desh | (no subject)

Dear Apple,

I have no problem paying for music. I really don't. Never have. I just hate DRM. Refuse to play any locked music, ever. It's not that I want to share music (though I sometimes do); I just like to be able to play things wherever I want. Plus, it's the principle of the thing. So back when JHymn worked on iTunes-purchased songs, I happily bought from you. When you blocked out JHymn, you stopped getting my money.

I still held out hope that I'd come back to you. You're the market leader, after all. For a year or more I've really had no good alternative. I may have downloaded some music through some less-than-industry-supported means, shall we say. And I never did stop buying and ripping CDs on occasion. But for the most part I just got less music. A shame, really.

But now I hear that Amazon has a new digital music store. MP3-based. No DRM (which might not even be possible to put on MP3s anyway). And it's even cheaper than you. I've tried it already, and it's quite nice.

Sorry, Apple. It's over. For good. You're off my speed dial.

Love,
Desh

Threaded | Flat

You DO know that for some songs Apple offers them both DRM-encumbered and DRM-free, right? The pricing is $1.98 instead of $0.99 (or something) and I think it's called "Free Play", or something silly. Also, Amazon offers only certain songs cheaper... but is willing to bow to music industry pressure to keep other songs more expensive - that's how they convinced certain studios to part company with Apple in the first place. At least Apple is forcing the music industry to abandon its ridiculous hold on pricing. Also, man up and buy an iPod... jerk.

--Jeff

Spurred by this, I just checked Amazon. Found about four albums -- that they recommended to me, and that I very much wanted -- that I hadn't been able to get on iTunes, and for about $7 each.

Who'd've thought there would be not a iPod killer, but an iTunes killer?

Oh, and BOOYAH!!!

--Jeff

I really couldn't care less about the iTunes music store - I buy things there from time to time, but usually just exclusive extra tracks or out of print singles.

I also don't care about the Amazon store. I am not paying seven dollars for *files* - they have no intrinsic value to me. A band can either sell me a CD or a subscription service, but I am not buying their low-sound-quality MP3s one by one like pez.

However, iTunes as an overall program remains the most killer app for OCD maintenance of a 12k+ song library, which means iPod remains the most killer tech for listening to it.

Awesome. I've been waiting for this day.

I might have to buy a few songs just on principle, though I don't really have anything I *want* right now.

1) Apple's not an advocated of DRM, not by a long shot -- but it was only by offering DRM music that they were able to get the major labels to participate. See http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/.

2) the iTune music store's been offering DRM-free tracks since last spring, where the labels' will permit it. See http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/05/30itunesplus.html.

Your outrage seems misplaced and misinformed. DRM's got nothing to do with the music seller -- it's got to do with the RIAA's demands and the major labels' refusal to accept a new market model.