The New iTunes Downgrade!

[chibianh]

Anyone check their software update? apparently, there's iTunes 4.0.1. How long has it been there? Is it new or am I just behind?

"iTunes is the only software you'll ever need to build & manage your music collection on your Mac.

iTunes 4 features superior sound quality including support for MPEG-4 AAC audio. iTunes 4.0.1 includes a number of performance and network access enhancements, and only allows music sharing between computers using iTunes 4.0.1 or later on a local network (in the same subnet). If you have an Apple SuperDrive, you can archive your song files to a DVD disc as well as burn playlists to standard audio CDs to play in your car or home stereo."

So much for streaming over the net. It just takes a few bad apples to ruin it for the rest. Oh well.

[jpolk]

You are correct, sir. There is a new (4.0.1) iTunes available. I don't think the only allows sharing bit is an anti-pirating thing... it is just that it is not backward-compatible.

[dynamicd]

Originally posted by jpolk
You are correct, sir. There is a new (4.0.1) iTunes available. I don't think the only allows sharing bit is an anti-pirating thing... it is just that it is not backward-compatible.

You're correct about the backward-compatible thing. I already did sharing with a friend of mine.

[FelixDerKater]

"Network access enhancements"

[Chad4Mac]

Still didn't put my song titles back...still have blanks randomly throughout my Library

Chad4Mac

[MrMacMan]

Boo!

I'm really pissed, how why the hell did they take sharing out of iTunes 4.0.1, god damn, they could have stopped Downloading, instill they do this, god apple you are making me Really pissed!

Geez, its not hard for apple to add an anti-piracy feature and not stop sharing TOTALLY!

I reverted, apple, don't make this STUPID move!

for more info

God, Stay with 4.0 ! No more Shaft For me!

edit: even SLASHDOT has a story there

[zigi]

The sound quality seems much higher, no more fading and volume fluctuations.

[zigi]

Originally posted by dynamicd
You're correct about the backward-compatible thing. I already did sharing with a friend of mine.

As far as I can see there is no more 'Connect to Shared Music...' Apple-K. I'm not talking about a stream, I mean direct access to the playlists.

[G4scott]

I think Apple had a choice of either getting rid of the sharing and keeping the Music Store, or getting rid of the Music Store and getting rid of the sharing...

You can guess which one Apple did...

[jayb2000]

If you connect to your mac via VPN, wouldn't that be considered the same subnet?
So, assuming there is no firewall blocking VPN traffic, anyone with 2 macs should still be able to listen.

But, the not being able to share across the internet does stink.

[MrMacMan]

Okay, Mr. Wonderful mod, why, why-o-why did you attach my thread to this?

I saw this, I wanted to have a separate discussion, in the way I prefered it to be.

Next time, atleast edit my post so I can PM you.

[arn]

I see this is a necessary evil.

It'd be nice if things could be streamed across the web... but Apple has to keep the record companies happy. Especially if they want to expand this to Windows. As I understand it - it is NOT a given that the record companies are on board with an iTunes for Windows.

This should make them happier.

arn

[psxndc]

Originally posted by zigi
The sound quality seems much higher, no more fading and volume fluctuations.

Was this volume fluctuations between songs or during a single song? I hear it on mine but I thought I was crazy or it was a bad master (since the most notable was not a "Big 5" release, but was instead by a local band)

-p

[MrMacMan]

Originally posted by arn
I see this is a necessary evil.

It'd be nice if things could be streamed across the web... but Apple has to keep the record companies happy. Especially if they want to expand this to Windows. As I understand it - it is NOT a given that the record companies are on board with an iTunes for Windows.

This should make them happier.

arn

Well, not the users, one bit.

If apple wanted to keep the damned record company's happy they could just join the suit against all of the 'evil' P2P users and groups.

This is utter BS.
They could have stoped the downloading, they could have sued the devolpers for making the apps, but no, apple pulls the whole plug.

Its like a doctor saying they only need to cut a toe nail and the mother says it is just better to cut off the toe.

Gimme a break!

[P-Worm]

I went for it. iTunes 4 seemed to have some bugs in it with the window getting all screwed up and stuff. I'm hoping that this is cleared up. If not, that's ok too. Apple is trying to put an end to piracy and if that means backtracking so be it. After the iTunes Music Store came out, I have gone strictly legal and I feel great about it.

P-Worm

[arn]

Originally posted by MrMacman

This is utter BS.
They could have stoped the downloading, they could have sued the devolpers for making the apps, but no, apple pulls the whole plug.

I disagree... there really isn't any legal reason for Apple to sue the developers.

I'd rather have record companies happy with Apple then not.

It's not like music sharing is now impossible. iTunes Music sharing will likely reappear as a 3rd party app. There is a distinct difference between Apple suppling the means and another developer supplying the means.

arn

[Stelliform]

This is another example of why Apple has been the test bed for this software. The streaming was being abused, now Apple will kill it.

