Comments on: When will iTunes replace Wal-Mart as No. 1 music retailer?
An NPD analyst says unless downward trend in CD sales suddenly reverses, Apple will overtake Wal-Mart as the country's leading music retailer this year.
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I wonder how many of them will need to re-buy the tracks to make them work of other equipment?
[i]"I wonder how many of them will need to re-buy the tracks to make them work of other equipment?"[/i]
Zero. Simply burn the tracks to CD (using iTunes to do it), then rip the CD back to nice, un-DRM'd .mp3. You can even do it in batches, and as a bonus you have a bunch of music CD's you can take anywhere you like.
Any other ignorant stuff you'd like to post today? I'd be happy to dispel it for you...
/P
do!
DRM is the problem.
Try getting past your anti-Apple bias sometime.
Try getting past the Kool-Aid. Steve says what makes him and Apple money.
Just a thought.
en
How many options are there to upload music to a Zune or any other player that plays Windows Media protected tracks? Hmm... can't think of any, but I don't hear anyone whining... I'm no Apple fanboy there are many legit reasons to whine about the iPod, but you come off as pretty ignorant.
make with the dinosaur record labels to get the content. Simple
as that. It allowed them to get to where they are now.
With Apple's climb in standing as a music retailer, they will gain
the clout to bend the will of the dinosaurs, especially now that
they're going to need Apple to sell anything. The labels that
refuse to go along will be bought out when they end up in more
financial trouble than they are already. And I wouldn't be
surprised to see Apple start buying labels.
if they pull out their songs from itune and post only on amazon, then people will have switch.
just like HD DVD lose out due to studio pull out.
itune is just a store front, they sell other people's product. If they don't provide them with song (just like studio pull TV shows from them) then there is nothing they can do about it.
BTW. DMR was not on CD before...
it was just recent years that they add to digital music...and apple is part of that.
If I were the CEO of any retail electronics firm(Best Buy, Circuity City, etc.) I would have a 3 year plan tops to replace 100% the profit made off of CD & DVDs. Audio CDs death is all, but a forgone conclusion. Even with the slow cheap DSL connections downloading a music track takes less time than listening to the track. Just because DVDs sales aren't dropping ~10% a year yet doesn't mean you should be complacent. Blu-ray sales will start to take off now that HD-DVD is dead, but you can't count on Blu-ray to make up all of the sales. For people without a HD screen standard def content is just fine and why would they spend $3/gal gas to buy a DVD when in the same time they could download the same movie for about the same price?
For several million people in the right part of the country with the right service plan standard definition DVD quality streaming is already practical. In some very rare cases if you have the money a few areas with fiber optic connections can get enough bandwidth to where near HD video is actually practical. The major factor preventing many people outside of rural America where decent bandwidth is available from getting all their video through their internet connection is the selection of content. The contracts to distribute the content I think stop more legal movie downloads than technology. Once the motion picture industry overcomes their reluctance, DVD sales will fall like a rock.
iTunes or whatever becomes the top movie download/rental service won't be approaching the top for a few years, but I expect large growth in the next year. As fiber optic is being laid around the country the technological barriers to iTunes and other movie services becoming a threat to those who sell DVDs will fall. Licensing barriers are likely to be a greater barrier in most cases than bandwidth.
Between falling sales of CDs/DVDs and lower margins for televisions I think Circuit City might die.
people can then pay at the cashier and the songs will be email to them.
this way no kids need credit cards and people that like to flip through CD can still do the same.
But the online people, almost exclusively drop them.
Well, thats not a competitive advantage to have less features. And while many people don't care...for those that do, we remain loyal to DVD.
We have no choice.
Until then, Apple needs to make iTunes available to all...even if it is available in binary format! :^)
has more software included and iTunes has never stopped anyone
with other mp3 players.
for you to afford, right ?
You just don't get it. BMW is NOT interested in selling cars to you. You are NOT
their target customer. Ditto with Apple.
Say what you like, but at last count, I think Apple, as a corporation is worth MORE
than HP, and certainty worth more than Dell.
What was on there were things like "My Name Is Jack" and other songs that were done because pressing a B-side was free.
Now with digital downloads, they've done away with the B-side artifact.
Most of the music was garbage (Did we REALLY need whatever the f*ck was on the flip side of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"? [http://I won't even go into whether we really needed "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".|http://I won't even go into whether we really needed "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".])
