If you haven't downloaded from amazon.com's DRM-Free .mp3 store, then you're buying your music at the wrong place.
This is my article to explain why amazonmp3 is better than iTunes, and other services I have used.
Today I went to play Steppin' Out, a song by Joe Jackson. It's a .m4p file, I legally paid for and downloaded from iTunes. It opens in QuickTime and I get a message that says:
This computer is not authorized to play "05 Steppin' Out.m4p". 
If you purchased this song you can open iTunes and authorize this computer to play this song by entering your Apple ID and password.
So I click Open iTunes, and then remember that I had uninstalled it a few weeks ago because I don't use it, and don't want extraneous software installed. So, now if I want to hear this song, I will have to install iTunes, enter my Apple ID, prove that I am the rightful owner of this file, and that gives me the permission to play it on this one computer.
| What if I want to copy this file to my phone (which can hold an 8gb card and play .mp3s, but is not an iPhone or iPod) and listen to it? Do I have to install special Apple software there and prove my identity? |
What if I want to listen to it on my computer at work? Although I can copy songs to my hard drive, they won't let me install iTunes on my work PC, so I guess I'm stuck there.
When I go to amazon.com, I;
- Pay less than I paid at iTunes ($0.89 compared to $0.99)
- Can play the song in Windows Media Player or WinAmp or whatever other program I would like
Can put the song on my phone and listen to it wherever I like - Can put the song on my work PC without installing extra software
- Never have to prove myself to my computer
It's just like when I rip an .mp3 from my CD to my hard drive - I don't then have to prove myself to the computer every time I want to listen to the song. No license - I paid for it and I can do what I want with it.
Searching for music and then downloading music is very easy. From their home page, choose MP3 Downloads from their Search menu, type in your music interest, and then click Go.
On the search results page, you'll have a lot of options, including alternative and cover versions by other artists, different versions of the songs on other albums (such as live versions), and other songs, depending on how accurate your search query is.
Use the play button to preview a song before you buy it. You may find that the cover, remakes, or live versions of the songs are more to your liking - I know I have several times in the past.
I have to say one thing that is good about iTunes: They have more music by U2 than Amazon does available for download! This is distressing to me to find only 14 U2 songs on Amazon, when iTunes has hundreds and hundreds...
Overall, I must say that Amazon is the easiest, least expensive, and hassle-free way to get music on the 'net.
2 comments:
Great info, thanks for posting. I always hate the "authentication" forced upon apple users. (sigh)
I'm going to try it. Thanks again.
Q. Will files downloaded on Amazon play on my iPhone?
Hi, thanks for posting.
Amazon's Web site lists compatibility with iTunes - in fact, the icon is over Windows Media Player's icon. It seems to me that suggests it will work on the various iDevices.
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