Westerberg on Amazon: an exercise in frustration

I'm a Replacements fan. Paul Westerberg's new album, 49:00, sounded intriguing. Like Radiohead and Trent Reznor and others, he's released it as a download first. Unlike these previous experiments, 49:00 is sold as a single album-length track. And while he's not technically giving it away, it costs only $0.49--a bit more than one cent per minute. (Paradoxically, the album is not 49 minutes long, but 43:55. The number refers to his 49th birthday, which occurs on the last day of 2008.)

So I headed over to Amazon.com's MP3 store. The front page has 49:00 as a highlighted selection. But the album download page says this song is available as a "full album only."And you can't download it by clicking on the title. Helpful. After stumbling around a between title pages, I finally figured out the only way to download the album is to click on the button on the upper right that says "Buy MP3 Album with 1-Click." Fine.

Unsatisfied. Not with the album, but with the record store.

Next, Amazon told me I had to download the Amazon MP3 Downloader, a piece of software that automatically adds Amazon downloads to iTunes or the Windows Media Player. So I completed the download, but as part of the installation process, it automatically opened Internet Explorer and sent me through a trial run to download a free Apples in Stereo song--apparently that's how it initializes the first time. Weird: Firefox is my default browser and I downloaded the Downloader in Firefox--but OK, I'm committed.

(Aside: I'm listening to the record now and the song just came up that starts "Everyone's stupid, everyone's stupid....")

So the free song download started in IE. It asked me where I wanted to save the .amz file. I created a new folder called Apples in Stereo within My Music, then opened the .amz file. Finally iTunes launched, and at long last the Apples in Stereo song was added to my library. Although darned if I could find the MP3 in the folder I created, and the .amz file was gone.

Five minutes down, and still no Paul Westerberg album! (What's that about one-click?) So, back to Firefox...only for some reason it says I have to download the Downloader again. I guess it's a cookie thing--the cookie was stored in IE so when I went through Firefox to download the record, Amazon couldn't read the cookie to know I'd already downloaded the Downloader. Whatever. I relaunched IE, found the page for 49:00 again, began the download, saved to a folder, opened the .amz file, and finally--at long last--the song was added to iTunes.

Who at Amazon thought this was a smooth process?

It was totally worth it, by the way. It sounds like the Replacements thrown into a blender and mixed up like a Guided by Voices record.

[jwmpc]

If your using a Mac, you are required to disable your firewall to enable the downloading process. It's one reason why I don't download much from Amazon.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Never had a problem using Amazon. And many Baroque music DL`s gave me like forty music tracks for less than ten dollars. I love Amazon and steer other people AWAY from Mr Whipple`s i-Lock-You-In-Tunes.

[SteamChip]

Matt?s Amazon download is a reminder of why it?s so tragic when one has to reformat their computer for one reason or another. Matt installed and configured at least one piece of software and perhaps more in order to get his Amazon music. There can be numerous small programs and configurations set up to do a specific task that are user installed on any given machine that many people don?t think about..

If he had to reformat his machine because a virus struck or he just wanted a bigger primary HD, he would have to start this process all over again.

[beekface]

This is a pretty bogus complaint. I think your experience was unique. I've had not problems with Amazon's 1-Click method and I've also downloaded 49:00. Yes, it's a bummer that you have to install software, but it's not nearly as demanding as iTunes. And Amazon's clear, fast previews and excellent daily deals probably makes it the best (legitimate) way to get digital music today. The real tragedy is that you use iTunes at all.

[helroth]

You can tell how well Apple's doing by the speed at which the haters come out.

I'm glad you like Amazon. Just remember, there would be no Amazon downloads if not for Apple and iTunes. It was Apple that got the record companies to "experiment" with downloads at a reasonable price; it was Apple that kept prices low when the record companies were demanding price raises; and it was Apple that first offered DRM-free music (though only EMI, and later some independents, would allow it). The only reason Warners, Universal and Sony would give DRM-free music to Amazon was to try to weaken iTunes. Those companies still won't allow iTunes to sell DRM-free music.

If iTunes goes away, what do you think happens to these 89¢-99¢ digital downloads of Amazon?

So enjoy your Amazon, and keep throwing the hate at Apple.