Music is going back to its pre-pressing roots.
surprise B-side hits.
You're right, music is going back to it's pre-pressing days, with
new artists able to produce, and distribute their own medium.
Until someone figures out a way to cluster that up. Comcast
anyone?
when they were only available for the Mac, the envy began. Now,
the mantra is built in and they can't get over it. I completely
agree with the comment about how many computers do you
need your music on? My problem is with record companies
trying to force a price structure on iTunes and on us. It is
democracy in action, baby. Ever notice that the top tunes in
iTunes are not the same as the BillBoard top tunes?
High fives and cheers around for Jobs, iTunes and iPods!
Look at the people taking photos and video with their cell phones - today is more about speed than quality
You and I sir are dinosaurs
masses all they want is "good enough". They are not willing to pay
for "the best there is" or even "slightly better". Most people also
find the iTunes DRM to be mild enough that they don't care that
DRM-free files are available.
When marketing something like music files the big profit is in
volume, so "good enough" is all the higher you need to aim.
Walmart has an extremely small catalog, and Apple sells low quality versions with DRM, so neither caters to me.
I think right now is perhaps one of the best times to buy a Mac. I could get a very good MacBook configuration for all of $2200. Having said that, I recently bought a new IBM ThinkPad for the same cost. I find like anything, you get what you pay for in computers. You buy a $800 Dell system and that is what you get, basic hardware requirements and not very upgradeable. If you spend a little more on say a Mac or an IBM you get top of the line hardware with a good warranty. So, you shouldn't really compare prices of Macs with Dell or HP, it is hardly a fair comparison.
On the other hand, Apple is gouging a bit with the iPods. $499 for the new 32 Gig iPod touch seems a little excessive to me. But then you are getting a superior MP3 player with sleek design.
Apple is not out to get all people switched over the Macs from PCs. They certainly have their Niche. PC users are not likely to switch to Macs just be cause the price drops, but rather only if their needs change. Apple is comparable to BMW in that regard.
computer with cheap parts and processors. So you will never see a
$499 desktop system.
But in the past 2 years Apples prices have gone below all other competitors with similar configurations. Don't believe me go build
your own. You can get a good iMac or MacBook for 1100, not to
bad.
of flash memory and next weeks announcements will completely
solidify that fact. In a marketing since, they've pulled a fast one
on the unwary. The touch screen, hand-held computer has been
slipped into the hands of a lot of people.
The price of flash memory will continue come down as more people
buy, the technology improves to produce more for less cost, etc
Been watching these threads about how to get 256Kbps tracks from CD into iPod. No way am I going to 128Kbps. What benefit is to be had by using iTunes? What's the highest bitrate they offer and what other goodies come with a high bitrate AAC (which I think is the proper term instead of MP3)?
Would having a Mac make it easier to shove tracks from a CD to the iPod or what other third party software will do that from XP? I still used portable CD players. I CAN tell the difference between 128Kbps and 192Kbps and higher. So I'm planning to do it right, from the start, at 256Kbps as I don't plan to put DVD movies on it. Maybe a YouTube music video or two.
What API calls are avallable to link lyrics BMP, GIF, JPG to a current song playing? Like what's supposed to be available at iTunes "premium" rate AAC/MP3's. Got a lot to learn in just a short amount of time as I purchased an extended warranty from Apple knowing I'd run out of time before I learned to do things that come naturally to teens these days. I do have iTunes 7.6.1 loaded on the laptop.
I wish Apple had included a book like "iTunes/iPod for Dummies" type of book to kick start the process that's new to us. I'm not THAT behind in IT, just the iPod nonsense, which I put off as long as possible. Have used a Mac in around 1990 and was surprisingly simple. No, I won't transfer to Mac completely as I spent the last 28 years kicking MSFT in the arse for not having $$$ software work RIGHT the first time out of the box let alone keep a network up and running.
I will say this. I HATE MSFT for what they've done to us with DMCA/DRM. Not to mention all the good software written years ago that was great, but no longer exists. Chalk me up for a die hard XP user. I will NOT buy Vista, which is just a more iron DRM grip on our digital lives. It's about time MSFT got stopped and it's working. Good work world! Vista is Win/me all over again, this time with DRM.
Any suggestions about the iPod before it becomes a paperweight?
