First International AAC Download Service... Not iTunes

[MacRumors]

Nupha has launched "the first international cross-platform music store" at Nupha.com

Unique to the new service is internatioanl support for both Windows and Mac support with files encoded in AAC 128 Kbps for Mac and WMA 192 Kbps for Windows.

While the songs do contain Nupha's own form of Digital Rights Management, according to their FAQ, songs can be transfered to the iPod and played in iTunes.

According to the site, song pricing is at $.99 USD or $.99 Euros or $.70 UK £ while album pricing is $8.99 USD, 8.99 Euros, or $6.50 UK £.

 

[bertagert]

Wow!

Let the game begin!

 

[coumerelli]

A win for AAC is a win for the iPod is a win for Apple!

 

[yoman]

here here...

yeah for AAC!

 

[Grimace]

uh...oh....

Apple - wake up!!

 

[MarksEvilTwin]

Removed

 

[Nik_Doof]

woh....a UK music service bar Warp Records...

ROCK ON!

 

[ddbean]

site down?

Is it just me? I can't load site

edit
Got through now nupha.com> forwards to http://ninon.nupha.net/ and man did it take forever to load page

edit #2..it's still loading...I guess I'll check back in a few months when they've worked out their bugs...

 

[peejay]

International?

They don't have "international" grade servers! None of the links went through. Maybe Apple can sell them some Xserves!

 

[SilentPanda]

The site is dwindling it's way down... I'm slowly getting graphics... but the title of the site "~hey yo nupha !" sorta throws me off... sounds like something a 13 year old would write.

 

[arn]

site's now down...

Perhaps not real? I see no references elsewhere.... story pulled for now.

arn

 

[bertagert]

Re: International?

Originally posted by peejay
They don't have "international" grade servers! None of the links went through. Maybe Apple can sell them some Xserves!

Looks like a whole bunch of macrumor mongers can shut a site down. Hopefully it will be back up soon. I want to read more about this.

 

[ima_pseudonym]

128 kbps AAC vs. 192 kbps WMA

How long before this is (wrongly) used to argue that WMA is superior? And why the discrepancy?

I am pretty skeptical of the claim that the songs are DRM'd but will play on ipods without a firmware upgrade.

 

[balconycollapse]

That's their server saying-

"~hey yo nupha!"

translation hey you enough we can't handle anymore

 

[montecristo]

Originally posted by MarksEvilTwin
Intruiging... it'll be interesting to see

A- how many songs they have

B- ease of use

and C- how they got around licensing problems if Apple couldn't

Hm... Apple may reigneth supreme in the US sales, but international, they may be hurt simply because they will not have been the first as they were here. We'll see

Mark

I think the rights to burn songs and share on various computers would be more limited than what Apple iTMS is looking for, which is how they probably got arounnd licensing issues.
It is a win for AAC and Apple, and when iTMS EUrope gets off the ground, I think people will flock to it. I am sure there is already good press and word of mouth about the US iTMS, and there is pent up demand.

 

[techne]

Slashdotted

Is it just me or that site is under a huge load? Wander how would they cover such demand, when their site is as responsive as a dead cow.

 

[arn]

I guess at this point i'd use caution in downloading their software... as it's not clear they are a real site/service.

arn

 

[ziegen]

What a joke! These are the labels that they feature:

Active Suspension

Andromede World

Bathyscaphe

Brume Records

Chocoflash

Cip/Audio

Clapping Music

Club News International

Créon Music

Cristal Records

Disques Tricatel

Dora Dorovitch

Drunk Dog

Gimini Music

H D P Music

Iris Music

Le Bison

Microbe Records

Shaoline Music

Tot-Al Records

and thats all of them! Never heard of a single one.

The DRM Method seem to be to kindly ask the user to be responsible. These are the terms of usage:

. Usage rules


The use of Nupha® Music Store implies acceptance of the following terms:





Personal and non-commercial use,

Authorized usage limited to three Apple Macintosh computers and one PC running Microsoft Windows XP,

Authorized burning and exporting for personal and non-commercial use,

No attempt to modifying the software or its usage for other purposes than delivering the service described above in § “Service description”, or encouraging other person to do so.





