Question about downloading songs

[MattM]

I want to buy and download songs to my computer to burn to a CD. Can I do this with ITunes, or is that only to use with an iPod?

[cpmusic]

Songs are downloaded from iTunes in the iPod's proprietary format, but the iTunes software will burn songs to a CD in whatever order you choose.

If you want MP3 files, you'll need to rip them from the CD format. It's a clumsy way of doing things, but it works.

[PorkPieGuy]

Seems like I've done this through iTunes. I can't remember. I'm 90% sure that it's possible.

[Mr. IJaK]

Yes, you can do this with iTunes. Why not just buy the CD online, though.

[Herb Hunter]

I use iTunes for the purpose of downloading music and making CDs containing a variety of music. I don't even own an iPod.

I have the preferences set to download songs using AIFF encoding.

[valleyguy]

A news item today said that Universal music will begin selling unprotected MP3s online through Amazon and Best Buy. EMI had reported this recently, also. The music companies are becoming afraid of Apple's clout for online distribution, so are looking for other distribuiton routes/sites. Apple is trying to corner the market in digital music to force people to use iPods. iTunes purchased music cannot be played on any other player but iPods.

I have stayed away from iTunes purchases because I burn MP3s onto a CD to play in my car's MP3 player. I can play 12 hours of music on one CD and it displays the song information on my dashboard. Can't do that with iTunes purchased music. As was stated. You have to burn iTunes purchased music to a CD, then rip them to an MP3 and add all the tag information manually, a complete hassle to do for any reasonable amount of music.

If record companies allowed me to buy unprotected MP3s, I would spend quite a bit of money on music, as I'm sure others would do. Of course, they fear wholesale sharing of music, like Napster. Unfortunatley, that genie is already out of the bag. Copying of CDs is so easy, record companies lose a lot of possible sales, unlikd DVDs, which are MUCH harder to copy. The only solution the record industry has is to lower the price of music to the point that the hassle of copying music exceeds that of legally buying it. However, to do that would require lowering their profit margins, which woudl entail some massive cost-cutting on their part, something they appear to be unwilling to do. It's odd that every other industry goes through shake-ups and cost cuts & restructuring, but the entertaniment business goes on its happy way without changing.

Actually newer artists are completely bypassing the established music industry, thanks to the magic of the internet.

[jyee]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

I have the preferences set to download songs using AIFF encoding.

songs purchased from the iTunes music store are either in AAC protected format at 128kbps or unprotected AAC (iTunes plus) at 256kbps when available (depends on the publisher).

the iTunes software can be set to import music from CD's in a variety of formats and bitrates - AAC 128kbps is the default, but AIFF and other lossless formats are available.

In anycase, any song in your iTunes, no matter where it's from (store or CD) is burnable to a CD. simply create a playlist, insert a blank CD, then click the Burn CD button.

[Bobalouie3]

I use Walmart as my source for purchasing/downloading music. They charge $0.88 per WMA you download. Now, the hassle is the WMA format and making sure your licenses are properly stored and backed-up. I usually burn the WMA files to a CD and then re-rip them as mp3s so I have total portability across all of my family's various mp3 players.

[Mr. IJaK]

Originally Posted by valleyguy

iTunes purchased music cannot be played on any other player but iPods.

Yikes. Jobs has said repeatedly he doesn't like using DRM, that it eventually gets broken and open to piracy. EMI signed a deal with iTunes to sell DRM-less songs, and jobs would be signing the same deal with these guys if they let him.

[GCWaters]

Originally Posted by valleyguy

iTunes purchased music cannot be played on any other player but iPods.

Sure it can...it just takes another step or two...

[jyee]

Originally Posted by GCWaters

Sure it can...it just takes another step or two...

the problem with that step or two is that it usually involves something like burning to CD and the re-ripping the cd to mp3 (As someone else mentioned is their practice). that's sort of like making a copy of a copy... generally you end up with pretty bad quality. generally 256kbps sampling in most formats is considered near lossless. since most stores (including standard itunes store tracks) sell music that's sampled at 128kbps, you're getting half CD quality. you put that on a CD and reimport into your software of choice. if you reimport at 256kbps, then you've still got a track that's half cd quality. if you reimport at 128kbps, then you've now got half quality of half quality - so 1/4 CD quality.

It's up to you whether that matters or not. I use my ipod with nice sennheiser hd280's... so as far as headphones go, i can hear most subtle details. If you're using the stock headphones from your mp3 player, you may not be able to hear subtle details, so maybe losing quality isn't such a big deal.

[GCWaters]

Originally Posted by jyee

the problem with that step or two is that it usually involves something like burning to CD and the re-ripping the cd to mp3 (As someone else mentioned is their practice). that's sort of like making a copy of a copy... generally you end up with pretty bad quality. generally 256kbps sampling in most formats is considered near lossless. since most stores (including standard itunes store tracks) sell music that's sampled at 128kbps, you're getting half CD quality. you put that on a CD and reimport into your software of choice. if you reimport at 256kbps, then you've still got a track that's half cd quality. if you reimport at 128kbps, then you've now got half quality of half quality - so 1/4 CD quality.

It's up to you whether that matters or not. I use my ipod with nice sennheiser hd280's... so as far as headphones go, i can hear most subtle details. If you're using the stock headphones from your mp3 player, you may not be able to hear subtle details, so maybe losing quality isn't such a big deal.

All very true--I just said that it could be done....I use an ipod, so its not an issue....

[Bobalouie3]

I use the CDs I burn in my car, so you really can't hear much of the loss. If I was listening through high-end headphones or on my home stereo, it would be different, but in the car, I can't hear a difference.

It would be nice if all this DRM stuff eventually went away.

[Bong Twang Ping]

I use NoteBurner software, which is a virtual CD/RW drive. So instead of burning to an actual disc the songs are burned to mp3's in your designated folder, then you can just transfer them direct to your mp3 player! Free trial version download is limited to songs of less than 3 minutes. Unlock it for $34.95.

http://www.noteburner.com/

Bong.

[Bong Twang Ping]

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