BuyMusic.com
 

So, this new music download service was launched today. Songs as cheap as 79 cents each, and albums as cheap as $7.95.

So, the first thing that happens when I try to check it out (I'm using Mozilla Firebird) is that it tells me I have to be using IE on Windows. I also need Windows Media Player 9, apparently.

Different tracks/albums have different restrictions. For example, one album I searched for said I could download it to three other computers, transfer it to unlimited portable music players (as long as they're "SDMI" compliant, which I'm assuming is Microsoft's DRM system), and burn up to 3 copies to CD.

Of course, I'm wondering why you can't just burn a CD, rip the CD, and do whatever you want with it. Or does it somehow burn copy-protected CD's?

The only thing I see really wrong with this is the funny licensing on various songs. Some you can't burn to CD; some you can't take on a portable player. The most popular player, the iPod, is left out.

Otherwise, it seems as if they're pretty well doing it right. Just get that licensing thing worked out (easier said than done) and I'd probably find it useful.

From buy.com, the people who pioneered shitty service at low prices on the Internet.

Forget it. Buying music in any form is just feeding the RIAA in their quest to strike terror into the hearts of geeks everywhere (not to mention put some not-insignificant number in prison).

You're right about the easier-said-than-done part.

As far as the iPod, they have said that they specifically have no intention of supporting Apple. Yes, they're missing out on a lot of users, but I guess they figure they're not going to beat iTunes on their own turf. On the flip side though, I would say that I'd be very interested in iTunes if only they would support Windows users!

The article also explains the funny licensing. I guess they couldn't get all the labels to agree on consistent terms.

I looked into them a bit further... their minimum system requirements states that they require a "Pentium Class PC computer. Our music downloads are not compatible with any Mac OS. Pentium class is required for individualization settings to enable music licenses."

I take it from this last sentence that they are using the hard-coded Pentium ID tag built into those chips. I wonder if this means Athlon users are out of luck? If so, this means they aren't going to be reaching anywhere near the "97 percent of people with PCs" as they claim!

Does anyone know if Windows Media Player 9's CD burning feature employs any sort of DRM? If not, does there exist any sort of software that can emulate a CD-R on a hard drive? I've seen "virtual CD" programs before that can mount a directory to make it look like a CD-ROM, but didn't know if they existed for burning also. That would make it rather trivial to "burn" to one's hard drive, then copy it to any format desired.

Unfortunately, the RIAA still controls the music industry. Hopefully someday that will no longer be the case, but until it is, the artists still have to get paid. What sort of alternative do you propose? Only listening to music that you can buy directly from the artist?

related topic
 

Looks like Boston College and MIT are willing to throw lawyers at the situation.

iTunes for Windows will be available before the end of the year, so you should be good to go after that. :)

I haven't listened to it yet but iTunes' AAC encoding is getting better reviews than WMA and MP3. This is important because when you "burn" from services like these, you are not getting the original, but a song that has been through a codec and back to get to a CD.

I thought they had mentioned that before but wasn't sure and was too lazy to look it up. Do you know if it will support other players than iPod? If so, what type of DRM will it use?

Re: related topic
 

Griff, did you mean to post this in vsp's thread?

I think it'll support any players that support AAC. Right now, that's just the iPod, but I'm sure they'd let others license it.

You can burn unlimited CDs, but if the playlist includes a purchased song, you can only burn it 10 times before mixing it up - i.e., switching tracks 1 and 2 around. You can get around this, obviously, by just copying the CD instead of burning from within iTunes.

You can only copy the music to three computers. After that, you have to disable the music on one computer to copy it to a fourth.

That's about it, really.

AAC is MPEG-4 Audio, so it's a standard that can be ported to current MP3 players that have updatable codecs if the manufacturer wants to.

The DRM present on iTunes Music Store m4a files (the AAC file extension) is relatively easy to circumvent, too. There are a few Apple iPod sites "out there" that discuss it.