the selection of tracks available to buy is pretty good as well. Apple has a winner. Now to buy an iPod.
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running in the background here ;D
got it yesterday and first impressions are very good ineed. All I need in one efficiently organized program...
peter
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Since it's not clear to me by looking over the site.
Can I purchase and download MP3s, and play them on a player other than the itunes app? I assume I have to use their app to shop and download?
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As a media player: not bad. not necessary for me, but maybe after playing with it some more I may use it as the default player/organizer. I'll have to see how it reacts to having the files worked on by other programs....library-type databases in other programs (as if Rioport didn't suck enough, this is what killed it for me) would get royally screwed by using external editors (like Tag&Rename).
As a download service...a step in the right direction, but I have not seen clear answers on DRM issues, and I still have issues with the price. Several albums I looked for were not available at an album price, you had to buy each song individually...adding up to more than the CD would cost. Second, even at the $10 point it's too much. This is not CD quality music, so it should not cost what I can find the CD for. Period. I don't mind buying less-than-CD-quality music, but I want less-than-CD-prices for it. If it adds a DRM hassle on top of that, I won't be spending money on it.
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Can I purchase and download MP3s, and play them on a player other than the itunes app? I assume I have to use their app to shop and download?
If you purchase music through the iTunes store, the file is Dolby AAC. This format is not used often in other media players because you have to pay for the AAC license and the Dolby AAC license.
You can however, burn them to a disc and then encode them to whatever format you want.
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As a download service...a step in the right direction, but I have not seen clear answers on DRM issues, and I still have issues with the price. Several albums I looked for were not available at an album price, you had to buy each song individually...adding up to more than the CD would cost. Second, even at the $10 point it's too much. This is not CD quality music, so it should not cost what I can find the CD for. Period. I don't mind buying less-than-CD-quality music, but I want less-than-CD-prices for it. If it adds a DRM hassle on top of that, I won't be spending money on it.
What are your DRM questions? Apple's DRM is the best DRM there is really. You own the music, you don't "rent" it. You can copy any songs you purchase on up to 3 other computers. You can put purchased songs on an unlimited number of iPods. You can burn the same playlist to CD 10 times, the same song to as many different playlists as you want.
Basically, unless you're a pirate, you'll never notice the DRM at all.
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Personally, I love that 99 cents per song price. I have plenty of full albums but most only have a couple of good songs and the rest of the songs are just garbage filler that the artist came up with to fill up the CD. I can't even count how many times I would have bought the whole album but didn't want to pay $12 - $15 just to get one good song I liked.
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What are your DRM questions? Apple's DRM is the best DRM there is really. You own the music, you don't "rent" it. You can copy any songs you purchase on up to 3 other computers. You can put purchased songs on an unlimited number of iPods. You can burn the same playlist to CD 10 times, the same song to as many different playlists as you want.
Basically, unless you're a pirate, you'll never notice the DRM at all.
Unless you use more than 3 computers....2 at home, a tablet that goes everywhere (and works as the car jukebox), and 2 more at work. I don't have an iPod, just an older Rio 500 that doesn't work on DRM files. Anytime I have purchased music online, I have run into problems because of this...so I end up turning the files to an audio disc, and then re-ripping them as non-DRM mp3. For that hassle and that price, I end up better off just finding the CD and ripping it. The whole point of online music is that it's supposed to be easier and more flexible, which DRM does not allow.
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The whole point of online music is that it's supposed to be easier and more flexible, which DRM does not allow.
Blame the RIAA. There won't be a better DRM implimentation than what Apple is offering, most are quite a bit more restrictive. If it was up to Apple they would have no restrictions at all, but if they did that, they wouldn't have a music store since the big lables wouldn't sign on without DRM.
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The Mac version is better too :) Just wanted to say that.
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What's up with iTunes and fast user switching? If I'm logged in and have iTunes running and my wife logs into her XP account I have to switch back to my user and close iTunes in order for her to open it and use it while she's logged in. Musicmatch doesn't suffer from this problem, but from what I've seen I'm really considering switching to iTunes and ditching Musicmatch.
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Maybe the PC version isn't the newer iTunes to come with Jaguar. Jaguar is going to implement switching users.
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btw, Apple is being sued for the itunes. Someone in the music industry had a apple as their sig (cant remember which)... but they sued apple a LONG time ago.. And won....
They paid out an amount of cash... and aloud them to keep the apple as long as they didn't get into the music industry...
Well...
They started with itones... And I hear they are going to loose the lawsuit. As they signed their rights away in the music industry.. And selling music...is...well...music
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<i>btw, Apple is being sued for the itunes. Someone in the music industry had a apple as their sig (cant remember which)... but they sued apple a LONG time ago.. And won.... </i>
Uhh, that'd be Apple Records.. They belong to that obscure band, the Beatles.... :)
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the who?
Never heard of them...
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<i>btw, Apple is being sued for the itunes. Someone in the music industry had a apple as their sig (cant remember which)... but they sued apple a LONG time ago.. And won.... </i>
Uhh, that'd be Apple Records.. They belong to that obscure band, the Beatles.... :)
So does that mean Michael Jackson now owns Apple Records? :D
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I just read the same guy who cracked the DVD encryption system has cracked Apple's DRM.
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Apples DRM is easily crackable. You do not even need hacker tools! Here is the procedure:
You need the following:
1) One or more DRM protected AAC Files on a computer that they are licensed to be used on.
2) A Blank CD-R
3) iTunes Software
4) MusicMatch or any program that can rip WAV files from CD.
The procedure:
1) If you haven't already, buy some songs from the iTunes Music Store.
2) Burn them to Audio CD
3) Rip back as a WAV (no quality loss) or MP3 (some quality loss) using MusicMatch or other file.
The rip-backed files can be played on non-iPod players, moved to other computers unlimited times, and even shared over KaZaa or Limewire.
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Ripping for your own personal use is one thing. Sharing over Kazaa or Limewire of course would be patently illegal and subject you to fines and possible prosecution.
Apples DRM is easily crackable. You do not even need hacker tools! Here is the procedure:
You need the following:
1) One or more DRM protected AAC Files on a computer that they are licensed to be used on.
2) A Blank CD-R
3) iTunes Software
4) MusicMatch or any program that can rip WAV files from CD.
The procedure:
1) If you haven't already, buy some songs from the iTunes Music Store.
2) Burn them to Audio CD
3) Rip back as a WAV (no quality loss) or MP3 (some quality loss) using MusicMatch or other file.
The rip-backed files can be played on non-iPod players, moved to other computers unlimited times, and even shared over KaZaa or Limewire.