New iPods, New Apple Music Service

[madforrit]

Sorry if this has been asked, but anyone have any idea or indication as to the rate of new song/album additions in the store?

I wish they had like more stats; I wanna know how many downloads there were yesterday!

 

[MacBandit]

Re: Re: Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by comrade
If you have iTunes organize your files just use the Finder and you will have all your artists in seperate folders. I know it's not exactly what you are looking for but it's an idea...

Yeah I already do that. The problem is if I want to burn an MP3 cd for my car stereo I have to use Toast. That just seems like a poor marketing strategy on Apples part. How hard would it be to implement the ability to burn MP3s in folders. Then I wouldn't have to resort to a 3rd party program.

 

[stukoch]

TAX??????

I just got my first invoice from the music service, and much to my surprise it included a TAX of $0.37 on $5.94 worth of tunes. Can somebody pelase explain this to me?? Why should I have to pay tax over the internet? I live in Illinois, not cali.

-Stu

 

[MacBandit]

Re: TAX??????

Originally posted by stukoch
I just got my first invoice from the music service, and much to my surprise it included a TAX of $0.37 on $5.94 worth of tunes. Can somebody pelase explain this to me?? Why should I have to pay tax over the internet? I live in Illinois, not cali.

-Stu

Well according to this Illinois has a state sales tax of 6.25% which is what you were charged.

 

[Doctor Q]

I think the tax rules say that they must charge sales tax at the applicable rate in any state where they have a physical presence. Since Apple has stores in Oakbrook and Woodfield, they have a presence in Illinois, so you have to pay sales tax. If you move to Arkansas, you might save the 37 cents but you couldn't go to any Apple stores.

 

[BaghdadBob]

Apparently, iTMS sucks

Originally posted by madforrit
I wish they had like more stats; I wanna know how many downloads there were yesterday!

Ditto man, I'm waiting anxiously for the first day numbers, having contributed 50 downloads to the first two days' numbers myself, more money than I've spent on music in the last two years...I agree with the Forbe's guy when he calls it "dangerously addictive"...

Anyhoo, according to the Washington Times the iTunes Music Store doesn't have much going for it.

No Beatles, Stones, or Madonna, according to this writer, are equivalent to a shot to the head -- I'm not exaggerating, read the story. Not having secured some of the most (already) widely-owned music in the world is extremely detrimental to a service designed to expand a user's music library, and is tantamount to a premature birth for the service (once again paraphrasing the writer's actual choice of words).

Note that nowhere in this article is there any reference to personal use by the writer -- unlike every single other review I've read, all of which have been very to ravingly positive.

Oh, and apparently 200,000 songs pales in comparison to the "digital jukebox in your local tavern".

Question: does anyone here live near one of these magical music machines? I've never seen a jukebox with more than a couple of thousand songs. If so, I assume you can take its amazing library of music home with you, right?

Ack. Read the article, see for yourself, and tell me if you think it's a fair (and impartial?!?) analysis of the service.

Edit: Oh, and assuming you have some personal experience with the service yourself, share what you bought in this Community Discussions thread.

 

[pyrotoaster]

Originally posted by BaghdadBob
Anyhoo, according to the Washington Times the iTunes Music Store doesn't have much going for it.

Yeah, every article I've read (even one at PCWorld.com) has praised Apple on the iTMS. I, too, would like to see the stats for Monday and Tuesday.

 

[iMook]

NEW IPODS COMING OUT FRIDAY!!!

Here's the CNET link. Looks like ThinkSecret was right on the money.
new iPods coming May 2

...and the new iPod Page

P.S. - I'm not sure if this has already been posted.

 

[iMook]

Looking at the accessories page, it looks like the dock has a proprietary interface, and a FireWire/USB2 combo cable is available (but it's not a FireWire-to-FireWire/USB2 cable).

 

[duffyb]

iTunes & Mp3's CDs

I suppose I could make and audio CD with the new M4p's then rip them back into iTunes as an MP3 (iTunes 4 still rips CDs into MP3 format). Then I can grab the folders in the iTunes library that I want to make an MP3 CD from. But if I'm reading correctly in this thread, the quality will suck.

Seems like too many steps to take to do what I want: Make MP3 Cd's from my car CD/MP3, my home DVD/MP3 and portable CD/MP3 players with folders by artist and albums so I can easily select/change albums.

 

[duffyb]

CD Covers

Now what Apple needs is a way for the user to download the cover art when they buy an entire CD. Otherwise we have to keep using CDCoverTool.

 

[thrice]

Re: CD Covers

Originally posted by duffyb
Now what Apple needs is a way for the user to download the cover art when they buy an entire CD. Otherwise we have to keep using CDCoverTool.

Actually, when you download a song from the iTunes Music Store the covr art for the album is a part of the id3 tag...at least that's what happened with the song I downloaded.

The other option is to manually import cover art into the id3 tag via the "get info" menus. It seems that this would be useful for tracks you rip from cd or get elswhere.

