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iPod AMAZON MP3 download service.. sucks so far...

A

APPLENEWBIE

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 8, 2006
707
14
The high desert, USA
Tried to buy a track from Amazon's new MP3 service. Went through the sign-up stuff, part of which was to download the "Amazon DOwnloader." Was informed that I would get a free song by pushing the download button, at which point the Amazon Downloader would download it to iTunes. Nothing happened. Nada.

Being not real bright, I decide to BUY a song $.89 to see what happened. Same thing. No action at all, other than a confirmation that they charged my card. Have sent an Email to Amazon about it...
 
APPLENEWBIE said:
Tried to buy a track from Amazon's new MP3 service. Went through the sign-up stuff, part of which was to download the "Amazon DOwnloader." Was informed that I would get a free song by pushing the download button, at which point the Amazon Downloader would download it to iTunes. Nothing happened. Nada.

Being not real bright, I decide to BUY a song $.89 to see what happened. Same thing. No action at all, other than a confirmation that they charged my card. Have sent an Email to Amazon about it...
Click to expand...

I bought a CD with no problem. It doesn't seem to start DLing automatically (even with the DL manager installed). When I bought the CD safari downloaded a file to my desktop, and I had to double click that file, which launched the DL manager, and started the download.
 
APPLENEWBIE said:
Tried to buy a track from Amazon's new MP3 service. Went through the sign-up stuff, part of which was to download the "Amazon DOwnloader." Was informed that I would get a free song by pushing the download button, at which point the Amazon Downloader would download it to iTunes. Nothing happened. Nada.

Being not real bright, I decide to BUY a song $.89 to see what happened. Same thing. No action at all, other than a confirmation that they charged my card. Have sent an Email to Amazon about it...
Click to expand...

Look for a file called "yoursong.amz" then click on it.It will then go into your iTunes library.

I had the exact same problem until I realized it was there all along.
 
Safari will more then likely just put the .amz file onto your desktop or preferred download location.

I had FireFox open the Amazon Downloader as its file download settings. After I got the .amz file the Amazon Downloader sprang to life and seconds later I had my song.

It's a little roundabout with the axillary application but it does work. ;)
 
OK, got the downloads.... 20 min after I pushed the button, the amazon downloader popped up and downloaded the songs. All better now, but still a bit puzzled....


AND to DrAtheist: A rose by any other (user)name....
 
yeah it kinda works better with Firefox, that amazon download process. but i never got the free song, somehow that bit the dust on the way down or i must have interrupted it. not caring... otherwise it has worked ok bringing down two albums purchased at different times.

The thing is, i really don't like 256-mp3 sound for the size. To me it sounds like a big rig flattened it. One Amazon album i think was not great audio on the label side to begin with, an older album by Coti before he got noticed.

The other was a Coldplay, Live in 2003. That was OK but I have now actually also heard that in 256AAC off itunes which I prefer. AND that album is exactly the same price on itunes and amazon. 11.99 or 99c a track.

So, live and learn. I'm likely to stay at iTunes and I already have eMusic for less mainstream stuff. I like digital music shopping to be fun, not a flippin' hassle running around comparing bitrates and track prices and the fine print of terms of use, jeez!

I love the iTunes store for how you can get around it to explore if you want, but can still get right back where you were. That kind of stuff is what makes a store for me. I don't want to be conscious of the mechanics all the time and looking for the exit doors or the cart icon or what the hey. I want to see something, click on it, go wow, cool, maybe later, click on some arrow or button and presto I'm back looking at Emerson Hart wondering if I should get the CD or buy the rest of the tracks.

I'm being hard on Amz i guess and their rollout wasn't half bad but... but... well I'll go there again if I can't find what i want on iTunes. Maybe.
 
Quality still better on iTunes Plus

Downloaded a classical album, as I'm into that kind of thing. Not liking the MP3 VBR. I Purchased an Alfred Brendel Album I've been eyeing, not the best quality. Sitting at what should be "no sound" before the piano plays it's fine, but once the piano plays, I can here where the channels would "open up" and I get some distortion in the background. =\

Looks like I was on the right track; when buying classical music, it's just best to pay a little extra and buy the CD.

