Downloading

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PV
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Downloading

Post by PV »

I have been using MM for a few months now and have successfully cataloged all of my existing music. Now I want to expand my library via music downloads. I have been checking into sites like the new iTunes for windows, buymusic.com, and liquidaudio.com. Before I pick a site I want to find out if there is a site that works best with MM. I understand that buymusic.com downloads are in a WMA DRM format and that may not work with MM. I currently store all of my files in the MP3 format. Whatever source I select to obtain my downloads, I want to be sure I can easily convert and organize them within my MM library.

Sorry for the remedial question - I am not so technical, just musical.

:roll:
PV
jiri
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Post by jiri »

That's quite an interesting question. Problem of all the legal music download services is that they use some kind Digital Right Management for the music you can download and thus they restrict their customers a lot (particularly in the use for portable devices). The only exception I know about is EMusic, you can download ordinary MP3s there which can be used whatever way you want to.

Jiri
PV
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Post by PV »

Thanks. I have checked into EMusic in the past. The problem there is the available songs. You cannot find many "mainstream" artists.

The new iTunes for Windows seems to download in the AAC format, and MM indicates that with the use of plug-ins I will be able to convert from AAC to MP3. I am not sure how to install and/or use the plug-ins, but I can figure that part out. Which plug-in is the right one to go from AAC to MP3?

Still learning,

:-?
PV
PV
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Post by PV »

Upon further research into the iTunes Music Store it appears that you can select the download format and that MP3 is one of the options. I think I am going to give it a try.

I will report back on how it goes. Has anyone else used iTunes and MM?

Wish me luck!!
PV
Lowlander
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WinAmp plugins

Post by Lowlander »

You might want to research WinAmp and download service compatibility. Especially if plugins exist for these type of services.
You can also read help/faq on this on the download sites.

Let us know what you find out, good luck!
PV
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Post by PV »

Did not get to check out the iTunes last night, maybe tonight. I will let you all know. :D

PV
PV
perofoslo
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Re: Downloading

Post by perofoslo »

It seems like a lot of people forget that most places have public libraries. Among the books there may be a lot of music CDs and DVDs?
Probably not this week's top hit (You'll easely find the newest hits on the web anyway), but nice stuff to your liking - and maybee even a good book :o
PV
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Post by PV »

Well, I was able to download a number of songs using iTunes, and even though I requested an MP3 format, they are on my hard drive as AAC files (which may be operator error). I will try again later. In the meantime, which MM plug-in do I need to covert these to MP3 and add them to my MM library?

And as for the local public library, I am lucky enough to work only 2 blocks from our main branch and currently have a couple of great swing CD's checked out. Our branch has a pretty good selection of some current artists as well, such as Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, etc...

PV
PV
Guest

Post by Guest »

AFAIK the AAC format iTUNES gives you is DRM wrapped and no converter can convert the format to another with the DRM in place.

I believe you have two options to turn this into an mp3 file, one is to burn an audio CD then rip/encode to mp3, or the second is use a recorder tool to record the playback to a wav file then encode that.

jake
Lowlander
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Here is a nice read on iTunes DRM

Post by Lowlander »

Here is a nice read on iTunes DRM : http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,a ... g,1,00.asp
PV
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Post by PV »

What a pain in the A** this is turning out to be. I had to burn my AAC-DRM files to a CD then rip them back into MM - in the meantime I lost all the header information associated with the file! I am trying very hard to be a legal consumer of digital media, but I don't like being forced to use my digital audio files in a particular format or with a particular player. I can put a CD I buy in the store into any CD player, Sony, Samsung, Bose, etc... and it will play. I paid for these songs, and as long as I am not reproducing and selling them and I am just listening to them in my home, car, and office, then I should be able to select the format and the player!!

And forget the QTFairUse - it leaves you with a file that you cannot use (unless you have a re-coding tool and a degree in computer science).

Next I am thinking about trying the New Napster. I think I can download my files in MP3 format and, according to the Napster site, incorporate them into my existing MP3 library.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am listening!!! (Just not to iTunes' AAC-DRM files)

:evil:
PV
perofoslo
Posts: 6
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Re: Here is a nice read on iTunes DRM

Post by perofoslo »

Lowlander wrote:Here is a nice read on iTunes DRM : http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,a ... g,1,00.asp
Bad news!
I'm from the same city as DVD Jon, and I'm sorry to report that he is again in court on the same case (Disney/Universal?).
When I copy my DVDs to disk I have noticed that DG (Classical) DVDs are not encrypted, all other DVDs (classical) are encrypted. They (DG) know I would always prefere the clear sound and high-defination video of the original DVD. Copying DVD videos with HD video and Dolby sound to hard-disk don't make price/quality sence at this time (neighter do my language).
But my right to have a personal copy (bad) of the content of the CD/DVD that I have bougt in case the original plastic is damaged by me, is a universal right just as everybody makes backups of all Computer data; bought or home-made!
I think there is a ''DVD Jon'' support club somewhere?
// per :o
PV
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Post by PV »

Well, it has been a while since I checked in and I am still fighting with music downloading options. Napster's program would lock up my PC every time I tried to run it. Walmart.com is now offering downloads for $0.88 per song - sound great until you run into the DRM. You cannot convert the format to MP3 and wma files, while smaller than wav they are still larger than the MP3 format I prefer. buymusic.com is the same way. All of these sites let you burn an audio CD and then I can rip the files back into MM - I just don't have all the file text (artist, title, album, etc...). Are there any plans to have MM work with DRM coded files? Or are there any sites that anyone knows about that will let you download a clean file - anything that I can convert with MM to MP3?

:roll:
PV
rovingcowboy
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Post by rovingcowboy »

what your asking for in a not so rough way like i am going to say is.

how the .... do you get past the dma code to make good copy mp3s with title and other song infromation.

:oops:

sorry but i had to put it in a way that most wanted to say but wouldnt. :roll:

as for doing that you will have to find the cracker sites and see if they have found away around it.

but doing the converting with mm is done by using winamp plugins. just down load the proper plug in and put it in the plugin folder inside the mm folder. then you can select it from the list when you run mm.

weather or not that will also copy the song information i dont know but go to http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=137828and look at this one it might help..

i think it would be called an output plugin on the winamp site?

if that dont work then your back to typing in the info after you burn then rip the song from the cd.

8)
roving cowboy / keith hall. My skins http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... =9&t=16724 for some help check on Monkey's helpful messages at http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... 4008#44008 MY SYSTEMS.1.Jukebox WinXp pro sp 3 version 3.5 gigabyte mb. 281 GHz amd athlon x2 240 built by me.) 2.WinXP pro sp3, vers 2.5.5 and vers 3.5 backup storage, shuttle 32a mb,734 MHz amd athlon put together by me.) 3.Dell demension, winxp pro sp3, mm3.5 spare jukebox.) 4.WinXp pro sp3, vers 3.5, dad's computer bought from computer store. )5. Samsung Galaxy A51 5G Android ) 6. amd a8-5600 apu 3.60ghz mm version 4 windows 7 pro bought from computer store.
PV
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Virginia

Post by PV »

Okay - I will check into some winamp plugins and see if I have better luck.

I'll get back to everyone with a success/failure report soon.

Thanks & Happy Holidays (whatever your particular holiday)

:)
PV
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