 

[Mudbug]

Re: iTunes & Mp3's CDs

Originally posted by duffyb
Then I can grab the folders in the iTunes library that I want to make an MP3 CD from. But if I'm reading correctly in this thread, the quality will suck.

not necessarily - the quality will be directly reflective of the bitrate that you used to encode the mp3's in the first place. If you're MP3's are originally 192kbit, then it will sound very much like the original CD it was ripped from. If they were originally encoded at 60kbit, then re-encoded to 192, then it will sound like garbage.

You can't get blood from a turnip.

 

[MacBandit]

Re: iTunes & Mp3's CDs

Originally posted by duffyb
I suppose I could make and audio CD with the new M4p's then rip them back into iTunes as an MP3 (iTunes 4 still rips CDs into MP3 format). Then I can grab the folders in the iTunes library that I want to make an MP3 CD from. But if I'm reading correctly in this thread, the quality will suck.

Seems like too many steps to take to do what I want: Make MP3 Cd's from my car CD/MP3, my home DVD/MP3 and portable CD/MP3 players with folders by artist and albums so I can easily select/change albums.

Why go to cd then back that's waste of time and resources. Simply choose MP3 as your importing method then select the song or songs that you want to convert then go to the advanced menu and select convert to MP3.

If you convert the MP4 into a VBR 192Kb/s file or greater there should be no noticeable loss from the original MP4 file.

 

[Snowy_River]

Re: Re: Re: Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by MacBandit
Yeah I already do that. The problem is if I want to burn an MP3 cd for my car stereo I have to use Toast. That just seems like a poor marketing strategy on Apples part. How hard would it be to implement the ability to burn MP3s in folders. Then I wouldn't have to resort to a 3rd party program.

Why not use the Finder? I've made MP3 CDs for an MP3 disc player I have simply dragging the folders from the iTunes music folder to the CD-R disc, then burning it, all from the finder. I've found that this is actually more reliable than burning from iTune, in addition to allowing retention of the folder structure. (I had an MP3 disc burned from iTunes that my MP3 disc player didn't recognize as an MP3 disc.) Plus, it isn't all that much more work...

 

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
I think the tax rules say that they must charge sales tax at the applicable rate in any state where they have a physical presence. Since Apple has stores in Oakbrook and Woodfield, they have a presence in Illinois, so you have to pay sales tax. If you move to Arkansas, you might save the 37 cents but you couldn't go to any Apple stores.

Also, in most states, if you purchase from companies without a presence in your state, you are supposed to pay a "use tax" which is identical to sales tax except that you pay it along with your income taxes instead of at the point of sale. So, Apple having or not having a presence in your state doesn't really make that much of a difference, although most people neglect to pay use taxes ...

 

[MacBandit]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by Snowy_River
Why not use the Finder? I've made MP3 CDs for an MP3 disc player I have simply dragging the folders from the iTunes music folder to the CD-R disc, then burning it, all from the finder. I've found that this is actually more reliable than burning from iTune, in addition to allowing retention of the folder structure. (I had an MP3 disc burned from iTunes that my MP3 disc player didn't recognize as an MP3 disc.) Plus, it isn't all that much more work...

So you're saying a disk that is burned in the finder is recognized as an MP3 disc and not simply as a data disc?

I typically use Toast but going from the finder would work to but still it's not nearly as convenient as if Apple added this very small feature.

I'm not arguing that there are other ways I'm just saying that it's rediculous that Apple hasn't added this small amount of code.

 

[Snowy_River]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by MacBandit
So you're saying a disk that is burned in the finder is recognized as an MP3 disc and not simply as a data disc?

I typically use Toast but going from the finder would work to but still it's not nearly as convenient as if Apple added this very small feature.

I'm not arguing that there are other ways I'm just saying that it's rediculous that Apple hasn't added this small amount of code.

It has been my experience that the MP3 disc players I've used properly recognize discs burned from the finder. So, that at least eliminates the need for a third party piece of software.

However, I'm not arguing with you about the adding a small amount of code. The addition of options to the user interface on many levels is one area that Apple does seem to fall short much of the time. Oh well. We can but hope for the future...

 

[Mudbug]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by Snowy_River
The addition of options to the user interface on many levels is one area that Apple does seem to fall short much of the time. Oh well. We can but hope for the future...

A good portion of Apple's software is open-sourced. So if you think some things should be implemented, maybe you should try your hand at coding a little, make the _fill_in_the_blank_ software work the way you need it to, submit it back to Apple, and maybe they'll call you offering a job. I doubt it, but you never know. I hear they're looking for a few good windows programmers...

 

[BaghdadBob]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
Yeah, every article I've read (even one at PCWorld.com) has praised Apple on the iTMS. I, too, would like to see the stats for Monday and Tuesday.

Yeah, that's why I had to point out the Washington Times article. To me, it's not only an unreasonably bad review, it also sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[jettredmont]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: iTunes and MP3 CD's

Originally posted by MacBandit
So you're saying a disk that is burned in the finder is recognized as an MP3 disc and not simply as a data disc?

