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Buying MP3s?

#1



Jiarn

I'd like to support some of my favorite artists and buy some mp3s. Where would you all recommend best?

Itunes? Amazon?

I don't have a smartphone yet, but when I do, it'll be a DROID X. For now I use a Sansa Clip mp3 to take my music with me. Not sure how this info will help but I figure it might.

My biggest concern is how the re-downloading works when officially purchasing mp3s.


#2

Dave

Dave

Buy them from anywhere that remembers. Then if you have to repurchase you can either download from history or torrent them without guilt.


#3

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

Which means, don't use iTunes. If you buy from them, and lose the mp3, you have to buy it again.


#4



Jiarn

Really? I thought it had a remembered system.

What about Amazon?

Another reason I prefer to purchase mp3s, is the quality tends to be better 9/10 times than the downloaded ones.


#5

drifter

drifter

I don't think the Sansa Clip plays AAC files, which is the format you get from Itunes. If you can wait until you get your new Droid X (which does support AAC) that may not matter much.

Personally I like Amazon, but that's mostly because I dislike using Itunes. AAC is supposed to be higher quality than MP3, but they are both encoded at 256 kbps. That's a pretty high bitrate, so unless you're using $100+ headphones and have golden ears, you're probably not going to hear any difference in audio quality.

Amazon also does not allow re-downloading, same as Itunes. I think that's pretty standard with the large download sites. Some smaller sites allow re-downloading, but they're also more expensive.

Walmart actually has a music download site as well. I've never used it, but some of the single tracks are pretty cheap at $0.64. Might be a good place to stock up on older singles. Bitrate is either 256 or 192


#6

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

What are you talking about? Amazon allows redownloading. I've done it more than once after a hard drive crash.


#7



Jiarn

escushion said:
What are you talking about? Amazon allows redownloading. I've done it more than once after a hard drive crash.
Click to expand...
Does it? That would be the deal winner/breaker for me at this point.


#8

drifter

drifter

Well, I've never had to re-download any music from Amazon. I just checked the website regarding their policy, which states:

Can I download another copy of my MP3 files after the initial purchase?

Your Amazon MP3 Music purchases can only be downloaded once. After you have successfully downloaded the file to your computer at the time of purchase, we recommend that you create a backup copy.

We are currently unable to replace any purchased files that you delete or lose due to a system or disk error. If you encounter a problem with an MP3 file immediately after purchase, please click the Customer Service button in the Contact Us box in the right-hand column of this page so we can determine how to help you.
Click to expand...


#9

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

I went to my Downloader, and then to past Digital orders to see myself. I remember having to re-download the Wall-E soundtrack after one crash and it allowed me. There was a Download link next to the CD title.

It's gone now, and the Downloader seems to have shrunk. So... that kind of sucks; I'd really moved to Amazon because of re-downloading and never noticed they'd changed it. Or maybe something messed up when I re-downloaded the CD.

Yeah, that really sucks :/.


#10



Reboneer

If you buy from iTunes (as well as most digital music stores), the artist gets about 5-10c per 99c song, tops. If you actually want to support the artists, this isn't the way to do it.


#11

CynicismKills

CynicismKills

iTunes has a protection on songs that makes them unplayable in any program but iTunes, so I've stopped buying from them since I want to swap over to WinAmp as my music player.


#12



Dusty668

I went to anything but itunes, and use a second backup drive. I find the 5.00 album options in Amazon to be a good deal too.


#13

papachronos

laep

CynicismKills said:
iTunes has a protection on songs that makes them unplayable in any program but iTunes, so I've stopped buying from them since I want to swap over to WinAmp as my music player.
Click to expand...
I thought the iTunes store went DRM-free a while ago?


#14

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

CynicismKills said:
iTunes has a protection on songs that makes them unplayable in any program but iTunes, so I've stopped buying from them since I want to swap over to WinAmp as my music player.
Click to expand...
This is patently false. I can play my soundtrack to Young Frankenstien The Musical on any player, as it just comes out as normal MP3s.

As for re-downloads... most websites will give you a SINGLE redownload of any purchase you've bought if you've lost them in a crash. I really suggest you burn your music after you buy it.


