Where do you buy your digital music?

No offense guys but if you BUY digital music your fucking retarded.

Oh the irony.

I pretty high right now but what do you mean? :dopey:

You sound like someone who sure knows alot about things and has very excessively strong opinions regarding metal! Please tell us more about your strong urges to post about the ISSUES THAT MATTER and then pretend like you were trolling the whole time!
 
Amazon MP3 is my first choice for digital downloads. I usually don't get music digitally unless it's an exclusive bonus track or it's an album that's literally not in print on CD anymore.
 
Hey kids... there's 30 other threads on this board dedicated to the topics of copyright law, the state of the music industry, the greed of the music industry, and the morality of downloading illegally. Can we keep this thread from becoming 31? Thank you much.

Yes let's just pretend the illegal downloading problem isn't part of this conversation - illegal vs legal : two sides of same coin

If we don't mention the problem then perhaps it'll go away all by itself ...
 
ITUNES primarily.
Amazon occasionally if they have a deal (Sometimes $5, or even 99 cents for a full length).

I had a subscription many years ago to eMusic, but the success of the download was always hit or miss.
Spent a LOT of time with Customer Service.
This was years ago though

There really isn't much elasticity yet with the pricing.
This is where the subscription places LIKE eMusic are most cost beneficial.

iTunes? Really????
iTunes is the VHS tape of the digital download world...Betamax was better but was not backed by the big studios. But we also all know what ended up happening to VHS, didn't we?

But then I prefer to buy vinyl...
When it comes to CD,s I have no problem with ripping them to my media pc and then playing everything I have through there. My 400 disc CD player has a use, as well as the turntable. But most of my music is on the pc. And I can manage the music anyway I want...something I cannot do with iTunes.

I would rather support the bands directly, then buy from guys like Lance, and then Amazon when I have no other choice. I avoid digital downloads.
 
legal vs illegal...
256 vs 320
mp3 vs flac vs aac

This is exactly the reason why I stay out of most conversations around here unless I'm feeling confrontational. We crucify each other for no other reason than to be right (with the exception of a few snobbish asshole regulars who just want to shit on the thread with their inane babble).

Zod, I wish you luck in your choices. There really is no good answer to this. I just go where the music I want is. If I want an album RIGHT NOW, I download it from the 1st place I go to, regardless of price (within reason, P.P board nazi's ;)).
I'd rather buy it on the physical format, but thats becoming more difficult all of the time.
 
Yes let's just pretend the illegal downloading problem isn't part of this conversation - illegal vs legal : two sides of same coin

If we don't mention the problem then perhaps it'll go away all by itself ...
Claus... you kind of missed the point of the my thread. This thread was intended to be about the best legal methods for downloading legal MP3s. Something I would think someone in your position would be in all in favor of. We've debated all the other issues around illegal downloads ad nauseam. If someone wants to revisit those discussions they can do so in any one of the other dozens of threads on the topic.

I'd rather buy it on the physical format, but thats becoming more difficult all of the time.
I hear ya. For me, it's becoming more about practicality. I only listen to MP3s, be it on my PC, at work, on my home stereo, in the car, the gym, etc. So, what's the point of the physical media at this point? I start with a MP3, buy the CD, delete the first MP3, create my own MP3 and file away the CD forever. I think what I may do is rip all my CDs to FLAC, and then simply keep buying CDs until someone like Apple, Google or Amazon makes FLAC available.
 
iTunes? Really????
iTunes is the VHS tape of the digital download world...Betamax was better but was not backed by the big studios. But we also all know what ended up happening to VHS, didn't we?

I'm not sure what you're saying. VHS is a completely different format from Betmax. ITunes vs Amazon is just a difference in retailer, but it's the exact same format (digital MP3). Not a good comparison



I would rather support the bands directly, then buy from guys like Lance, and then Amazon when I have no other choice. I avoid digital downloads.

Actually, when you buy digitally, the profit margin for the rights holder is higher.
 
...also, really? You've never heard of MS doing that? Because I worked in a call center with a division devoted to MS support and it happened literally all the time. Got a License code? They'll send you the install disks. Shit, even Dell/HP/Sony send you recovery media for your computers if you lose them. Adobe has an entire website dedicated to giving out their media.


That's all wrong. I'm sorry, but that's not true at all. I've had Dells for years and every time I've misplaced a disc and needed to re image or re format my machine, they basically said tough shit and told me to re purchase windows. These companies cover you only until a certain point and then the warranty expires. There is no way that Dell or Sony would EVER pay Microsoft a royalty to sell Windows (which is usually about $100) out of their own pocket and give it away for free. They will send a spare disc if you have a CODE yeah, but that's not the same thing.



Oh lawd no. You can use literally any Office CD for Mac and use the Activation code you're given. If you install it on the same machine 3 times, call up MS, explain the situation, they give you a new code.

Source: I do tech work. It's kind of my thing.

Except this isn't at all what I said. You're putting emphasis on the CD, which is easily replaceable and manufactured, as opposed to the software, which no software company would just give away for free. The CD isn't the point. An instal disc costs Microsoft pennies to manufacture in a cheap sleeve, but it costs around $6 to manufacture a music CD with full booklet, etc. Terrible comparison.
 
I prefer iTunes. It simplifies my life, easy to sync with my iPod and awesome with home sharing. If you have or are thinking about AppleTV, I suggest iTunes.

