Amazon Launches 'AutoRip', Offering Free Digital Versions of Purchased CDs

MacRumors · Jan 10, 2013, 09:02 AM

Seeking to enhance its profile among music buyers, Amazon today announced the launch of AutoRip, a new service that offers customers who purchase physical CDs through Amazon free digital copies of their purchases through Amazon Cloud Player. The service is also retroactive, meaning that customers who bought any of the thousands of eligible CDs through Amazon since 1998 will automatically find digital versions of their past purchases in Cloud Player.

Quote:

When customers purchase AutoRip CDs, the MP3 versions are automatically added to their Cloud Player libraries, where they are available, free of charge, for immediate playback or download - no more waiting for the CD to arrive. Additionally, customers who have purchased AutoRip CDs at any time since Amazon first opened its Music Store in 1998 will find MP3 versions of those albums in their Cloud Player libraries - also automatically and for free. More than 50,000 albums, including titles from every major record label, are available for AutoRip, and more titles are added all the time - customers can just look for the AutoRip logo.

AutoRip tracks are encoded as 256 Kbps MP3 files and are playable on a wide variety of devices including the iPhone and iPod touch, and can also be accessed through any web browser. AutoRip tracks do not count toward users' storage limits for the Cloud Player service.

Amazon has been working for years to eat into Apple's dominant share of the digital music market, offering discounted prices and matching or exceeding Apple's features such as iTunes Match with its own offerings. With the new AutoRip service, Amazon clearly hopes to attract many longtime customers who have purchased physical CDs from the company by offering free digital versions to introduce them to Cloud Player.

Article Link: Amazon Launches 'AutoRip', Offering Free Digital Versions of Purchased CDs

Joe-Diver · Jan 10, 2013, 09:04 AM

Free digital copies should be included with every type of media purchase. It's not hard at all to rip a CD to your iTunes library, cloud or whatever...but inclusion of the digital copy is a nice touch. Like buying a DVD of your favorite movie that includes a digital copy. It's usually better done than something you may do yourself, such as a backup archival via Handbrake or something.

paulskinner · Jan 10, 2013, 09:05 AM

Can't argue with free stuff years after you've paid for something...

DaveN · Jan 10, 2013, 09:05 AM

People still by CDs?

frayne182 · Jan 10, 2013, 09:06 AM

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

I guess this makes it slightly easier.

Whatever... People still buy music?

iMacFarlane · Jan 10, 2013, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

For those people with rMBPs or new iMacs, pretty hard.

AppleMark · Jan 10, 2013, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

I guess this makes it slightly easier.

Whatever... People still buy music?

It makes it a whole lot easier... I suspect it will be getting a lot harder for all us Mac users in the near future...

LOL

Nightarchaon · Jan 10, 2013, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

really hard if you own a modern mac, they have no where to put the CD to rip it.

Nebulance · Jan 10, 2013, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

I guess this makes it slightly easier.

Whatever... People still buy music?

Well this addresses the issue with new MacBooks where there is no CD drive anymore. This was a big concern of mine, considering I still buy music in physical form. At least vinyl usually comes with a download, but CDs obviously don't. This move by Amazon certainly helps.

groovetech · Jan 10, 2013, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

I guess this makes it slightly easier.

Whatever... People still buy music?

I was buying physical CD's long before iTunes (it was called Soundjam back then), or even listening to music on a computer was very common. Pre-iPod era. For people like me with boxes of unripped cd's this is great! My vinyl collection is still going to be a pain in the ass though.

coolfactor · Jan 10, 2013, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

Whatever... People still buy music?

So you steal music, do you?

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemaslov

It's too bad most people like that MP3 crappy sounding music files. What a waste of great music. Lossless or beyond is the only way to go for me. The sound quality of music has eroded for many. Too bad.

What are your thoughts on AAC vs. MP3. Do you feel there is a difference? That iTunes song files at 256kpbs are better than Amazon's MP3s at 256kpbs? (they are, but just wondering about your thoughts)

----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemaslov

I buy several hundred per year and have about 7000. I love the better quality than downloads and I can load in an any computer I want and have artwork. Works for me but I get those who don't.

Not any computer... hahahaha

FrankieTDouglas · Jan 10, 2013, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

Considering I use an Air... it's incredibly hard.

Jetson · Jan 17, 2013, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne182

how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol.

I guess this makes it slightly easier.

Whatever... People still buy music?

Well if you bought a new iMac it is IMPOSSIBLE

Unless you also purchase a CD/DVD device to supplement your "all-in-one' iMac

paulskinner · Jan 10, 2013, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveN

People still by CDs?

People still post this comment at every available opportunity?

balamw · Jan 10, 2013, 09:08 AM

Over the years I've bought far more than 14 CDs from Amazon, but that's what I got from AutoRip today. It's a great path for the luddites among us.

Thanks Amazon!

B

HarryKNN21 · Jan 10, 2013, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveN

People still by CDs?

Have you thrown away your computer and use iPad instead?

ctdonath · Jan 10, 2013, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryKNN21

Have you thrown away your computer and use iPad instead?

I'm getting there. Don't use a PC at home (it was relegated to legacy stuff and iTunes tethering, but just occurred to me I never tethered my latest iPad nor iPhone, and don't use the older ones any more); am this ->||<- close to chucking the 8+ year old dying midget. Use a Mac at work, but mostly because of "there shalt not be any software development for iOS done on iOS."

