iTunes song files not really 256kbps! >_<

[iParis]

As some of you may or may not know, a lot of 256m4a's from the iTunes store are 192 or sometimes even 128 transcodes. Since they're getting the files, they have no choice but to assume they're legit. Me, I think Apple should have some sort of requirement songs are lossless for Apple do downcode them or a true 256kbps. They have so many restrictions on apps, it only seems fitting to make one for the iTunes Store on top of it making sense for people to get quality that they're paying for.

Thoughts?

 

[Menel]

That's what "MASTERED for iTunes" program is, that you see stamped on some iTunes albums...

 

[iParis]

That's what "MASTERED for iTunes" program is, that you see stamped on some iTunes albums...

Okay, great, it was in a lossless converted to 256. I've seen a lot of those and try to find them when I can. I just wish all the 256's were actually 256's. It's literally just a waste of space.

 

[gnasher729]

As some of you may or may not know, a lot of 256m4a's from the iTunes store are 192 or sometimes even 128 transcodes. Since they're getting the files, they have no choice but to assume they're legit. Me, I think Apple should have some sort of requirement songs are lossless for Apple do downcode them or a true 256kbps. They have so many restrictions on apps, it only seems fitting to make one for the iTunes Store on top of it making sense for people to get quality that they're paying for.

Thoughts?

One of the major selling points of iTunes Match to me was that it would upgrade about 17,000 songs ripped from CDs from 192KB/sec to 256KB/sec without having to rip the music again. So what you are suggesting would seem a major ****up to me.

 

[iParis]

One of the major selling points of iTunes Match to me was that it would upgrade about 17,000 songs ripped from CDs from 192KB/sec to 256KB/sec without having to rip the music again. So what you are suggesting would seem a major ****up to me.

Exactly my point. Well, at least it would be m4a and not mp3. But yeah, it's happened a lot. The band Hands Like Houses newest EP as well as Emarosa's newest album were both 192 transcodes. The only way to get a true 256m4a of that EP would have been for me to rip it from the CD, but I was able to find a FLAC to convert, though at that point I just converted it to ALAC.

 

[Partron22]

Audacity's "Plot Spectrum" item in the Analyze menu is good for ferreting out these lower quality tracks. 150kbps samples will show a sharp spectral wall, cutoff, at about 15kHz. Any decent recording should break 18kHz before high frequency roll-off kicks in.

 

[iParis]

Audacity's "Plot Spectrum" item in the Analyze menu is good for ferreting out these lower quality tracks. 150kbps samples will show a sharp spectral wall, cutoff, at about 15kHz. Any decent recording should break 18kHz before high frequency roll-off kicks in.

Yeah, it's tools like that where you can tell. I've recently learned more about this from people on social music sites.