Any burning or exporting capabilities are solely an accomodation to the user and shall not constitute a grant or waiver of any rights of the copyright owners of any content, sound recording, underlying musical composition or artwork embodied in any product.


The purchase and delivery of a product do not grant the user any commercial right of any kind.


The usage rules between Nupha® Music Store and the user are defined precisely in the “Terms of Service”.


Not really threatning to the itunes store, I'd say.

Peter

 

[balconycollapse]

Kinda smug and their graphics are an iTunes rip off with "white" silhouettes on colorful backgrounds.

 

[SilentPanda]

FAQ

What is Nupha Music Store ?

Nupha offers a paying music download service and a free dynamic information channel regarding the artists through the Nupha Music Store.

What are the system requirements to browse the Nupha Music Store website ?

* Any Macintosh computer running Mac OS 9 or later or,
* Any PC Computer running Windows 98/Me/XP/2000.
* Apple QuickTime 6.2 or later is required to play audio samples or videos.
* Supported Macintosh Internet Browsers : Apple Safari 1.0 or later (Recommended), Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later.
* Supported Windows Internet Browser : Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or later.

What are the system requirements to download and listen tunes ?

Macintosh Version :

* Mac OS X v10.2.4 or later
* Apple iTunes 4.0 or later
* The Nupha Comfort Kit (Download)
* 128 MB RAM minimum/256 RAM recommended
* 400MHz G4 processor or better
* Supported CD-RW drive to burn CDs

PC Version :

* Windows XP
* Windows Media Player 9 or later
* 500 MHz Pentium class processor or better
* 128 MB RAM minimum/256 RAM recommended
* Supported CD-RW drive to burn CDs, video display card, soundcard

How much is a song ?

Song purchased on the Nupha Music Store cost 0,99 Euros, or 0,99 $, or 0,70 U.K. £ including V.A.T.

How much is a complete album ?

Maximum price for a complete album on the Nupha Music Store is 8,99 Euros, or 8,99 $, or 6,50 U.K. £ including V.A.T.

In which currency am I billed ?

You can choose between Euro, US Dollars or Great Britain Pounds.

From where in the world can I purchase songs ?

Anywhere. Except when explicitly notified. How to locate downloaded files ?

• On Mac : Files should be stored inside (home directory)/Music/Nupha Music/ unless you specified a different path or moved the files by hand. You can perform a file search on '.nu' to get a list of all Nupha files stored on your hard-drive. • On PC : Microsoft Internet Explorer usually ask you where it should download files from the Internet. You can also perform a file search on a part of the song name using your file lookup application.

What if my internet browser / download manager unexpectedly quits when I'm downloading a song ?

You can download your songs back from 'my account' webpage* on this website. (* You might need to login).

How to view purchase history and order number ?

Login and go to 'my account' webpage on this website.

What if I erase the hard-disk that contains purchased songs ?

You can download your songs back from 'my account' webpage* on this website. (* You might need to login).

When I purchase a song, does the artist receive money ?

Yes. Through her or his music label or distributors.

What is the technology used by Nupha to protect my payment informations ?

We use SSL socket to transmit data from your computer to our servers. Your credit card number is stored on our bank (OBC) service provider servers. (Bank's website : http://www.obc.fr)

What if I change my credit card ?

You need to change your billing information as soon as possible from the 'my account' webpage* on this website. * You might need to login.

Can I burn the song to a regular audio CD ?

Yes (On PC) and very soon (On Mac), provided that you own the required hardware.

Can I transfer the song to my iPod ?

Very soon (Mac feature only). Can I transfer the song to any other MP3 player?

Yes.

Can I transfer the song to my SDMI-compliant device ?

Yes.

Why can't I burn my songs from iTunes directly ?

Apple iTunes is a proprietary software. Apple Computer doesn't give third-party developers the opportunity to extend the functionalities to iTunes.

Can I play my files on iTunes for Windows ?

No. If the demand is sufficient, we'll provide iTunes for Windows support.

Will Panic Audion be supported ?

Maybe. If the demand is sufficient.

Will players that does not support Direct Show be supported ?

Not for now.

I'm a label/distributor/music company manager. How can I get my music distributed/sold through the Nupha Music Store ?

Please send an e-mail to labels@nupha.net among with your company information and we will get back to you very soon.

