iTunes Just Got Waaaay Better!

BottomFeeder
BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
edited January 2009 in The Clubhouse
For those of us who want higher quality and DRM-free downloadable music from iTunes, here is our answer from today's Macworld Expo:

• Starting today: 8 million songs will be DRM-free. By the end of next quarter, all 10 million songs will be DRM-free.
• Songs are 256 kbps AAC and you can upgrade your entire purchased library to DRM-free iTunes Plus.

Cool!
"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
Post edited by BottomFeeder on

Comments

  • bobman1235
    bobman1235 Posts: 10,822
    edited January 2009
    And, for us iPhone owners, you can now download music via 3G, not just WiFi. Woot!
    If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
  • edbert
    edbert Posts: 1,041
    edited January 2009
    Awesome. I may use some of my iTunes gift cards to upgrade everything. There isn't much out there I really like right now and if I don't use it soon, my wife will.

    Thanks for the update!
    I know just enough to be dangerous, but don't tell my wife, she thinks I'm a genius. :D

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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,806
    edited January 2009
    Wow. That's some news.

    It's kinda like having herpes and getting the news that a new kind of calamine lotion stops the itching and that somehow makes having herpes better.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
  • wingnut4772
    wingnut4772 Posts: 7,519
    edited January 2009
    I just tried to open itunes with my iPhone and it told me it won't without wifi.
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  • BigMac
    BigMac Posts: 849
    edited January 2009
    My son and daughter got the Ipod chromatics for Christmas and I was curious about the 256 option. I downloaded a few 256 tunes and they still sound like crud. Imo they need to give the option of lossless downloads on their site. So many ways to hook it up to your stereo but no way to get quality songs unless you do the ripping yourself. I hope Apple steps up to the plate and adds lossless.
  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2009
    BigMac wrote: »
    My son and daughter got the Ipod chromatics for Christmas and I was curious about the 256 option. I downloaded a few 256 tunes and they still sound like crud. Imo they need to give the option of lossless downloads on their site. So many ways to hook it up to your stereo but no way to get quality songs unless you do the ripping yourself. I hope Apple steps up to the plate and adds lossless.

    +1. 256 is not 128, but it also doesn't sound twice as good. I have a few of their 256 albums because I got gift cards, but I'd never buy them on my own.
  • Pauly
    Pauly Posts: 4,519
    edited January 2009
    Jstas wrote: »
    Wow. That's some news.

    It's kinda like having herpes and getting the news that a new kind of calamine lotion stops the itching and that somehow makes having herpes better.


    WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

    If i was drinking a beer it would have been spat all over my screen when i read that.
    Life without music would
  • themuskr
    themuskr Posts: 149
    edited January 2009
    Cool news i'll have to check this out
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  • hockeyboy
    hockeyboy Posts: 1,428
    edited January 2009
    The 256 files do sound quite a bit better. This is good news for the 3500 songs I keep on my I-Pod. I just need a Wadia deck. Within 3 years I predict i-tunes will be CD quality or better.
    My Main Gear
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2009
    hockeyboy wrote: »
    The 256 files do sound quite a bit better. This is good news for the 3500 songs I keep on my I-Pod.

    I sure hope so and it would be very smart of them.
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,725
    edited January 2009
    Jstas wrote: »
    Wow. That's some news.

    It's kinda like having herpes and getting the news that a new kind of calamine lotion stops the itching and that somehow makes having herpes better.
    Awesome!
  • hockeyboy
    hockeyboy Posts: 1,428
    edited January 2009
    Okay here's the problem. It adds up quick. They have 264 songs available for upgrade on my I-Tunes (after just popping 40 on upgrades last week), but you cannot pick and choose. It's an all or nothing deal for $120 and growing. They have to sort that out. I think the upgrade is worth about 15 cents a song, not 30.
    My Main Gear
    Mitsu HC5000 (Proj.)
    Marantz SR8001 (AVR)
    Sunfire TGA7200 (AMP)
    Marantz DV7001 (SACD)
    Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-Ray
    LSi 15's (Front)
    LSiC (Center)
    LSiFx (Surrounds)
    DUAL SVS 20-39 CS Plus
    (Passive Subs)
    Marantz IS201 I-Pod Dock[/SIZE]
    Panamax M5300EX
    Carada Criterion 106" Brightwhite Screen
    Sunfire TGA 5200 & (4) B&W 605's in the party room
  • edbert
    edbert Posts: 1,041
    edited January 2009
    I think they might have big problem on their hands by selling now DRM free music for the same price that you might have bought it for yesterday. Let's say you spend $100 bucks yesterday for 100 songs and now they are all DRM free. All of a sudden you have to pay an additional $30 to upgrade them just because you were a day early on buying your music. I don't think we have all that much, but I would like for it to be DRM free at little to no cost.
    I know just enough to be dangerous, but don't tell my wife, she thinks I'm a genius. :D

    Pioneer VSX-816
    Monitor 40's - fronts, bi-amped
    Monitor 30's - surrounds
    CS1 - center
    PSW10 - I'll let you guess
    Blue Jeans Cable - speaker cable
    Daewoo 27 incher - one step up from a console
    Sony Progressive scan DVD
    XBOX

    SOPA since 2008
    Here's my stuff.
  • Rivrrat
    Rivrrat Posts: 2,101
    edited January 2009
    Great.

    I just downloaded 30 bucks worth of gift cards on Sunday. :rolleyes:
    My equipment sig felt inadequate and deleted itself.
  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,725
    edited January 2009
    I don't get why they would charge more for DRM free music...
  • pablo_rodz
    pablo_rodz Posts: 331
    edited January 2009
    LOL!!

    I upgraded for $2.10
    HT:
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    Living Room:
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited January 2009
    why would i pay for something i already have? LAME imo