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iTunes and mp3

I've been hearing a lot about iTunes recently so I decided to check it out. I have an mp3 player (not an iPod) so it was important to me to be able to download the music I buy in mp3 format. The iTunes download page had this statement:

“iTunes encodes high-quality MP3s as well as pristine AAC, all in a free application.“

Based on this I decided to give it a go. So I downloaded iTunes and purchased one song then I discovered that while iTunes player supports mp3, you cannot save songs you buy from iTunes.com as mp3 (I'm guessing because they have no way to enforce the usage license). I really like the iTune player's UI but the inability to save to mp3 is a showstopper for me. I do however understand that music vendors do need some format with digital rights management capabilities (e.g. WMA) so looks like mp3-only players are headed for obsolescence. Time to find out whether my mp3 player supports WMA then go buy music from some other online retailer.

Published Monday, November 24, 2003 8:08 PM by yassers

Comments

# re: iTunes and mp3

You can burn your iTunes.com music to CD, then import them in MP3 format with iTunes. Kind of a work around, but when you have more than 3 machines like I do, it's nice to play the music where ever you want and it should work for your MP3 player.
Monday, November 24, 2003 8:17 PM by Jeff Julian

# re: iTunes and mp3

I like some of the rights that come with iTunes, like the unlimited burning... but... I would hate having to do a workaround like that just so I could use them on my tiny portable. Don't get me wrong, I love iPods, but I won't cough up $500 to get one so I can pay a grand total of $10500 to fill it with legal music. I can't even find 10 songs I like anymore.
Monday, November 24, 2003 8:43 PM by Josh Baltzell

# Who can afford to use an iPod 40GB model legally?

Monday, November 24, 2003 11:51 PM by ShortDomainName.com

# re: iTunes and mp3

Once again apple does the "think different" ...

Hmmm build stuff for kids in school.....
--- then the kids parents go buy PC's and the schools stop buying the Apple's
Hmmm Mac's are great for the artist....
but they used thier own hardware that was only from apple and a few vendors, then Intel make hight speed PC's a cheap comodity and the graphics programs are faster on a PC --- lost that fight.

next -- Make the OS use BSD -- Ok thats a good one.....

sell iPods and iTunes
great for the loyal Mac users.....
but what about the millions of other audio players?
Apple says: "Think Different, switch to apple"
Yea right.... so how many real follks dumped thier 2-3 Ghz P4 systems for a 1Ghz or less mac?

how many folks with brand x mp3 player they have alreaday paid for are going to swap??

All Apple had to do was offer save as MP3 and live with it....

since they let you burn a CD they are not providing any DRM.....
any claim they make that says other wize is crap..... if they realy had to protect the songs they would have made cd-burning hard to do and made saving to cd as aac files the only option.

so as music becomes an online comodity what will hapen I think is we will wind up with 2 formats: wma and aac
why: the record labels will only play when they feel safe.
and they think that MP3 is the root of all evil.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003 6:48 AM by denny

# re: iTunes and mp3

Google for MyTunes. There's also an article on Slashdot.org today about a DRM hack for iTunes. It's not as hard as you think to get your MP3s.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003 8:26 AM by Someone

# re: iTunes and mp3

I use the Nomad - supports MP3 and WMA. I have the 30GB version they go up to 60GB. I have 51 of my own CDs ripped on it, plus downloads from places like buymusic.com. I am very happy with it, and no proprietary formats!
Wednesday, December 03, 2003 10:52 AM by Don Awalt

# re: iTunes and mp3

They do the MP3 thing to appease the record labels. It's not gonna fly with record execs without a little DRM. I'm actually surprised Apple got away with what they've done.
Saturday, December 13, 2003 4:57 PM by homerjay

# re: iTunes and mp3

So I go and buy all this music from Apple, works great on desktop, but then I buy my wife a Rio Chiba and I can't transfer the music I bought from Apple to the Rio? What a rip off. And, on my OSX, the protected files stay proitected files even when I burn a disk, and try to import them back in as MP3s. They stay AAC. Do I return my computer or the Rio?
Tuesday, December 30, 2003 8:07 AM by Chas

# RE: Who can afford to use an iPod 40GB model legally?

If you drink lots & lots of Pepsi products that have the 1 in 3 chance of getting a free iTune you might be able to fill up 40GB.

But I am sure theres a medical side effect(s) to that much, pop, soda of whatever.
Tuesday, March 02, 2004 7:42 PM by ShutterDoug

# re: iTunes and mp3

http://www.nbsanxi.com/
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# re: iTunes and mp3

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Friday, May 07, 2004 10:02 PM by qq,qq,qq

# let it burn

play it
Tuesday, May 11, 2004 4:56 AM by usher

# re: iTunes and mp3

http://www.friendlybiz.com
Friday, May 28, 2004 7:41 PM by friendly trade

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