An "MP3 Disk" is nothing more than a (typically Joliet format, but many will read other formats just as well including packet-written CD-RW) data disk with MP3 files on it (some players require the fies to be in a folder, others require an "m3u" "playlist" for the files on disk, but most now just require MP3s to be on the disk somewhere).

There is no need to use iTunes or Toast to make an MP3 CD, axcept perhaps in converting AAC files to MP3 format.

 

[matttichenor]

iTunes and AAC ReRipping

Originally posted by Shadowfax
is there a way for me to convert my library to AAC without losing all the count and rating info and what not?

Don't know if any of you guys noticed this yet.

I Just found that iTunes has a cool way of Re-Ripping your Music using the AAC format.

Lets say you have the Beck Album: Sea Change. You have all the songs encoded at 160 kbps MP3 with star ratings, play counts, playlists referencing the songs, genres attached etc. etc. and you want to trash these MP3 files and replace them with AAC versions.

Well just put the original CD in your drive, make sure the songs you want are checked and then click Import. A dialog box comes up stating "One or more of the songs you have selected have already been imported. Do you want to import them again?"

You can pick "Yes", "Cancel" or "Replace Existing".

By choosing "Replace Exisiting", iTunes places the original MP3 file in your trash, imports the song with the new AAC format and associates all of your tagged information with the new file. This is very awesome. Makes it much easier to re-import all of your files to AAC. It even keeps the original Date Added tag.

Apple thinks of everything.


m

 

[duffyb]

iTunes and MP3 CD's

Why not use the Finder? I've made MP3 CDs for an MP3 disc player I have simply dragging the folders from the iTunes music folder to the CD-R disc, then burning it, all from the finder. I've found that this is actually more reliable than burning from iTunes, in addition to allowing retention of the folder structure. (I had an MP3 disc burned from iTunes that my MP3 disc player didn't recognize as an MP3 disc.) Plus, it isn't all that much more work...
-Snowy[/B]


It's been my experience that using the finder to burn MP3 CD's creates a Mac CD. Some MP3/CD players will read them and some won't. The cheesy MP3 decoder in my DVD player won't, for example. I burn my folder orginized MP3's using Toast in the ISO 9660 format.

Besides you cant use this method with the M4p's.

 

[caveman_uk]

Re: iTunes and AAC ReRipping

Originally posted by matttichenor
Don't know if any of you guys noticed this yet.

I Just found that iTunes has a cool way of Re-Ripping your Music using the AAC format.

Lets say you have the Beck Album: Sea Change. You have all the songs encoded at 160 kbps MP3 with star ratings, play counts, playlists referencing the songs, genres attached etc. etc. and you want to trash these MP3 files and replace them with AAC versions.

Well just put the original CD in your drive, make sure the songs you want are checked and then click Import. A dialog box comes up stating "One or more of the songs you have selected have already been imported. Do you want to import them again?"

You can pick "Yes", "Cancel" or "Replace Existing".

By choosing "Replace Exisiting", iTunes places the original MP3 file in your trash, imports the song with the new AAC format and associates all of your tagged information with the new file. This is very awesome. Makes it much easier to re-import all of your files to AAC. It even keeps the original Date Added tag.

Apple thinks of everything.


m

This isn't quite what was being asked. Shadowfax wanted to convert his existing ripped mp3's to AAC. What you've described above basically means getting all the CDs back out again and re-ripping them as AAC. I've got over 2000 songs in mp3 - some folks have a lot more. I don't think re-ripping 200 CDs is a valid option unless you've got a lot of time on your hands. I may start ripping new CDs into AAC though

 

[matttichenor]

iTunes and AAC Re-Ripping

The short answer is no. There is no way to convert your current MP3 files to AAC files while retaining all of your MP3 Tags and gaining the possible quality advantage that AAC offers. The only way to ge the improved quality is to re-rip your CD collection, which many of us are doing.

I posted this item because I thought it was very cool of Apple to do their best to make that process of re-ripping your CD Collection as seemless as possible. No duplicate files, no need to re-enter star ratings or other Tags. Apple could have easily over-looked this, but they didn't.. I just wanted to point that out.

Obviously, alot of people aren't going to re-rip their entire collection, in fact most won't. But for those of us who want to take advantage of the theoretical superior quality of the 128kbps AAC format, and save some hardrive space while at the same time increasing the number of tracks we can put on our iPods, it is great that Apple has tried to make it as easy as possible.

Remember, just converting from MP3 to AAC will not get the quality advantage. As far as quality goes, this would be the order:

1 CD
2 AIFF
3 CD - >128kbps AAC = 160kbps MP3
4 CD - >128kbps MP3
5 Any MP3 - AAC

That last conversion would be the worst quality of the bunch. If quality is your primary concern, stick with your MP3 files. If you have the time and energy, re-rip to AAC, it will give you better quality than your current MP3s and requires less bandwidth and hard drive space.

I have been using 160kbps MP3 for all of my tracks. By switching to 128kbps AAC I will save approximately 20% of my hard drive space. That means I can cram another 150-200 songs on my iPod. All this while achieving the same level of quality. Worth the work to me.

m