#15

drifter

drifter

AshburnerX;428049][QUOTE=CynicismKills said:
iTunes has a protection on songs that makes them unplayable in any program but iTunes, so I've stopped buying from them since I want to swap over to WinAmp as my music player.
Click to expand...
This is patently false. I can play my soundtrack to Young Frankenstien The Musical on any player, as it just comes out as normal MP3s.[/QUOTE]

This is patently false ;)
Music bought through iTunes are AAC files, although nowadays the DRM is no longer included. Whether your player can handle that format is another matter.


#16

AshburnerX

AshburnerX

drifter;428102][QUOTE=AshburnerX;428049][QUOTE=CynicismKills said:
iTunes has a protection on songs that makes them unplayable in any program but iTunes, so I've stopped buying from them since I want to swap over to WinAmp as my music player.
Click to expand...
This is patently false. I can play my soundtrack to Young Frankenstien The Musical on any player, as it just comes out as normal MP3s.[/QUOTE]

This is patently false ;)
Music bought through iTunes are AAC files, although nowadays the DRM is no longer included. Whether your player can handle that format is another matter.[/QUOTE]

I think most audio players have updated to play AAC then or something. I'm listening to a soundtrack I downloaded from iTunes less than 4 months ago on Winamp, so clearly it works at least.


#17

GasBandit

GasBandit

Reboneer said:
If you buy from iTunes (as well as most digital music stores), the artist gets about 5-10c per 99c song, tops. If you actually want to support the artists, this isn't the way to do it.
Click to expand...
Pirate the MP3, send the band a few bucks in the mail.


#18

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

AshburnerX;428136][QUOTE=drifter;428102][QUOTE=AshburnerX;428049][QUOTE=CynicismKills said:
iTunes has a protection on songs that makes them unplayable in any program but iTunes, so I've stopped buying from them since I want to swap over to WinAmp as my music player.
Click to expand...
This is patently false. I can play my soundtrack to Young Frankenstien The Musical on any player, as it just comes out as normal MP3s.[/QUOTE]

This is patently false ;)
Music bought through iTunes are AAC files, although nowadays the DRM is no longer included. Whether your player can handle that format is another matter.[/QUOTE]

I think most audio players have updated to play AAC then or something. I'm listening to a soundtrack I downloaded from iTunes less than 4 months ago on Winamp, so clearly it works at least.[/QUOTE]

I just back up albums that I buy off iTunes on a CD and load them into my WinAmp. I've put about 2000 songs on my Sansa by lowering the bitrate, since I'm only listening to it from a portable cd player,higher bitrate doesn't do me much good.


#19

CynicismKills

CynicismKills

It went into effect sometime recently, I think, as I have some iTunes songs that play fine, but some that don't. I had looked it up at one time, but honestly I don't remember the details off the top of my head anymore.

Edit: Looked it up again, yeah it's AAC files or iTMS or something.


#20



Jiarn

I think my problem comes from not being able to pirate good quality mp3s.

I'd still like to buy the song for the support.

---------- Post added at 10:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------

I guess whoever neg repped me, completely missed the part that it's only done after I purchase a product as back-up.

Thanks though, for assuming.


#21



Element 117

you realize we neg rep people around here for no reason at all, right?


#22



Jiarn

I don't mind "fun" neg rep.

Giving a neg rep for a completely wrong reason though? That I'm gonna make mention of.


#23

Null

Null

I, uh, still buy CDs. I don't have a portable mp3 player.


#24

Null

Null

I don't use a portable CD player either. I have the stereo I got when I was 15, and the computer.

I don't know if my cellphone plays mp3s or not. I don't think so.


#25

Null

Null

When I'm on the road, I listen to whatever radio stations my car radio can receive (usually WZZO 95.1 FM). Otherwise, I do without.


#26

CynicismKills

CynicismKills

I can't remember the last time I used the radio. I have a huge stack of CD's both bought and burned, though, in my center console in my car.


#27



Element 117

.Amy. said:
you realize we neg rep people around here for no reason at all, right?
Click to expand...
To my darling anonymous who neg repped me for this: I love you soooo much. I'm still giggling. Thank you. :)


#28

Null

Null

CynicismKills said:
I can't remember the last time I used the radio. I have a huge stack of CD's both bought and burned, though, in my center console in my car.
Click to expand...
I don't have a CD player in my car. I wouldn't use it enough to be worth getting one either, honestly.


