Best place for legal MP3 downloads?

[old.user4556]

I presume it's iTunes, but fuck Apple bloatware - what's the best place for online legal music downloads?

 

[Raven]

isn't amazon introducing DRM free downloads? sure I read that somewhere.

 

[old.user4556]

dunno, that's why i'm asking, i'm new to it all

 

[DaGaffer]

The Amazon DRM-free service isn't here yet; its due to beta during 2008, and its unclear whether it will be available outside the US at launch. Personally, I reckon recent price drops have made CDs much more attractive than paid download; I can get chart albums in Zavvi for £5-£7.

 

[Deebs]

I am with Dave on this one, I won't pay the same price for a digital download as I can for a CD. Much prefer the physical media, that way I can put the music on whatever format I chose.

 

[old.user4556]

This is all great and all, but i'm looking for advice on the best place for legal downloads?

 

[DaGaffer]

This is all great and all, but i'm looking for advice on the best place for legal downloads?

At DaGaffer'sdownloadsforBigG I'll charge you 50p a track, much cheaper than iTunes. That do you?

If you insist on using one of these other inferior services then it depends on which device you expect to use for playback. There are quite a few services, but despite the bloatware accusations iTunes probably has the best catalogue and ease of use.

 

[throdgrain]

I find itunes very easy fwiw.

 

[bob269]

Theres Qtrax launched last week which supposed to offer 4 major labels tracks free of charge via some sort of subscription fee, however on launch of the website they forgot to obtain said labels permissions,


Qtrax free music service has launch problems at CD Freaks.com

 

[Opt1]

I'd say iTunes if it wasn't for their shit DRM and whatever else they do..

Would always prefer a CD..

 

[old.user4556]

Ok, the reason i'm asking is that i've got my home server installed nice and wireless in my hall cupboard. I've got a 500 GB disk for it, and i'm going to use it to store all my CDs in loseless format so that I can pack them up and put them away whilst having my whole catalogue stored for ease and distribution in the home to the PS3 or whatever.

However, I don't want to buy a CD for just a song or two (i don't want every Iron Maiden album for example, just a track or so from different albums), but I want to be able to get the odd song.

I know some of you are slapping yourselves in the head because i'm not downloading them from an officially illegal peer to peer network, but you can't say that here - but in the past i've not been able to get more obscure stuff or reasonable files at a reasonable download speed that aren't shitty 128 kbps.

It would be good to log in, select a raft of songs (new and old) in 192 kbps and upward and download them at speed. I don't want to go and buy CDs of each artist just to get that odd song, but I will still buy the whole physical album if it warrants it.

 

[old.user4556]

At DaGaffer'sdownloadsforBigG I'll charge you 50p a track, much cheaper than iTunes. That do you?

Tried there, I found a video of Trem pulling a goatse and I promptly terminated my sub.

 

[DaGaffer]

Tried there, I found a video of Trem pulling a goatse and I promptly terminated my sub.

That was just a taster, you shoud see the subscriber-only stuff...

 

[Jupitus]

That was just a taster, you shoud see the subscriber-only stuff...

Yeah Dave - you told me I'd get some royalties!!!

 

[Mobius]

I can't help but just out of curiousity how much does one mp3 cost with services like this? I've never used them before.

 

[Will]

(i don't want every Iron Maiden album for example, just a track or so from different albums)

This is where you are going wrong. You need every Iron Maiden song. You need them now.

 

[Tom]

The first record I ever bought was The Number of the Beast. The second was Women in Uniform

 

[Raven]

I can't help but just out of curiousity how much does one mp3 cost with services like this? I've never used them before.

80p or so usually, though if you buy an entire album they are usually cheaper. Still not worth it when you can pick up the CD for £7-£8 from play.com and the like (imo)

 

[Tom]

And you can re-sell the CD.

And the quality is a lot better.

And it comes with artwork.

And without DRM.


Legal mp3 downloads are a load of shite for what they offer. You know what, if Oink had had a system where you could buy what you downloaded - I'd have bought the majority of the albums I got from it. As things stand, I've bought most of them anyway.

 

[Raven]

I was pissed off to find that the few albums i bought from Itunes vanished when i reformatted my PC, I would have had to have bought them again if I wanted them again. Got them back through torrents though.

 

[nath]

I was pissed off to find that the few albums i bought from Itunes vanished when i reformatted my PC, I would have had to have bought them again if I wanted them again. Got them back through torrents though.

Are you 100% on that? Could you not just log on to itunes and get it to redownload them?

 

[throdgrain]

No you cant, I had that too which is utter shit :/

 

[Raven]

Are you 100% on that? Could you not just log on to itunes and get it to redownload them?

No, I assumed it worked like steam, once you buy them they are yours, but no

 

[throdgrain]

The first record I ever bought was The Number of the Beast. The second was Women in Uniform

The Trooper is an awesome song