Will you upgrade your music to DRM free files?

Reply #25 – 2007-04-09 18:06:15

Quote from: Funkdude on 2007-04-09 17:07:22

This is a step in the right direction, but I won't consider buying music online until it is available in DRM-free lossless format. No, I can't hear the difference between the original and whatever compressed version they are offering (AAC at ~192?), but what happens in the future if this format becomes obsolete? You are screwed and stuck transcoding. Also, I don't know how the iTunes catalog is looking now, but back when I tried it, it was pretty lacking...

The DRM-free tracks will be encoded at 256kbps in the AAC format. I don't know if every DRM-free track from every label will be encoded at a high bitrate like that. Personally, I would much prefer to DRM-free 128kbps tracks as my ears don't need much. The iTunes catalog is pretty full now. Pretty much every major artist (new and old) had content available for download and the iTunes Store is offering a slew of indie music artists. The catalog has really grown since its inception in 2003. I would say that you can find "rare" albums easier and quicker than going to your local record store (Best Buy, Hastings, FYE, etc.). Just the other day I was hunting down a album by a group called Three Sixes. They are a indie metal band that had my attention. I checked Best Buy, Hastings, FYE, and a small independently operated record store. Nothing. I typed in the artist name and up popped their album for cheaper than the other stores would have sold it for. It was the first full album I purchased off of the iTunes Store.

My only complaint is that I am stuck with AAC files. The bitrate doesn't bother me and the file format doesn't currently bother me. However, I may not have a iPod my entire life or future devices may not support AAC. That is why I would prefer lossless so that I can simply transcode to the next lossy format (or transcode to a new lossless format) if AAC fades from the market. This probably isn't going to happen anytime soon as the success of the iPod and iTunes is only cementing AAC's position in the market.