1) You can set iTunes (the software, not the music store) to import music from CDs as MP3 rather than the default AAC-- and at the bit rate of your choice. On the Windows version click Edit, then Preferences... click on the Advanced tab, then the Importing sub-tab. Clicking the Custom button lets you set MP3 bit rates up to 320... Some users prefer to setup iTunes to use the LAME encoder rather than Apple's built-in encoder, feeling like they get better sound quality. (Search on Google for how to do that); alternatively, you can use 3rd-party software to rip (import) CDs to MP3 with the settings you prefer, then use iTunes' File/Add Folder to Library menu to bring the files into your music library.
2) While Apple doesn't include a printed manual (and neither do most tech gadget manufacturers anymore)there are several good 3rd-party books. I recommend David Pogue's 'The Missing Manual' series.
3) There are lots of iTunes add-ons to do things like display lyrics for currently playing songs-- perhaps more for the Mac version than the Windows version, but in general, iTunes for Windows works fine.
4) Many long-time computer users get frustrated with iTunes because they have their own ways of organizing files, etc... my advice-- rather than trying to twist iTunes into working your way, try to learn the zen of iTunes. It has a lot of power, though many features are not immediately apparent.
Feel free to email me for more iTunes/iPod discussion.
The other thing is not to let any technology intimidate you. If you start getting frustrated, just remember, "You can put the iPod in the microwave, however, the iPod can not put you in the microwave."
If you have a PC disable the communication functions you are
not likely to use, such as Bonjour. If you aren't have a speed
issue, don't worry about.
iTunes provides the following flexibility using the preferences
window:
- iTunes lets you have 256kbps. It also allows you to customize
this with rates settings from 16-320kbps, sample rate options
of Auto/44.100khz/48.000khz, Mono/Stereo channels, optional
variable bit rate encoding, and optimization for voice.
- Encode in AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, MP3, and WAV
- Burning options, synching options, Apple TV support, iPhone,
and other options which are not part of what you asked about.
There's a lot more to this application than all the nay-sayers
care to admit.
By the way, you're right, I would suggest getting a Mac if you
are interested in one. The best low-end choice would be a
mini-mac, which you can attached to flat panel (I'm assuming
you have one, a 42" wall-mounted), and get the wireless option
built in.
Amazon is just out of beta , and already kicking a**
Millions of other music buyers as well as myself have refused to buy into any system that relies on DRM and have embraced Amazon in record numbers. Bye bye iSpoons...nice knowing you !
I will admit that iTunes protected tracks can only officially playback on Windows or MacOS, but for a lot of users the inability to playback on Linux would give you a blank stare amongst the clueless masses and a who cares to even a lot of people who know what linux is.
While most tracks on iTunes currently require DRM, I suspect that if Amazon makes too much headway into Apple's marketshare of digital downloads that Apple will attempt to move the remainder of their library to non-DRM tracks. The vast majority of the artists for the music on iTunes probably are indifferent towards the inclusion of Fairplay, therefore they could probably move most of their catalog over to non-DRM tracks without any long drawn out negotiations.
I doubt that charging 89c per track is going to make a big difference. Walmart was charging 88c for a while on their service and it failed to garner much interest.
As for quality Amazon is using 256 kilobits MP3s, which while a higher bitrate than the protected tracks is the same bitrate as the non-protected iTunes tracks. Since AAC is a newer audio codec a 256 kilobit AAC will tend to sound slightly better than a 256 MP3. Anyways isn't very relevant to most average users since most you likely wouldn't notice a difference on most cheap headphones. Most audiophiles would point out that even Amazon's service isn't lossless like CD-Audio.
Bottom line, Amazon is going to need to market their service better than Apple. Either that or they are going to have to find a way to be more price competitive. 10c a track is going to save you chomp change unless you are a real music acolyte. Except for Emusic virtually everybody is charging about a buck a track. There is a little variation on album cost, but albums seem to be a dying concept in the 21st century.
April 2, 2007?Apple® today announced that EMI Music?s entire
digital catalog of music will be available for purchase DRM-free
(without digital rights management) from the iTunes® Store
(www.itunes.com) worldwide in May. DRM-free tracks from EMI
will be offered at higher quality 256 kbps AAC encoding,
resulting in audio quality indistinguishable from the original
recording, for just $1.29 per song. In addition, iTunes customers
will be able to easily upgrade their entire library of all previously
purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free versions
for just 30 cents a song.
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