Now at Napster: 6 million DRM-free MP3s
(Credit:
Napster)
Probably the biggest piece of digital music news to come out of CES 2008 was that Napster was planning to offer its complete catalog of more than 6 million tracks in the unprotected MP3 format.
On Tuesday, with the launch of version 4.5 of the software and store, that announcement becomes a reality. Although digital music stores such as eMusic, Amazon MP3, and even Napster itself already had MP3s on offer before this point, the collective catalogs of all three didn't even come near the volume of tracks you can find in the entire Napster library. All four major labels and thousands of indies are represented in the store, and every track will be available at the standard 99 cent price point.
Napster's Web-based store with the online media player window open.
(Credit: Napster)In addition, Napster's Web-based store, which is all that is required for MP3 purchases and downloads, is compatible with every operating system. And--of course--the MP3s can be played on any MP3 player, portable video player, or music cell phone. Currently, 95 percent of the catalog is encoded at 256Kbps, which is reasonably high-quality for an MP3, and each track comes with hi-resolution album art (at least 1,000x1,000 pixels). Although Napster has quite an international presence, the MP3 store will only be available to U.S. residents for the time being.
Napster will continue to offer its online and To Go subscription services for $12.95 or $14.95 per month, respectively. The music associated with a subscription will remain in the protected WMA format with the time-out capability.
The company did make some improvements to its online interface. It now features a "liquid layout," which resizes everything within both the store and media player windows when you adjust the size of either window. Napster has also improved its download management system so that users can better view what has been purchased already and whether it was ever downloaded after the purchase.
Sadly, because of label restrictions, Napster will not be offering any type of trade program for customers who have a library of DRM-protected WMA files that they purchased a la carte. However, the licenses on those files will continue to be supported by the service, so no need to worry about a repeat of the MSN Music scandal. At least not for now.
For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine. 
But I`m for anything that hurts Apple.
BTW...any music worth "napstering" got NAPSTERED back in 1999-2000
"...anything that hurts Apple", such a childish comment. If it hurts Apple, it will hurt MS, IBM, GM, Ford, plus many other companies. It will hurt thousands of folks such as employees, suppliers, car manufactures, manufacturing, music industry, families of the aforementioned, it becomes truly a domino effect that may well trickle down hurting you. Be careful what you wish for you may receive it. What you're saying is you want everyone to hurt. Very childish self centered.
How is Apple greedy? The RIAA wants more than .99 cents a song Apple held the RIAA to .99 cents a song; where's the greed? It has been written in many journals that Apple doesn't make very much off each sale. The vast majority of the .99 goes to the RIAA.
What does the RIAA do with the windfall of Apple sales, not share it with the artists; the artists are operate under contract; paid so much for what they produce. Because of those contacts even if the RIAA reaped all the money in the world they are not under any obligation to share a penny more with the artists. So who's greedy? It's all a contractual business.
You want a raise you want more income, will you then work longer hours, more diligently, coming in earlier, etc.? If not why pay you more, D'oh. You want more income for doing the same amount of work. Hey, maybe you're the greedy one.
Apple doesn't have a monopoly, by definition a monopoly: "(economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller". Many others along with Apple sell songs. It's that Apple provided the best marketing plan; is that what you don't like? Yes iPod sales may have slowed a bit, your point is? Zune hasn't sold much at all. Also look at the many MP3 players that have fallen by the wayside. Though some were good people didn't want them. Don't blame Apple.
Sadly you seem to relish in others misfortune.
Pass.
There is very little difference between AAC and MP3. In my experience, they sound virtually the same. And I'm pretty sure that an MP3 at 320 kbps sounds better than AAC at 256 kbps. If you hate compression so much, just use WMA Lossless or any other Lossless format. Those sound just like a CD.
I have ripped my entire CD collection to Apple Lossless for use in iTunes and moving to an iPod. I have never bought an online track in lossy format and never will.
That is the real key for online music sales.
Besides, NAPSTER SUCKS! I trialed them last summer on their subscription service. Their tags are inconsistent, a lot of them are in ALL CAPS, there are skips in their tracks. Seems like they ripped them with a P3 400 with crappy software.
It seems that Record companies have no stake in online distribution so they don't master the music specifically for online distribution and they don't manage the quality of the rip, the lossy formats are not responsible for bad rips.
The Record companies need to master the recordings for the medium, much like when they remaster old tapes to take advantage of lossless CD-Rate or SACD formats to get the best possible sound from the music.
Unitl they decide to specifically create for the online market. And ensure end-to-end quality of every aspect of the recording and packaging, much like they do with CDs and SACDs, then I may look again at online distribution.
See you at the local record store.....
If it is true that the vast majority of the .99 goes to the RIAA and it's member companies.... why is that? They are doing basically NOTHING to warrant getting that big of a share of the money.
- by barbarbboatright July 16, 2008 10:35 PM PDT
- I tried to download your program and couldn't but im am registered but how to i download my music on my mp3 player zunV.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(24 Comments)please help
thank you,