Itunes is retarded sort of.

F

flynlr

2[H]4U
Joined
Apr 22, 2005
Messages
2,093
ok in the last year I purchased about 100 songs via I-tunes to listen on my PC. every now and then I would burn these crappy 128kbs acc files to a cd so I could play them in my car..

sooooo now that I own a great MP3 player creative zen sleek photo. . didnt get a pod for myself as i wanted FM radio it seems the only way i can get any of my purchased itunes songs to my Zen is to burn em on a CD from itunes then convert back to Mp3's WTF?
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
No, there are other ways as well.
Click to expand...
I think it would be a little more helpful to the OP if you were to maybe list a few, or give some links! :p
 
yes, i would blame the RIAA first ;)

umm, first, and this is hoping you have an older version of itunes, you can download a program called JHymn (search google) that can unlock and convert that music to mp3 files.

if you have version 6.0+ of itunes, you cant use the above

in which case, your only other solution might be buying a male-to-male speaker cord and playing the line-out -> line-in game with audacity ;)

EDIT: if you have to use the CD method, i suggest using a program called Exact Audio Copy + the Lame MP3 codec for the cleanest music files
 
ndruw said:
umm, first, and this is hoping you have an older version of itunes, you can download a program called JHymn (search google) that can unlock and convert that music to mp3 files.
Click to expand...

im sure nobody here condones that
 
flynlr said:
ok in the last year I purchased about 100 songs via I-tunes to listen on my PC. every now and then I would burn these crappy 128kbs acc files to a cd so I could play them in my car..

sooooo now that I own a great MP3 player creative zen sleek photo. . didnt get a pod for myself as i wanted FM radio it seems the only way i can get any of my purchased itunes songs to my Zen is to burn em on a CD from itunes then convert back to Mp3's WTF?
Click to expand...

iTunes is retarted in my book too, but just because they expect you to pay .99 per MP3. eMusic has the right idea, flat monthly fee, download all you want. Since they regretably ditched that business model, allofmp3.com is your next best bet, .15 or so per mp3 vs. a buck per song, you make the choice, plus it is all completely DRM free.
 
NulloModo said:
iTunes is retarted in my book too, but just because they expect you to pay .99 per MP3. eMusic has the right idea, flat monthly fee, download all you want. Since they regretably ditched that business model, allofmp3.com is your next best bet, .15 or so per mp3 vs. a buck per song, you make the choice, plus it is all completely DRM free.
Click to expand...

It's not exactly fair to compare a Russian-based company (AllofMP3) to a US-based company (iTunes).

The lack of copyright enforcement and the RIAA in Russia allow AllofMP3 to sell their mp3s cheaply and DRM-free. Apple is not allowed to do that in the US, plain and simple.

Still, they're a great option if you want a bunch of music on the cheap.
 
hiredgun2112 said:
im sure nobody here condones that
Click to expand...

I can't imagine anybody would have a problem with that. He bought the songs already. He paid for them he should be able to do what he wants with them.

You could use a program called Tunebite to re-record them but there might be some quality loss.
 
Alot of people haven't discovered this little trick, but you can up the quality of imported CD's so they import at higher quality.
Simply go to
Edit > Preferences
Click the Advanced tab
Click the Importing tab
From there you can chnge the format that iTunes imports. eg. mine is set to mp3
Then click the setting box and select > Custom
Turn Stereo Rate to desired setting. (I recommend 256 kbps)
Sample rate to desired. (I recommend 48.000 kHz)
Channels to Stereo or desired
Stereo mode to desired

This little change drasticallly improves the quality of imported songs. It also allows you to import a different format than aac.

Alothough this doesn't help you now, it is good to keep in mind for the future so you aren't agrivated again down the line.

For now, convert the songs using Lame.

 
ive ripped all my cd's using audio crusher with lame plugin. you know those encoded files I have? I will leave em that way for now as I stupidly upgraded to v6.there are other options for getting playable versions of those songs.and ill end right there.
 
Rocketpig said:
It's not exactly fair to compare a Russian-based company (AllofMP3) to a US-based company (iTunes).

The lack of copyright enforcement and the RIAA in Russia allow AllofMP3 to sell their mp3s cheaply and DRM-free. Apple is not allowed to do that in the US, plain and simple.

Still, they're a great option if you want a bunch of music on the cheap.
Click to expand...

This is exactly why opening up an internet company in the US is no good. Look at online poker. Alot of those sites are overseas because in whatever country they are in, there aren't any laws stopping them from doing basically whatever they want on the internet.


