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

[GoCubsGo]

People who are asking how hard was it to really rip a CD; it wasn't. This is just a nice service that Amazon is offering. I wish they would also do this for any vinyl I've purchased from them because not everything came with an electronic download. I do purchase vinyl to listen to, not to keep in my home untouched.

I feel this is a take it or leave it service. Amazon is not asking us for anything, which is really great.

 

[newagemac]

AAC quality is NOT MUCH higher, if you use a “high quality” MP3 encoder. And many older devices DO NOT support formats like AAC.

MP3 is older generation encoding technology. It takes more space for the same or lesser quality. If you encode at a higher level you can get higher quality but you'd have larger files than the same quality level if you had encoded with the MP4 based AAC format. AAC is ubiquitous now and has been for quite a number years.

It's a disgrace that Amazon (and Google as well) are still encoding in the old and somewhat outdated mp3 format. Especially Google since they had a chance to start fresh with the more modern AAC format. Amazon would have to re-encode theirs but I guess they are taking the cheap route. If Apple went ahead and spent the time and money to re-encode to a better format then why can't Amazon?

 

[milo]

And many older devices DO NOT support formats like AAC.

So anyone with out of date tech can just batch convert AAC files to mp3 if they need it. It's a shame that they're sticking everyone with inferior encoding because of a minority with old gear.

 

[Joe-Diver]

You realise that CDs and DVDs are digital and have been for 25 years?

Yes, of course. Today, when referencing "digital" media, people do not mean the encoding method used for a physical delivery medium. Digital is virtual, like an mp3, wav, whatever. CD's, DVD's, etc are "physical" mediums.

I would hope that most folks know that CD's and DVD's are not analog encoding.

 

[h1r0ll3r]

Interesting little tid bit on this service. If you order(ed) a CD and return it, you'll still get the MP3's for that CD. I had bought a few CD's almost a year ago and wound up returning them. Once I logged into my Amazon Cloud account, it started adding those CD's to my cloud account. Pretty sure this will need to be fixed soon.

 

[milo]

It will be interesting to see how they handle that considering that people could download the files then return the CD unopened (or even try to cancel the order before it ships). Maybe a policy of no CD returns once you've downloaded the files (which would require a prominent warning). Or maybe put that in place per user for people who have done it once. It's hard to imagine they'd leave it so people could keep gaming the system.

 

[tkermit]

It will be interesting to see how they handle that considering that people could download the files then return the CD unopened (or even try to cancel the order before it ships).

In that case, you'll get charged for the MP3 versions of the files.

If you cancel your order or return this album, our normal order cancellation and product return policies will apply regarding the physical version of this album. However, if you download any of the tracks on the MP3 version of the album from your Cloud Player library (including if you have enabled auto-download to a device and any of the tracks on the MP3 version of the album auto-download), you will be considered to have purchased the MP3 version of the album from the Amazon MP3 Store

 

[emaja]

When I get a new CD I have to rip it twice, once for the home audio in ALAC and then again for my iPod and iPhone in MP3.

Out of curiosity, why do you do it twice when you can check the "Convert higher bit rate songs to..." and let iTunes do it when syncing?

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

Completely unimpressed so far

I have been waiting for this ability for years. Happy they are finally offering it but not happy in it's implementation and roll out. I have bought a lot of CDs from them in the past 15 years....wanna know how many they autoripped for me? THREE. And one of those wasn't even for me...it was a gift. So I am not impressed. Most of the stuff I have bought from them isn't even included so what's the point? This doesn't do anything for me....other then piss me off.

And the situation with only some songs from an album being included is even worse. I will say it right now....all the record industry lawyers need to get the F out of the way and stop standing in the way of progress. It's absolutely ridiculous to have this partial album crap whether it is with this service on Amazon, or songs on Spotify or anywhere else. Albums ought to be available in their entirety otherwise they're just making a complete mess out of everyone's collections.

 

[MrKennedy]

Been shopping around Amazon and noticed that price of their MP3 albums have dropped about a dollar or two below the physical album price. Finally.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Out of curiosity, why do you do it twice when you can check the "Convert higher bit rate songs to..." and let iTunes do it when syncing?

That takes even more time b/c it has to convert every time. (I rotate songs a lot).

 

[frayne182]

So you steal music, do you?

lol yeah I steal it all the time. I still buy certain bands, but most I download. IDGAF

 

[From A Buick 8]

Actually what someone else said earlier appears to be accurate. You can no longer download music form Amazon without their MP3 downloader plugin.

That's a bit limiting. It used to be that single tracks would download using a browser.

You still can, i have downladed several since Saturday, you just click "skip downlad" at the bottom of the window when it pos up, and then you can download from your browser.

 

[rhett7660]

The free rip is nice however I have been ripping at a lossless format. But it is still a pretty cool thing to see from Amazon.com.

 

[Jetson]

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