The revolution will not be copy-protected
May 31, 2007
Two years later, iTunes is my friend again. The newest version was released yesterday incorporating iTunes+. This is a sub-section of the store which offers higher bitrate tracks with no copy protection or digital rights management. They cost a little more, but that suits me fine since I get a better bitrate out of it.
One nice touch: you can upgrade your tracks to the new version by paying the difference, and you don’t even have to have those originals in your library any more. They remember your transaction history and pull from that. Out of the many hundred I bought back before DRM made me really, really nervous only twenty-six were available for upgrade. But I’m sure that will improve over time as more labels change their minds and the ones that are participating deliver more tracks.
Currently the top-selling album in iTunes+ is _Dark Side of the Moon_, followed by _The Wall_. I’m surprised twice. First, I didn’t expect Floyd to be early adopters. And secondly, I thought everyone who wanted a copy of DSotM had at least three already.
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May 31st, 2007 at 8:25 am
I think the bottom line with that record is that it’s a crossover album for every generation. It’s been on the Billboard charts for something like 700 weeks since it’s release and has been certified platinum 15 times over in the US alone. To me, it only makes sense. However, I wonder if the Beatles catalog was there if it would be different.
Now I am wondering, because so many people own the record, yet so many people are downloading if, that if people are too lazy to put it in their computer to transfer it. Or they are just new adopters to the music.
Have you heard the vinyl version? There are some discrepancies to the track listings compared to the released CD versions. It’s pretty interesting. I never understood why.
On a personal note, I find this record hard to listen to on a CD. Maybe the newer transfers are better. But I haven’t heard them. The CD I have is from when I worked at the radio station and could likely be from the 80s when most CD transfers were notoriously horrible.
PS. I am pretty happy about this upgrade in the bit rate too. I couldn’t care less about the DRM aspect. It never affected how I listen to digital music. Now if only iTunes would start carrying good jazz.
May 31st, 2007 at 7:07 pm
“I thought everyone who wanted a copy of DSotM had at least three already.”
Right — on vinyl, CD, and cassette. Now they need to had the “new” version. Think that’s crazy? The Davemeister has most Genesis albums in multiple versions…
June 1st, 2007 at 1:38 am
That’s cool. I keep forgetting to de-authorize my old PCs, so pretty soon I’m not going to be able to play my iTunes songs. DRM is just a hassle. A higher bit rate is good too, although I would bet that 90% of the time you can’t tell the difference. At least I can’t.
But then I listen to crap.