NAWTBOY
Anyone try out the new napster to go? 14.99 a mon th and you can download unlimited tracks to your pc or mp3 player. I wonder if you could play these tracks in vdj once they are downloaded.
Posted Wed 16 Feb 05 @ 11:21 pm
Bill Stanfield
Hmmm, is that a publicity for unlegal mp3 downloading? Grrrrr Bad boy....
Posted Wed 16 Feb 05 @ 11:28 pm
dj kiteman
yes you can. works fine
Posted Wed 16 Feb 05 @ 11:45 pm
anewsome
Yes it is legal unlimited downloads but I tried it and had to cancel because the DRM riddled WMA files pretty much only play on Windows which means half of the places I listen to music would not work. Out of all my computers, portable players, car player, desktop and laptop, the only system that could play these files would be my VDJ system. Even at $15 a month, it's not worth it. I'll continue with buying CDs and I can play my music anywhere I want.
Posted Thu 17 Feb 05 @ 12:33 am
WirelessDJ
unlimited tracks
but they stop working when you stop paying
so in effect you are RENTING the songs
and they wont work on my ipod or in my car
screw that. itunes is $0.99 per song and I can burn it to CD
but they stop working when you stop paying
so in effect you are RENTING the songs
and they wont work on my ipod or in my car
screw that. itunes is $0.99 per song and I can burn it to CD
Posted Thu 17 Feb 05 @ 2:23 am
cstoll
I don't know the significants of the napster to go service but, wirelessDJ, how would a file transfered to another medium like an MP3 player know when you stop paying??
Anyhow, I use napster's lite access and pay $0.99US per song downloaded. Unlike the iTunes service that are the special AAC or M4P encodings, the napster files are wma and easily converted to MP3 without all the burn to CD and ripping back to MP3 - check out http://www.wma-mp3.com/ for some converters available
Anyhow, I use napster's lite access and pay $0.99US per song downloaded. Unlike the iTunes service that are the special AAC or M4P encodings, the napster files are wma and easily converted to MP3 without all the burn to CD and ripping back to MP3 - check out http://www.wma-mp3.com/ for some converters available
Posted Thu 17 Feb 05 @ 4:32 am
cyberia
Ok, but what about selection on Napster? How does it compare to iTunes? I find iTunes has a very limited selection, aside from the Top 40 songs.
Posted Thu 17 Feb 05 @ 5:33 am
cstoll
Well, unlike the old days, all of the pay services are limited because they only supply what the record companies and the artists allow them to have available. Even the New Releases sometimes don't hit the pay services for a couple of days after the CD is available in the store - and then sometimes it's only the hit single to start with and not the whole album.
But your right, if it is a hit or Top40 type song then you can find it - usually. If you are curious about the Napster select you can download the Napster Lite and query their system at no charge.
Also, I like napster because I can by 'credit' cards at various retailers (Target, KMart, BestBuy, etc) that allow me to download a set $ amount of tracks based on the $ value of the card - $10 card - 10 tracks. This helps in avoiding the monthly fee if I don't download anything or only a few songs during that month -- it's all about getting my money's worth.
Hope this helps.
But your right, if it is a hit or Top40 type song then you can find it - usually. If you are curious about the Napster select you can download the Napster Lite and query their system at no charge.
Also, I like napster because I can by 'credit' cards at various retailers (Target, KMart, BestBuy, etc) that allow me to download a set $ amount of tracks based on the $ value of the card - $10 card - 10 tracks. This helps in avoiding the monthly fee if I don't download anything or only a few songs during that month -- it's all about getting my money's worth.
Hope this helps.
Posted Thu 17 Feb 05 @ 2:21 pm
WirelessDJ
it’ll only work with players that are PlaysForSure-certified.
On the surface, the To Go model looks like a great replacement for Napster's previous subscription service. In the past, customers had to pay a monthly subscription fee that allowed them to rent as much music as they liked. Users then had to pay extra to download permanent versions of songs that could be transferred to a device or CD. Now, $14.95 per month lets you download as much music as you like to your computer and/or device.
The big detractor, however, is that you still don't own the music. You rent it. Stop paying the Napster tax man, and all your music disappears.
This forces you to make a choice between quantity and permanence. Pay Napster every month and gain access to an almost limitless supply of music or buy select CDs, as you have in the past, and own them for years.
In contrast, online music stores such as Apple’s iTunes sell songs for 99 cents each or $9.99 per album. The consumer “owns” the purchased songs, with certain restrictions on reproduction and use. Artists receive royalties at a rate of 5% to 8% for songs sold in this way.
Napster to Go” won’t formally launch until early next year, and it’ll only work with players that are PlaysForSure-certified (a small, but growing number), but this’ll only work if Microsoft can make sure that the process of downloading songs, transferring them to a player, and all the other rights management garbage involved isn’t a huge headache. It’s at least somewhat encouraging that they aren’t trying to charge people fifty bucks a month or anything outrageous like that.
Napster does not work with the iPod and the iPod is the predominant portable music player right now. That means that, in a relatively small market already, you're immediately excluding millions of users. Are you really expecting many of those iPod owners to go buy a new player after already dropping $300-500 on an iPod? Not to mention the obsession many of us have with the iPod.