Apple will be able to kill iTunes 4.0 quite effectively in a few months, but on the PC side it would be far more difficult. (i.e. gnutella) Apple can even add a manditory iTunes update in the next OS X release. You don't have that option in Windows.

The streaming over the internet has always bothered me though. It seemed like too much power after all of the record industries timidness. Could it be possible that it was put in deliberately so that the music industry could see how effectively features could be removed? I bet the Music Industry will be watching in fascination of how effectively Apple kills the internet streaming.

Just my two cents...

[gelbin]

it is really too bad.
the problem though is that people will find ways to copy music from other folks if you can share. i mean, without thinking twice, you could stream to your friend, who is using something like audiohijack and they coudl grab your music -
i mean, that is just too easy. This is purely to please the music companies, which is understandable given their necessary support for the success of apple's music venture.

however, the shortsightedness lies in the fact that people who are gonna use audio hijack or some other crack to get music (acquisition, etc) - so what is it really solving.

Personally, i am opposed to downloading music. But i really liked the sharing ability from itunes, cause i could share a new song or album with my brothers or vice versa and it may make me want to buy it or grab it from the music store. plus, technologically, it was just a cool thing to do.

It really is a shame that some of the cooler things of technology can't be used due to people being too durn cheap to pay for music. And, don't go on about how the music business gets all the money these days, that is crap. Music is so accessible now....people can record studio quality stuff in their living rooms (i am doing vocals tonight) and put cds out themselves and sell them on the web (www.gelbin.org/dodge.html) or find a smaller label with some distribution if they don't want the big corporate hoopla...

anyway...i digress...

[Makosuke]

Obviously, this is already making people angry, but it doesn't surprise me, and I'm not really upset about it, since I was surprised they allowed such loose sharing to begin with. Still works fine if you're sharing at home, after all.

I do agree that it'd have been nice had they only tried to plug the file copying hole, but the unfortunate fact is that just wouldnt've made the big, stupid record companies happy. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming into Internet radio (and half killed it with stupid licencing rules in the process), so letting Apple get away with this was highly unlikely.

Do you really think Steve said "Let's piss off thousands of users by changing something popular that works great." unless there was a nasty letter threatening multi-million dollar suits and killing the iTMS on his desk? I'd bet money not, and I'd bet even more money that it took the record companies about a minute and a half to get their lawyers cranking after they found out people could "broadcast" music to anyone. Don't blame Apple--blame the RIAA.

Just be thankful that the Great And Benevolent Recording Industry deigned to let you strem music to somebody else in your dorm or office.

Now for the good news: It looks like 4.0.1 fixed the funky volume/muffled music problems that everyone was complaining about. Now that's more like it.

[The Ancients]

Originally posted by jayb2000
If you connect to your mac via VPN, wouldn't that be considered the same subnet?
So, assuming there is no firewall blocking VPN traffic, anyone with 2 macs should still be able to listen.

But, the not being able to share across the internet does stink.

Correct. You can also use SSH port forwarding, or a more absolute way is to use Apache to serve them up via http.

[Mr.Hey]

Mp3 Shushi

Product Description: MP3 Sushi is a set of two applications: MP3 Sushi Server and MP3 Buddies

MP3 Sushi Server allows you to turn your Mac into a Jukebox or a Radio broadcast station in a few clicks. It's a cool way to share and stream and share your music among a local network or the Internet.
Thanks to the Rendezvous technology (aka ZeroConf), MP3 Buddies makes it easy to find every Jukebox and Radio servers on your local network. Once MP3 Buddies is launched on a user computer, a list of servers is displayed and in just one click the user can browse the Jukebox songs in his favorite navigator or listen to the Radio in iTunes.

[zigi]

Originally posted by psxndc
Was this volume fluctuations between songs or during a single song? I hear it on mine but I thought I was crazy or it was a bad master (since the most notable was not a "Big 5" release, but was instead by a local band)

-p

Nah, I'm listening to AAC's that I've ripped from my CD's. A noticable song was Cochise by Audioslave, after the intro when the guitar kicks in, the volume used to be pulled back by iTunes but it doesn't anymore.

[reyesmac]

If Apple changes features like this to please the record companies now, imagine what will happen when iTunes comes out for Windows and people start hacking it. They are already going to be pretty busy getting people to stop copying the look of iTunes, now they have to make sure they don't make sharing easy. I doubt the Windows version will have all the features the Mac version has. It might just be quicktime with a playlist and built in browser.

[Mosco]

Originally posted by MrMacman

This is utter BS.
They could have stoped the downloading, they could have sued the devolpers for making the apps, but no, apple pulls the whole plug.

Because we all know how well that went for the record companies...

There are other apps out there if you want to broadcast your tunes. Apple had to do this, atleast they still allow sharing on the same subnet.

[smada]

It's really too bad that Apple couldn't just come up with a more secure protocol for streaming.

One time at school I was streaming my library from home on to the school's (only) mac during my study hall. You couldn't believe how impressed everybody was that I could have all 1242 of my songs instantly. If Apple takes all the cool features out, why would anybody want to switch?