But what I was originally gonna say, is OP could have just left the last 2 words off the thread topic and been much more accurate. ;)
 
Rocketpig said:
It's not exactly fair to compare a Russian-based company (AllofMP3) to a US-based company (iTunes).

The lack of copyright enforcement and the RIAA in Russia allow AllofMP3 to sell their mp3s cheaply and DRM-free. Apple is not allowed to do that in the US, plain and simple.

Still, they're a great option if you want a bunch of music on the cheap.
Click to expand...

Possibly, but iTunes is still way overpriced. I mean, I can understand people using a pay service for MP3s since the RIAA is still on the sue-happy witch-hunt, but there is no reason to use one that charges out the ass and enforces very restrictive DRM.
 
NulloModo said:
iTunes is retarted in my book too, but just because they expect you to pay .99 per MP3. eMusic has the right idea, flat monthly fee, download all you want. Since they regretably ditched that business model, allofmp3.com is your next best bet, .15 or so per mp3 vs. a buck per song, you make the choice, plus it is all completely DRM free.
Click to expand...
allofmp3.com is your next best bet? I doubt it, especially now that people are getting their CC#'s stolen by the Russian companies.

It seems that going for the cheapest illegal way is not always the smartest thing to do. Over the past few weeks Side-Line has been inundated by e-mails from readers from all over the world including the USA, UK, Belgium, France, Holland etc telling they have been the victim of fraudulous use of their credit cards after having entered their credit card to buy illegal download albums for just one dollar, the so-called 'MP3-1dollardeals', from illegal MP3 websites. These sites, mostly based in Russia, are acting online as being from the UK, USA, Germany etc under over 40 domainnames (including the popular MP3sugar, Audio Store, Allofmp3, ...). It appears that they have now started picking victims amongst their clients (believed to be several millions) at random to use their cards for other means. As the Russian authorities are not active in fighting piracy it is to be believed that these sites will continue exercising their business. Several label owners have in the meantime confirmed to Side-Line that those sites are 100% illegal and stealing music from the smallest indie band to the biggest major act. Through MP3 websites such as MP3sugar and Audio Store the Albanian and Russian mob have found another quick mean to get rich apart from selling drugs and prosituting youngsters. Rumour has it that a blacklist is circulating among the CC companies holding domainnames from illegal sites where customers will not be covered in case of fraud. The sums taken from the cards go from just a 'lousy' 1000 US$ to over 3000 US$. So far the 'MP3-1dollardeals'. If you have been purchasing illegal downloads, be sure blocking your card right now, your credit card company will most probably NOT cover the costs after fraud as the news about the abuse is spreading quickly now
Click to expand...
Source (Reqs login): http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=13066_0_2_0_C
 
NulloModo said:
Possibly, but iTunes is still way overpriced. I mean, I can understand people using a pay service for MP3s since the RIAA is still on the sue-happy witch-hunt, but there is no reason to use one that charges out the ass and enforces very restrictive DRM.
Click to expand...

FairPlay is actually not that restrictive... You can play your songs on any number of iPods, 5 computers at a time and burn them onto Audio CDs with no DRM.

Apple just did what they needed to do in order to coax the record labels into even allowing them to sell music online.
 
Bonksnp said:
This is exactly why opening up an internet company in the US is no good. Look at online poker. Alot of those sites are overseas because in whatever country they are in, there aren't any laws stopping them from doing basically whatever they want on the internet.


But what I was originally gonna say, is OP could have just left the last 2 words off the thread topic and been much more accurate. ;)
Click to expand...

But there are also huge questions as to whether AllofMP3.com is legal. The site may be Russian, but the downloads are still occurring in the United States. It's very possible that the RIAA could still sue you for using the site.

Maybe that's why Apple is running their stores out of the respective countries they sell in. There is no question of legality if they do it that way.
 
NulloModo said:
Possibly, but iTunes is still way overpriced. I mean, I can understand people using a pay service for MP3s since the RIAA is still on the sue-happy witch-hunt, but there is no reason to use one that charges out the ass and enforces very restrictive DRM.
Click to expand...

I love the "very restrictive" myth in AAC.

You're allowed five computers at once (and you can de-authorize and reauthorize new and old computers), as many iPods as you want, and you can convert them to mp3.

Show me another *legal* online store that offers anything even close to that.
 