I'm an independent artist. How can I get my music distributed/sold through the Nupha Music Store ?

Nupha do not accept independent artist production submission. However, feel free to send us your production. We might get an opportunity for you to get handled by a music company.

Is the Nupha DRM scheme for Macintosh original ?

Yes. The Nupha DRM Scheme was developed and patented in 2001 (FR 01 14954).

I'm a journalist willing to get an interview with the Nupha team. How can I get an appointment ?

Please send an e-mail to contact@nupha.net or call us at + 33(1) 42 02 80 99.

What is Nupha's nationality ?

Nupha is a french company.

Where is Nupha office ?

Nupha's office is in Paris, France.

What do you eat for breakfast ?
It depends.

 

[SilentPanda]

Terms of Sale

1. Service description

Nupha® Music Store is designed and fully licensed to sell music and content through on-line downloading. It addresses all international users. In case of restricted countries, the product will be formally presented as being unavailable for sale.

2. Authorized users

Nupha® Music Store services are only available to end user customers, and to customers fully authorized to buy through the use of a personal credit card.

3. Usage rules

The use of Nupha® Music Store implies acceptance of the following terms:

* Personal and non-commercial use,
* Authorized usage limited to three Apple Macintosh computers and one PC running Microsoft Windows XP,
* Authorized burning and exporting for personal and non-commercial use,
* No attempt to modifying the software or its usage for other purposes than delivering the service described above in § “Service description”, or encouraging other person to do so.

Any burning or exporting capabilities are solely an accomodation to the user and shall not constitute a grant or waiver of any rights of the copyright owners of any content, sound recording, underlying musical composition or artwork embodied in any product.

The purchase and delivery of a product do not grant the user any commercial right of any kind.

The usage rules between Nupha® Music Store and the user are defined precisely in the “Terms of Service”.

4. Payment method

Nupha® Music Store only accepts payment by credit cards: Visa, MasterCard and Carte Bleue are authorized. All orders received will generate a control procedure with the customer’s credit card company, for an amount limited to the corresponding order. The invoicing will only be processed when the download is complete.

5. Invoicing

All customers will receive a monthly invoice by email. This invoice will detail all products bought during the month. Nupha® Music Store reserves its right to debit the customers credit card as soon as the product sale exceeds five euros. A final debit at the end of the month will settle the outstanding balance between the total monthly invoice amount and the debits already processsed during the month.

All sales are final. Due to the nature of the product sold, no refund will be made under any circumstances.

6. Price and sales tax

All Nupha® Music Store posted prices are all inclusive. They include sales tax according to the applicable rate at the time of purchase. The sales tax amount will be specified on the monthly invoice. A change in sales tax will not modify the posted sale price.

Nupha® Music Store reserves its right to change prices on certain or all products at any moment and during any period of time. Pricing will be at all times clearly stated for each product. Invoicing will be recorded with the price applicable when the dowloading was processed.

7. Assistance

For any inquiry please contact assistance@nupha.net. Answers will be delivered by email within the minimum timeframe we can possibly achieve.

8. Legal

All sales on the Nupha® Music Store are governed by Paris, France law.

 

[Counterfit]

Re: FAQ

Originally posted by SilentPanda
Apple iTunes is a proprietary software. Apple Computer doesn't give third-party developers the opportunity to extend the functionalities to iTunes.

Not quite, there are visual plugins, and any QuickTime plugin will do the job too, such as the .ogg plugin.

 

[SilentPanda]

Re: Re: FAQ

Originally posted by Counterfit
Not quite, there are visual plugins, and any QuickTime plugin will do the job too, such as the .ogg plugin.

They probably just can't get past their own DRM to allow controlled burning within iTunes.

 

[coumerelli]

Re: Slashdotted

Originally posted by techne
Is it just me or that site is under a huge load? Wander how would they cover such demand, when their site is as responsive as a dead cow.

Yeah, they went WAY past my 30 second attention span!

 

[Knute5]

It's All Good

The more AAC out there, the better. That sells iPods. Apple doesn't make $$$ on iTMS.

If this is a trend it bodes ill for MS and Sony. AFAIK, AAC is an open standard. WMA and whatever Sony's going to impose aren't.