On the surface, the To Go model looks like a great replacement for Napster's previous subscription service. In the past, customers had to pay a monthly subscription fee that allowed them to rent as much music as they liked. Users then had to pay extra to download permanent versions of songs that could be transferred to a device or CD. Now, $14.95 per month lets you download as much music as you like to your computer and/or device.
The big detractor, however, is that you still don't own the music. You rent it. Stop paying the Napster tax man, and all your music disappears.
This forces you to make a choice between quantity and permanence. Pay Napster every month and gain access to an almost limitless supply of music or buy select CDs, as you have in the past, and own them for years.
In contrast, online music stores such as Apple’s iTunes sell songs for 99 cents each or $9.99 per album. The consumer “owns” the purchased songs, with certain restrictions on reproduction and use. Artists receive royalties at a rate of 5% to 8% for songs sold in this way.
Napster to Go” won’t formally launch until early next year, and it’ll only work with players that are PlaysForSure-certified (a small, but growing number), but this’ll only work if Microsoft can make sure that the process of downloading songs, transferring them to a player, and all the other rights management garbage involved isn’t a huge headache. It’s at least somewhat encouraging that they aren’t trying to charge people fifty bucks a month or anything outrageous like that.
Napster does not work with the iPod and the iPod is the predominant portable music player right now. That means that, in a relatively small market already, you're immediately excluding millions of users. Are you really expecting many of those iPod owners to go buy a new player after already dropping $300-500 on an iPod? Not to mention the obsession many of us have with the iPod.
Posted Fri 18 Feb 05 @ 1:47 am
WirelessDJ
Your collection has expired!
The DRM system has an expiration date - either in the player or in the files. When that date passes, the player stops playing the files. When your computer syncs with the Napster server (and your portable player syncs with the computer) to confirm that you're still paid up, the expiration date is updated.
Assuming the player uses a one-month expiration interval (I don't know what Napster is actually using), your portable player will refuse to play the songs one month after your last sync, whether you're paid up or not.
When you sync, the software will contact a Napster server to determine if you're paid-up or not. If you are, it will reset the expiration date to one month in the future. If you're not, it will tell the player to stop playing all of your rented files.
I don't like it. I like to pay for something ONCE and own it. The term "own" means "have the ability to play the songs forever without paying any additional money."
The DRM system has an expiration date - either in the player or in the files. When that date passes, the player stops playing the files. When your computer syncs with the Napster server (and your portable player syncs with the computer) to confirm that you're still paid up, the expiration date is updated.
Assuming the player uses a one-month expiration interval (I don't know what Napster is actually using), your portable player will refuse to play the songs one month after your last sync, whether you're paid up or not.
When you sync, the software will contact a Napster server to determine if you're paid-up or not. If you are, it will reset the expiration date to one month in the future. If you're not, it will tell the player to stop playing all of your rented files.
I don't like it. I like to pay for something ONCE and own it. The term "own" means "have the ability to play the songs forever without paying any additional money."
Posted Fri 18 Feb 05 @ 2:04 am
Bargler
Napster better get their act together or they are going to go bankrupt before they even get off the ground.
There's already an article on Slashdot about hackers disabling the Napster file's time restriction.
There's already an article on Slashdot about hackers disabling the Napster file's time restriction.
Posted Fri 18 Feb 05 @ 7:25 am
mjpaolucci
Not sure if I am doing something wrong, but those wma-mp3 converters referenced earlier in this thread do not allow bought wma songs from services such as musicmatch and musicnow convert to mp3. They are DRM and do not convert. As far as I know the only way around DRM on WMA files is to burn then rip back to mp3. Anyone know a better way?
Posted Sun 20 Feb 05 @ 6:57 pm
WirelessDJ
I dont think it will work. U can use a program to record each song then save them as mp3
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000910031543/
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000910031543/
Posted Sun 20 Feb 05 @ 7:46 pm
mjpaolucci
When you use the program to record the protected WMA, do you lose quality before it is actually saved as an mp3?
Posted Mon 21 Feb 05 @ 1:10 am
clax
I think yes.
Posted Mon 21 Feb 05 @ 6:37 am
NAWTBOY
Posted Mon 21 Feb 05 @ 8:47 pm
djej
Sorry to bring up an old post but I've been searching the forums and haven't found the answer.
Is there a Music site that has the top 100-200 U.S. songs (similar selection to i-tunes or napster or buymusic.com) that we don't have to burn and rip? It is such a pain. I use some other sites like beatport that you don't have to do that but there selection seems mostly club music.
Thanks in advance.
Is there a Music site that has the top 100-200 U.S. songs (similar selection to i-tunes or napster or buymusic.com) that we don't have to burn and rip? It is such a pain. I use some other sites like beatport that you don't have to do that but there selection seems mostly club music.
Thanks in advance.
Posted Mon 13 Jun 05 @ 9:58 pm
frd1963
You can try allofmp3.com, but that is a Russian site following Russian laws and so I'm not sure how legal it is to use their downloads in the US or other countries. Also, they generally only stock songs (or versions of songs) that have been released on some sort of an album.
Posted Tue 14 Jun 05 @ 12:07 am
djej
Thanks for the effort but can't navigate it in Russian. I tried. Thanks.
Posted Tue 14 Jun 05 @ 1:06 am
JeremK
On the upper left you have an english link to see the site in english.
Posted Tue 14 Jun 05 @ 1:21 am