OllyW · Jan 10, 2013, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveN

People still by CDs?

Albums yes, singles no.

Only 30% of albums sold in the UK are digital but digital accounts for 97% of singles sold.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013...sales-1bn-2012

newagemac · Jan 10, 2013, 09:38 AM

Wow amazon is still using the old and somewhat outdated MP3 format. Get with the times, Amazon. MP4 based AAC has been available for a long time now. If Apple can do it, so can you.

convergent · Jan 10, 2013, 09:55 AM

What I'd like to see is "auto rip" books. I've moved on from physical media with music, but would like to still have actual books, but be able to have a Kindle/PDF version as well. They actually charge more for the Kindle version than the physical book in some cases which makes no sense, let alone requiring you to pay full price for both.

ALMF · Jan 10, 2013, 10:27 AM

i like this

its much like buying vinyl these days. many vinyl records come with a digital copy so there is no need to open the package and damage the vinyl if you are a collector.

this will also make the switch from physical formats to digital much easier for those who still have not addopted the new ways for this type of content.

Joe-Diver · Jan 10, 2013, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OllyW

Albums yes, singles no.

Only 30% of albums sold in the UK are digital but digital accounts for 97% of singles sold.

How else can you get singles? I haven't bought a 45 since 1979.

fr33 loader · Jan 10, 2013, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveN

People still by CDs?

People whine for the sake of whining.

This is a nice free surprise from Amazon post Christmas.

nrose101 · Jan 10, 2013, 09:43 AM

NICE AMAZON >> We've added 36 songs from AutoRip CD purchases for free

Risco · Jan 10, 2013, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveN

People still by CDs?

Was there a cloud player in 1998? Next time instead of posting comments like that, engage your brain and pause for thought before you post.

Quote:

Additionally, customers who have purchased AutoRip CDs at any time since Amazon first opened its Music Store in 1998 will find MP3 versions of those albums in their Cloud Player libraries

Jan 10, 2013, 09:04 AM	#2
Joe-Diver macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2009	Free digital copies should be included with every type of media purchase. It's not hard at all to rip a CD to your iTunes library, cloud or whatever...but inclusion of the digital copy is a nice touch. Like buying a DVD of your favorite movie that includes a digital copy. It's usually better done than something you may do yourself, such as a backup archival via Handbrake or something. __________________ 24" iMac Aluminum; 17" uMBP (mid 09); 32Gb iPhone4;16Gb iPod Nano 6g Green; 2Gb iPod Shuffle 2g; ATv2
	19

Jan 10, 2013, 09:05 AM	#3
paulskinner macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: London, England	Can't argue with free stuff years after you've paid for something... __________________ Putting the Ale in E-mail.
	14

Jan 10, 2013, 09:06 AM	#5
frayne182 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Canada	how is it hard to put in a CD and just rip it manually? lol. I guess this makes it slightly easier. Whatever... People still buy music? __________________ Custom Gaming PC ; Google Nexus 7 ; iPhone4 ; iPhone5
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 09:08 AM	#15
balamw Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New England, USA	Over the years I've bought far more than 14 CDs from Amazon, but that's what I got from AutoRip today. It's a great path for the luddites among us. Thanks Amazon! B __________________ MBA (13" 1.7 GHz 128GB), UMBP (15" SD 2.8 GHz), UMB (13" 2.4 GHz), iMac (17" Yonah), 32GB iPad 3 WiFi+LTE, 64 GB iPad WiFi, 32 GB iPhone 5, Airport Extreme
	2

Jan 10, 2013, 09:55 AM	#20
convergent macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC	What I'd like to see is "auto rip" books. I've moved on from physical media with music, but would like to still have actual books, but be able to have a Kindle/PDF version as well. They actually charge more for the Kindle version than the physical book in some cases which makes no sense, let alone requiring you to pay full price for both. __________________ 13" MacBook Air (Mid 2011) - 1.8Ghz, 4G RAM, 250G SSD, w/ 27" TB Display, Bluetooth Keyboard, Magic Trackpad iPad Mini - 16G, Wifi, Black, iPhone 4s - 32G, Black Apple TV 2 w/Firecore
	5

Jan 10, 2013, 09:05 AM	#4
DaveN macrumors regular Join Date: May 2010	People still by CDs?
	12

Jan 10, 2013, 09:38 AM	#19
newagemac macrumors 68000 Join Date: Mar 2010	Wow amazon is still using the old and somewhat outdated MP3 format. Get with the times, Amazon. MP4 based AAC has been available for a long time now. If Apple can do it, so can you.
	2

Jan 10, 2013, 10:27 AM	#21
ALMF macrumors regular Join Date: Jun 2012	i like this its much like buying vinyl these days. many vinyl records come with a digital copy so there is no need to open the package and damage the vinyl if you are a collector. this will also make the switch from physical formats to digital much easier for those who still have not addopted the new ways for this type of content. __________________ iPhone 4 (used as iPod now), iPhone 5, iPad mini
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 09:43 AM	#24
nrose101 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Delray Beach, FL	NICE AMAZON >> We've added 36 songs from AutoRip CD purchases for free __________________ Never Miss A New Release! Countdown with Movie Clock for iPhone. http://flck.it/clock
	0

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