I like the tiered pricing. 69¢ - $1.29 and DRM free sounds entirely reasonable to me. I'll probably start buying a lot more iTunes music now. Now if they could just drop prices on those HD movie and tv show rentals a bit...
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Apple Announces Changes to iTunes Store
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Or a Zune, or almost any portable player out there now. As for car stereos, I honestly can't answer as I haven't looked for that "feature" since buying a car that had a way to connect my iPod/iPhone directly to the stereo.
Last I checked Amazon sells a LOT more than MP3 downloads. Also, since they have the servers already (note the Amazon S3 and web services) it costs them next to nothing to keep this running, even if they do sell less songs.
Are you sure about this? I think they may be pulling your info from your purchase records and not actually scanning your hard drive. Earlier someone said they had songs in their list that they had accidentally deleted a while back.
It doesn't really matter what you do. You were implying that the technology was outdated. AM/FM radios are outdated but they are still the most popular way to listen to music and talk shows in the car.
The DRM-free tracks are recorded at double the bit-rate so they will sound better on a quality playback device.
If the iTunes store ever were to shut down your tracks would still play, as long as you have a computer and/or device capable of playing AAC-encoded tracks.
Meh, I am going to stick with going to Amazon before iTunes. Amazon is just as easy as iTunes in getting music into my iTunes library. I prefer the mp3 format rather than the AAC format.
Drm??
So to stop my confusion, if I upgrade to + will it take all the songs in my library(even the one from limewire and other sources) and make me pay for them as well? Or does it just hit the ones I bought from itunes?
What about music videos and movies? Audiobooks?
So to stop my confusion, if I upgrade to + will it take all the songs in my library(even the one from limewire and other sources) and make me pay for them as well? Or does it just hit the ones I bought from itunes?
What about music videos and movies? Audiobooks? 
1) It makes them difficult to be acessed (e.g. having to use Itunes)
2) DRM increases the underlying cost of the music you are buying
3) May make your music useless in future when the technology is superseded
4) People want DRM-free, and will pirate to get it. With DRM-free music available, less people will pirate so your music should get cheaper
5) It's fundamentally bad that someone else is controlling something which you have purchased for your own use
Have you looked at any NEW car stereos lately? A lot of them can play AAC files. My car stereo isn't NEW but even it plays AAC files.
Agree completely. They didn't do enough today unfortunately - but then, it's probably enough to keep many others happy.
I use Amazon as well. It is easy to use but it is NOT just as easy as iTunes, especially not the first time.
Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead
Finally, record labels wake up and smell the coffee. The Wicked Witch, DRM, has melted. Thank you for pursuing this Apple and Steve Jobs.
Here's how I think it will play out regarding the variable pricing. If you look at the Apple TV model, movies are initially $14.99 as a new release and then after a few months they become catalog at $9.99. Similarly most new songs from popular genres will be $1.29 but as the popularity wanes they will be $.99. If you absolutely have to have it right away, a track or two at .30 premium is worthwhile. After all, you're not buying the whole album. Album prices will probably not change.
If you have to upgrade, I believe Apple was forced for accounting purposes to charge something for giving you a higher quality product. Although my ears couldn't tell the difference between 128 and 256 kbps, I'd still do it for the following reasons.
1. Decouple your iTunes Library from DRM. You won't have to worry about authorizing computers. Probably a few DRM orphans will be missed but no big loss.
2. Higher bit rates. Better quality. m4a's are better than mp3's.
3. Ability to use with other Mac Software.
4. Ability to use with other devices (Zunes,) . Either convert AAC, m4a's to mp3's or get devices that recognize m4a's.
5. A lot more devices now have incentive to recognize m4a's since there will be many more (billions) than m4p's. This is a firmware upgrade that will probably happen pretty quickly.
6. I think iPods and iPhones are the best but the lock in is done. More competition for devices, this will spur Apple as well to stay on top. Not that they are not already.