I recently started checking out Amazon as well. I have an Amazon credit card, and they reward you with money back on mp3 purchases and points.

Before I buy, I check the prices on both shops and decide that way.

When bands release limited edition CDs, I will usually buy that instead of the digital format.
 
I think what I may do is rip all my CDs to FLAC, and then simply keep buying CDs until someone like Apple, Google or Amazon makes FLAC available.

hmm...so what was the point of this thread then? Just to see how many people you could goad into going off-topic? :loco: Or was this thread the first time you learned that the major vendors don't distribute in FLAC format?

At the risk of going off-topic myself, what makes FLAC special to you? FLAC is just a container, and doesn't specify anything about the fidelity of the sound stored within it. It can easily be used to distribute music at 24-bits and 96kHz sampling rate, or 8-bits and 22kHz; is there a particular bit-depth and sampling rate that you would not accept? Or would any quality level be fine as long as it was FLAC?

Anyhow, I wouldn't hold your breath on FLAC. The push to cloud storage and streaming by the major vendors means that even if storage space is no longer an issue for us, it will still be an issue for them for a while. FLAC has been around for a long time, and if the big boys wanted to get involved, it seems like they would have a long time ago. And actually Apple has long had their own (now open-sourced) competing format, ALAC, which they've never put into use. And now there is this weird Neil Young high-resolution 24-bit/192kHz 'Pono' thing, which hopefully never gets off the ground, but if it does, that would seem to only prevent further coalescence around a non-lossy standard.
 
Terrible comparison.

No, you misinterpreted my original point about the media being replaced after you've purchased the software license. Somehow, you've managed to think that media = license. If you got the bullshitiest answer from Dell, well, lol @ you. I bought used Laptops and had replacement recovery cd's sent to me for no cost, as a normal consumer. Because the license had already been purchased for the machine. MS will give out 1000s Windows 7 CDs without License codes, because they're useless. They WON'T give you a free license code.

Anyhow, I wouldn't hold your breath on FLAC.

Isn't there some weird laws regarding mp3 as a container and the royalties paid for the people who created it or something along those lines?
 
I like eMusic. Just resubbed a couple months ago, it'll be my third time doing that.
The first time I dropped them because of some weak rips/low bitrate, but the unlimited downloads was nice, that was around '01
Had it for a couple months 2 years ago and was able to complete an artist catalog, but was having trouble finding stuff.
Same deal this time, but thanks to PP I'm looking at a lot more bands.
Plus it's kinda fun when emusic day rolls around, stick it on google calendar because the credits don't roll over.

Amazon is nice, amazing value if you catch the one day sales.
 
No, you misinterpreted my original point about the media being replaced after you've purchased the software license. Somehow, you've managed to think that media = license. If you got the bullshitiest answer from Dell, well, lol @ you. I bought used Laptops and had replacement recovery cd's sent to me for no cost, as a normal consumer. Because the license had already been purchased for the machine. MS will give out 1000s Windows 7 CDs without License codes, because they're useless. They WON'T give you a free license code.

"you've managed to think that media = license"

because that's what it is. When you "buy" media, you're not buying the media, but a license to use it. Ever heard of End Use License Agreements? They basically protect IP so that IP stays IP.

And once again, MS will give out CDs and I'm not surprised you got a replacement recovery CD sent to you, but you're missing the point. The point is that you were entitled to that software because your code was still valid. But once it becomes invalid (via after an expiration date, warranty expiry period, or using up all installs) they don't have to accommodate you with anything. So please, by all means, sidestep the point again and talk about how you get "free CDs" for valid access codes, which is not at all what I was talking about.

And as I've said previously, it's a terrible comparison to make with music because the business models are completely different. You don't have the right to download MP3s off of the Pirate Bay just because you bought the vinyl. Yeah, nothing's stopping you, but it's not an entitlement. The company isn't supposed to go "oh yeah, he bought the vinyl so he deserves to download those mp3s."
 
hmm...so what was the point of this thread then? Just to see how many people you could goad into going off-topic? :loco: Or was this thread the first time you learned that the major vendors don't distribute in FLAC format?

At the risk of going off-topic myself, what makes FLAC special to you? FLAC is just a container, and doesn't specify anything about the fidelity of the sound stored within it. It can easily be used to distribute music at 24-bits and 96kHz sampling rate, or 8-bits and 22kHz; is there a particular bit-depth and sampling rate that you would not accept? Or would any quality level be fine as long as it was FLAC?

Anyhow, I wouldn't hold your breath on FLAC. The push to cloud storage and streaming by the major vendors means that even if storage space is no longer an issue for us, it will still be an issue for them for a while. FLAC has been around for a long time, and if the big boys wanted to get involved, it seems like they would have a long time ago. And actually Apple has long had their own (now open-sourced) competing format, ALAC, which they've never put into use. And now there is this weird Neil Young high-resolution 24-bit/192kHz 'Pono' thing, which hopefully never gets off the ground, but if it does, that would seem to only prevent further coalescence around a non-lossy standard.

I used to be big on FLAC myself, but now I'm cool with 320kbps. You can tell the difference, but MP3s are far more convenient. If even the most astute audiophile truly cared about sound fidelity, he or she would listen to music on 2 inch tape, but no they buy the CD... because it's far more convenient.