Of course I'm running this under Windows Vista Home Premium, and it went into the Amazon downloader Instantly, and pulled them down 1 by 1 rather fast, I might add. (It was about 2 minutes and it was done). It does it song by song, much like iTunes, ques them up and everything.

It depends on what you want; iTunes has a limitied selection, better quality. Amazon has a much bigger selection on the DRM free front, but less quality.
 
Amazon Downloader sucks!

Yes, it does suck - big time. I've had problems from the beginning, and the support is not good.

I gave up on iTunes because of the whole protected file thing and it also was getting very buggy.

May have to give eMusic another try...
 
I've used the amazon downloader for the mac many times, never had an issue, downloads them right to itunes art and all.
 
I really like buying from Amazon now. I tend to use it more that iTunes. It's often a little cheaper, and the songs are DRM-free, 256kbps, and in mp3 format. I've been very happy with it.
 
Are you using iTunes 8 and using a PC? Since I upgraded, my Amazon mp3s don't automatically go to the iTunes library and now all the tracks are variable when they were previously not. I think this is more likely an iTunes bug than an Amazon bug. Like many others, I prefer Amazon over iTunes because it's DRM free and you're being overcharged for AAC at iTunes. Wait to see when there's an iTunes update and see if you have the same problem after that.
 
Dimwhit said:
I really like buying from Amazon now. I tend to use it more that iTunes. It's often a little cheaper, and the songs are DRM-free, 256kbps, and in mp3 format. I've been very happy with it.
Click to expand...
Same experience here. I've given up on the iTunes Store for the time being, for music anyways. Amazon gets all of my MP3 business.
 
iTunes store sucks. I avoid it and use only Amazon. I'm very against DRM. If iTunes would provide DRM free tracks for the same price as Amazon - I'd consider it. Until then, no thanks.

Amazon all the way.
 
mrwizardno2 said:
iTunes store sucks. I avoid it and use only Amazon. I'm very against DRM.
Click to expand...
I agree with your sentiment, but it's the copyright holders that decide if a storefront like the iTunes Store can sell DRM free, not the storefront itself. i.e. iTunes can't provide DRM-free music until a label allow it to.

From everything I've read, the whole reason the copyright holders let Amazon sell everything DRM-free is purposefully to create competition for the iTunes Store.
 
wingman1659 said:
I personally love the amazon mp3 download service especially since it is DRM free.
Click to expand...
That's the reason I use it.

If iTunes was allowed to sell everything DRM-free, I'd probably buy most everything from there. (I like to sample songs on the iTunes Store "Top" lists on my iPhone a lot .. it'd be easier to just click "Buy" vs. having to remember what I like and hoof it over my MBP to buy it on Amazon.com).
 
APPLENEWBIE said:
No action at all, other than a confirmation that they charged my card. Have sent an Email to Amazon about it...
Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me. It seems Amazon hasn't made a "fix" for this years later.

I tried a purchase/download on my Windows computer, didn't see it show up anywhere, so I decided to download on my Mac, since I can usually find stuff easier on it. My credit card was billed 3 times and on all 3 occasions, NOTHING. I wrote to Amazon, but they have so much red-tape associated with a defective download, I decided to "eat" the credit card charges and I only purchase music on iTunes now.
 
22Tango said:
Same thing happened to me. It seems Amazon hasn't made a "fix" for this years later.

I tried a purchase/download on my Windows computer, didn't see it show up anywhere, so I decided to download on my Mac, since I can usually find stuff easier on it. My credit card was billed 3 times and on all 3 occasions, NOTHING. I wrote to Amazon, but they have so much red-tape associated with a defective download, I decided to "eat" the credit card charges and I only purchase music on iTunes now.
Click to expand...

You should have actually put forth some effort.

A few months ago I tried to grab one of those 'today only' deals, and between when I clicked the link and when I did my checkout the deal ended and I got charged the full amount (it was more than a few minutes). I didn't download, sent an email, and they wrote back and canceled my order for me.

Perhaps it helps that I buy plenty of music from them ... I have had no issues, have bought literally hundreds of songs, and all of it costs less and sounds the same as on iTunes ... and the downloader dumps it into iTunes for me as well. I rarely buy on iTunes, but my wife and kids do because it is less of a hassle for them - and the kids constantly get iTunes gift cards ...
 
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