Finally, record labels wake up and smell the coffee. The Wicked Witch, DRM, has melted. Thank you for pursuing this Apple and Steve Jobs.
Here's how I think it will play out regarding the variable pricing. If you look at the Apple TV model, movies are initially $14.99 as a new release and then after a few months they become catalog at $9.99. Similarly most new songs from popular genres will be $1.29 but as the popularity wanes they will be $.99. If you absolutely have to have it right away, a track or two at .30 premium is worthwhile. After all, you're not buying the whole album. Album prices will probably not change.
If you have to upgrade, I believe Apple was forced for accounting purposes to charge something for giving you a higher quality product. Although my ears couldn't tell the difference between 128 and 256 kbps, I'd still do it for the following reasons.
1. Decouple your iTunes Library from DRM. You won't have to worry about authorizing computers. Probably a few DRM orphans will be missed but no big loss.
2. Higher bit rates. Better quality. m4a's are better than mp3's.
3. Ability to use with other Mac Software.
4. Ability to use with other devices (Zunes,
) . Either convert AAC, m4a's to mp3's or get devices that recognize m4a's.5. A lot more devices now have incentive to recognize m4a's since there will be many more (billions) than m4p's. This is a firmware upgrade that will probably happen pretty quickly.
6. I think iPods and iPhones are the best but the lock in is done. More competition for devices, this will spur Apple as well to stay on top. Not that they are not already.
Most NEW car stereos come already installed in NEW cars. Add those into your calculations. Also, really look at all of the new car stereos instead of just the one you bought and tell me the percentage.
You bet me to it........ A lot, not all play AAC files. A lot more after market stereo's play AAC cd's also.
Now that the DRM is gone, I think the flood gates will be open for more items to play the music files. A lot more!
Looks like Canada is getting hit with the dollar difference this time round... 99 cent DRM songs will cost 40 cents per individual track, or 30% per album. For those of you complaining of a $100 US upgrade... imagine paying $133.33 for the same stuff (Provided you didn't buy any albums). It sucks.
Don't know what this spells for the 1.29/.99/.69 songs, but sadly I don't expect those prices.
Don't know what this spells for the 1.29/.99/.69 songs, but sadly I don't expect those prices.
Help! iTunes Plus Upgrade crashed, and has now disappeared!
Hey, I was so psyched about this! I launched iTunes, went to the store, saw the "Upgrade" button on the right, it told me $60 would upgrade my purchases to iTunes Plus, I clicked on the button, the download started...and then it crashed! (like 30 seconds later, before anything had been downloaded)
I want to retry the upgrade, but the Upgrade button has disappeared from the Store.
Does anyone know how to fix this? Thanks!
And yeah, I've rebooted 3 times, and I'm even on a different internet connection now.
Hey, I was so psyched about this! I launched iTunes, went to the store, saw the "Upgrade" button on the right, it told me $60 would upgrade my purchases to iTunes Plus, I clicked on the button, the download started...and then it crashed! (like 30 seconds later, before anything had been downloaded)
I want to retry the upgrade, but the Upgrade button has disappeared from the Store.
Does anyone know how to fix this? Thanks!
And yeah, I've rebooted 3 times, and I'm even on a different internet connection now.
I don't get it...
I have multiple albums that for some reason in the upgrade list show up as individual songs.
Additionally, bonus tracks from pre-orders and "The Complete U2" are not eligible even though all the tracks from the compilation are in the store. Grrr...
I have multiple albums that for some reason in the upgrade list show up as individual songs.
Additionally, bonus tracks from pre-orders and "The Complete U2" are not eligible even though all the tracks from the compilation are in the store. Grrr...
when itunes plus first came out it was at a better compression level, is this still true? if not why upgrade all my music. Seems silly i have an ipod and i'm not planning on getting a zune or other crappy mp3 player so the DRM doesn't really effect me. Only if it was at a higher bit rate would i consider it.
I know all the new Pioneer decks play AAC, as do most if not all the new Alpine decks and Panasonic and Sonys.
