Downloads are worthless.

[idc]

I did not realise that illegal lossless downloads are available. Do any of you know why are they not available from the main online sites? Now I really do feel that itunes initial product was very poor value.

The only illegal thing I have done is use a converter to share music from my itunes with my son's Creative Zen. He is seven and I feel that encouraging a love of music now will benefit him in the future. When he is old enough he will not be allowed to illegally download or share music, but I can see us sharing music between us.

 

[Alec]

idc:

I did not realise that illegal lossless downloads are available. Do any of you know why are they not available from the main online sites? Now I really do feel that itunes initial product was very poor value.

The only illegal thing I have done is use a converter to share music from my itunes with my son's Creative Zen. He is seven and I feel that encouraging a love of music now will benefit him in the future. When he is old enough he will not be allowed to illegally download or share music, but I can see us sharing music between us.

yeah its a mystery to me too. lossless available free...hmmm

 

[idc]

This site http://www.hdtracks.com/ offers lossless downloads and there appear to be discounts available here

http://www.deals365.us/index.php?action=mer&merid=11522.

It is a US site, so do not know how that would workout. However, the value of a download which comes with a pdf file containg artwork and at such high quality is worth investigating.

Still cannot find any free sites...............

 

[chebby]

Just noticed this one still going strong.

Anyone been convinced that their downloads/rips (lossless or otherwise) are worthless yet? Anyone 'ditched the DAC', eliminated an iPod or incinerated their iTunes before dashing off to buy a 'real olde worlde digital' CD player?

No time to read the whole thing, sorry.

Listening to great music.

 

[Alec]

chebby:Anyone been convinced that their downloads/rips (lossless or otherwise) are worthless yet? Anyone 'ditched the DAC', eliminated an iPod or incinerated their iTunes before dashing off to buy a 'real olde worlde digital' CD player?.

Yup.

Damn...

 

[Anonymous]

idc:
I did not realise that illegal lossless downloads are available. Do any of you know why are they not available from the main online sites?ÿ

It's called file sharing. The data comes in packets from many sources (peers), not one single server that the owner would have to pay for along with the bandwidth costs.

 

[idc]

Illegal downloads are worthless, as is file sharing. Stealing and borrowing something does not make it your property to own. This article from over a year ago in the Boston Globe shows that the big download players such as itunes are still wanting to offer as little as possible for as much as they can get. I want lossless downloads with a free backup if you can show you lost the first download through no fault of your own (virus, fire whatever) for less than the price of a CD from Amazon and itunes now!

 

[Anonymous]

7 Digital is an excellent site that provides the majority of their mp3 downloads at around 320kbps...ok not lossless but not bad quality either. You can download your tracks several times as I have recently discovered when I had my laptop stolen! They are cheaper than iTunes and often have discounts on the top sellers (chart albums often £5.00)

 

[idc]

A guarantee where you are able to re-download a track is very good indeed. Off to investigate 7 digital and also to see if any others offer such a deal. Thanks oeurf.

 

[idc]

Only 7digital appear to offer repeated downloads, but only one of there is a problem with the first one. Amazon and itunes do not offer such a guarantee. Both advise backups. All three though allow sharing with up to five devices ie computers and mp3 players.

 

[idc]

Thought I would re-visit this thread to see how things are panning out in the world of downloads. Itunes has got a bit cheaper as Amazon has come in with its very comprehensive download shop. Downloads are still at 360kbps or so. 7digital is pretty much the same. So downloads are still not worth it when so often the CD is available at the same price or less, it offers a higher bit rate and automatic backup.

But wait, Spotify, of course. Now tracks can be downloaded. Though there is a limit at 3,333 tracks. But if you pay the £99 for a years subscription that works out at 3p per download if you use your maximum. It has an automatic backup as it is always online.

Downloads are no longer worthless!

 

[JonnyD]

Surely spotify removes the need to have downloaded tracks at all. The songs are always accessible, so you don't actually have to 'own' them in any form, just reach out into the big wide interweb and click the play button!

The way I see their service, the £99/year gives you that freedom to have any music at your fingertips, without having to have the storage/money it would need for such a huge personal collection. I would count that cost in £'s/download at all.

Another thing is portability, I know they've stepped things up again with a bunch of phones supported, but not everyone has a phone that can do this, if they could allow use with any mp3 player that would be real portability!

I can still understand the desire to buy CD's and vinyl, I love physical media, there really is something great about watching a record go round and round!

 

[idc]

The downloading part is great for me because where I live in the evenings, if all the neighbours go online there is bandwidth throttling. As I am streaming music I am using a good amount of the bandwidth, so my connection keeps being cut. I can however download the music to avoid that. It also means I dont need to long on at all.