The iTunes Music Store is the coolest thing ever

[Drake Tungsten]

Finally downloaded iTunes 4 just to check it out and I'm very impressed. It's amazing how smoothly it all works. You just click on the "Music Store" icon in your iTunes player and you're there in seconds. Enter the keyword you want to search for and all the relevant songs come up right away. There's 30 second samples for every song, which I've been listening to for a while now.

The artist selection, while far from complete, is pretty impressive so far considering the store just opened. Most current artists seem well covered, while older artists are more hit and miss. The Who are represented, but the Beatles and Led Zeppelin aren't. You can't get any Tribe Called Quest MP3's, but there are a ton from Eric B. and Rakim. No Snoop Dogg yet, but plenty of Dr. Dre. You get the idea.

Prices seem reasonable, although they could stand to be lower. 99 cents per song, $9.99 for an entire album. Only take a single button press to buy a song. Very slick.

Anyway, the system is great and seems to be doing well. Hopefully other artists will sign on and make this a viable, legal way to purchase music online. Apple has done some great work this time around.

[Agathon]

What do you think of the AAC encoding? I like it - much better than mp3.

[Spiffor]

Do they also sell CDs online there ? When I buy music, I like to have top-notch sound quality, rather than a compressed file

[Drake Tungsten]

Some news stories

New Apple Service Off To Quick Start

Observers are calling the launch of Apple Computer's digital music service the iTunes Music Store an overwhelming success, Billboard Bulletin reports. The service, which went live Monday, sold an estimated 275,000 tracks at 99 cents apiece in its first 18 hours, according to major-label sources.

All songs -- including exclusive material and videos from U2, Eminem, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Sting, and others -- can be previewed for free as 30-second samples. All can be burned to a CD and are automatically synched to an iPod.

The feat is especially remarkable when considering that the offering is available only to the limited universe of users of Apple computers. The launch thereby sets the stage for a race between a host of media and technology companies to create and effectively promote similar services for the much bigger Microsoft-equipped PC market.

"There is going to be a race to see who can get to the Windows market and start to replicate this," says the head of new media at one major label. "The question is [whether] someone else wants to put up the kind of money that Apple is to let people know they're there."

Apple says it plans to make iTunes compatible with the PC by the end of the year. Sources tell Bulletin that two major labels have already cut wholesale agreements with Apple for the Windows version of the service.

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1878475

A nice set of related links.

http://www.allosx.com/1051812880

[Drake Tungsten]

What do you think of the AAC encoding? I like it - much better than mp3.

Haven't bought anything yet and probably won't for awhile. I'll be strapped for cash until I start my new job and the last thing I need to do is go on a music buying spree. It's very tempting, though...

[Ted Striker]

*standing ovation*

Finally someone GREW A DAMN BRAIN AND GAVE THE CONSUMERS WHAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS WANTED

[Bereta_Eder]

A nice alternative

Actually (I didnt read anything but the first few lines) this could be the solution: since most of the cost of the CDs come from retailing allegendly.

[Drake Tungsten]

Do they also sell CDs online there ? When I buy music, I like to have top-notch sound quality, rather than a compressed file

No. It's all downloadable files. There's already plenty of places to buy CD's online.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

What do you think of the AAC encoding? I like it - much better than mp3.

Haven't bought anything yet and probably won't for awhile. I'll be strapped for cash until I start my new job and the last thing I need to do is go on a music buying spree. It's very tempting, though...

Uh.. Drake, if you open the preferences pane you can change the encoding from mp3 to AAC and then rip CD's into AAC. That's how I got my hands on them, because the store isn't serving Canadians yet.

[Ted Striker]

For those of you who want the same thing with movies, check out movielink.com

This is a rental place though...

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Do they also sell CDs online there ? When I buy music, I like to have top-notch sound quality, rather than a compressed file

The AAC format is much better than mp3. Smaller files about twice the quality. I agree, I'm a hi fi nut so I insist on CD's. I suppose hi fi doesn't matter that much for a lot of pop music though.

You are paying significantly less though - 10 bucks an album.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
No. It's all downloadable files. There's already plenty of places to buy CD's online.

I'm glad this is done at last The price remains a little steep, but otherwise it's great ! A great step in the direction of getting rid of the dreadful disc industry

[Ted Striker]

Modern CD's aren't worth the money.

1, maybe 2 good tracks and that's it.

[Drake Tungsten]

Uh.. Drake, if you open the preferences pane you can change the encoding from mp3 to AAC and then rip CD's into AAC.

Duh. I knew that and didn't even think about it.

Might have to try ripping some songs into AAC after finals are over.

[Drake Tungsten]

Wow, this service has a **** load of classical music. No more struggling to find Beethoven sonatas.