#29

LittleSin

LittleSin

Null;428431][QUOTE=CynicismKills said:
I can't remember the last time I used the radio. I have a huge stack of CD's both bought and burned, though, in my center console in my car.
Click to expand...
I don't have a CD player in my car. I wouldn't use it enough to be worth getting one either, honestly.[/QUOTE]

I don't know why b ut Im now picturing a grey car with a grey interior. You wearing a grey suit as you drive down a barren highway on a cloudy, sunless day. Your eyes gaze at the horizon, unblinking as you listen to people complain via talk radio shows.

I don't think this is how you actually are. This is just the picture that is inspired in my minds eye when I think of someone that has no use for a car CD player OR an MP3 player.


#30

Null

Null

It's tan, actually, but your idea made me laugh.

Truth is, I have no air conditioning in this car, so I ride with the windows down. That means that unless I blast the speakers, I'm not going to hear too much. In the winter, the heater needs to go way up, so again, too much air noise to be worth investing in a sound system. Hopefully the next car will have at least working AC and a CD player.


#31



Reboneer

Oh yeah, well I don't even have a car, I walk, uphill both ways!


#32

Baerdog

Baerdog

Null said:
It's tan, actually, but your idea made me laugh.

Truth is, I have no air conditioning in this car, so I ride with the windows down. That means that unless I blast the speakers, I'm not going to hear too much. In the winter, the heater needs to go way up, so again, too much air noise to be worth investing in a sound system. Hopefully the next car will have at least working AC and a CD player.
Click to expand...
I can't even fathom this kind of Hell.


#33

GasBandit

GasBandit

My legs were hacked off and poorly healed with dirty bandages, so I have to lie on my belly and drag my infected, bleeding stumps up a hot sidewalk and across a six lane intersection every day to get to work... and back.


#34

Baerdog

Baerdog

So you probably don't enjoy playing Frogger that much do you?


#35

GasBandit

GasBandit

Baerdog said:
So you probably don't enjoy playing Frogger that much do you?
Click to expand...
I don't need to play it. I live it. Kinda like if you were to ask a WW2 veteran if he felt he needed to watch the opening 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan.


#36

Null

Null

Baerdog;429009][QUOTE=Null said:
It's tan, actually, but your idea made me laugh.

Truth is, I have no air conditioning in this car, so I ride with the windows down. That means that unless I blast the speakers, I'm not going to hear too much. In the winter, the heater needs to go way up, so again, too much air noise to be worth investing in a sound system. Hopefully the next car will have at least working AC and a CD player.
Click to expand...
I can't even fathom this kind of Hell.[/QUOTE]

You get used to it, but driving with all the windows down is a necessity.

As for buying mp3s (which I have done, to listen to on my PC) I usually go through Amazon.com. I avoid iTunes.


#37

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

.Amy.;428397][QUOTE=.Amy. said:
you realize we neg rep people around here for no reason at all, right?
Click to expand...
To my darling anonymous who neg repped me for this: I love you soooo much. I'm still giggling. Thank you. :)[/QUOTE]

Having read the comment, whoever did that is a dumbass, because even though not everyone thinks like you, there are MANY people here who neg rep for the hell of it. It has nothing to do with Amy.




Dumbass.


#38

Baerdog

Baerdog

Null;429124][QUOTE=Baerdog;429009][QUOTE=Null said:
It's tan, actually, but your idea made me laugh.

Truth is, I have no air conditioning in this car, so I ride with the windows down. That means that unless I blast the speakers, I'm not going to hear too much. In the winter, the heater needs to go way up, so again, too much air noise to be worth investing in a sound system. Hopefully the next car will have at least working AC and a CD player.
Click to expand...
I can't even fathom this kind of Hell.[/QUOTE]

You get used to it, but driving with all the windows down is a necessity.

As for buying mp3s (which I have done, to listen to on my PC) I usually go through Amazon.com. I avoid iTunes.[/QUOTE]
No. Nononono. Where I live AC is not an option in your car, it is standard. Windows down does not cut it when its 110 out in the summer. That's why I can't fathom not having AC.


#39

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

Thread: Buying MP3s?

WHOOOSH
Click to expand...
You're a dumbass.


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