Rocketpig said:
Maybe that's why Apple is running their stores out of the respective countries they sell in. There is no question of legality if they do it that way.
Click to expand...
How is AllofMP3s being legal in Russia but not in the US any different from the iTMS being legal in the US but not in North Korea?
 
so glad I found this thread. Until now, I figured the easiest way to convert iTunes was to burn it to cd and then back. y'all are awesome.
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
How is AllofMP3s being legal in Russia but not in the US any different from the iTMS being legal in the US but not in North Korea?
Click to expand...

Er, maybe you misunderstood me, Morty. I was saying that exact thing. Just because the RIAA hasn't chased after anyone in the US who is using AllofMP3 doesn't mean it is legal.

There are a lot of arguments that can be made for and against the legality of AllofMP3, mostly against.

After all, the sale is occuring in the United States, binding it to the copyrights contained in this country. It's the same as it being illegal to purchase certain liquors online if you are in the state of California. It doesn't matter that the other side of the sale is happening in Oklahoma, the end user is still bound to the purchasing laws of the state of California.

Just because the site is legal in Russia doesn't mean the same is true in the US.
 
copied this from somewhere:

Is their any doubt over whether it is legal for someone in the US to purchase their mp3 data?
Actually, there isn't that much doubt, but surprisingly not in the direction you think.

Information here, I'll quote the good bits:
http://www.museekster.com/allofmp3faq.htm

Strict copyright legislation

Now for the country that may well have the strictest rules on copyrights, the USA. A thread in the Fatwallet forums brings some light in his confusing subject. We will not bother you with all the details. Here is a concise version of the interesting parts:

"MP3's, OGG's, etc are not illegal in the USA and therefore can be imported. There is also no law against importing music from other countries (including Russia). Because you are buying this legally in Russia and then importing to the USA, this should be 100% legit. For example, assuming that Russian Vodka is illegal to buy in the USA on Sunday, but you buy the Russian Vodka in Moscow on Sunday, then you import it into the USA, you have done nothing wrong. Again, this assumes that 1) it is illegal to buy Russian Vodka on Sunday in the USA 2) it is legal in Moscow and 3) it is legal to import Russian Vodka."

Title 17 Chapter 6 Sec. 602 of the U.S. Code covers "Infringing importation of copies or phonorecords". You can find this title here

Subsection (a) tells us:

"Importation into the United States, without the authority of the owner of copyright under this title, of copies or phonorecords of a work that have been acquired outside the United States is an infringement of the exclusive right to distribute copies or phonorecords under section 106, actionable under section 501."

So it's illegal you may think. But take a close look at sub (a)(2):

"This subsection does not apply to importation, for the private use of the importer and not for distribution, by any person with respect to no more than one copy or phonorecord of any one work at any one time, or by any person arriving from outside the United States with respect to copies or phonorecords forming part of such person's personal baggage;"

If MP3's, OGG's etc are in fact considered phonorecords, U.S. citizens can legally buy these as long if they are for private use and not for distribution. If MP3s, OGG's etc. are not considered phonorecords, no import laws apply. The sections of digital audio recording and sound recording have no mention of importation.

So in layman's terms the bottom line of this discussion is:

Downloading from Allofmp3 is legal for U.S. Citizens, as long as the files are for private use and not for distribution.

That subsection, (a) (2), is pretty clear; as long as its for your own use, and you only have one copy, its legal.

Keep in mind the way American law works. 1) It is copying of copyright works that is illegal, not possession. 2) Allofmp3 violates no Russian laws. 3) Either there is no regulation at all regarding importation of music, or the above listed regulation specifying that personal use = not infringing applies.

This isn't legal advice, obviously. A U.S. court could see it differently, and until there is legal precedent, god knows how a judge will rule. But its definitely not the open and shut "Allofmp3.com violates U.S. copyright law".
Click to expand...
Whether it's legal or not, any foreign purchases should be made with a disposable credit card. Set up a seperate checking account, and get a debit card with no overdraft protection. Anyone who tries to charge something to it won't get much if you don't keep a lot of money in the account.
 
Interesting tidbit of info.

The last line is the most important.

This is going to hit the courts sooner or later (most likely sooner). Until a US court rules on this, we won't really know for sure whether AllofMP3 is legal or not.
 
Rocketpig said:
Er, maybe you misunderstood me, Morty. I was saying that exact thing. Just because the RIAA hasn't chased after anyone in the US who is using AllofMP3 doesn't mean it is legal.
Click to expand...
Just because the RIAA chase people in the US doesn't mean they can do so elsewhere. American law != World law.
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
Just because the RIAA chase people in the US doesn't mean they can do so elsewhere. American law != World law.
Click to expand...

Oh, I never presumed that they would go after the Russian company itself, only the consumers in the US using their service.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top