[iamdone]

Here's the article.

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1834

This would be pretty cool if it happens. I'm not a big fan of DRM but it would be so convenient to buy from home and still have lossless files. With my cable modem, it shouldn't take too long to download.

 

[iamdone]

this probably belongs in the computer as source threads. i post a copy there. this can be closed.

 

[bangraman]

Why? The iPod plays Apple Lossless. That would be interesting, since I could burn a lossless CD so could make the tracks worth buying (I currently only use subscription services, essentially in order to help me buy CD's). Since ALAC is effectively Lossless AAC encoding, I guess there would not be any problems wrapping it in Fairplay so it wouldn't change things.

 

[Skylab]

Man I sure hope this happens! Since I am all lossless (even on my iPod), I would LOVE to get lossless tracks from the iTunes music store.

Since the record labels want Apple to charge more for tracks, this could be an interesting compromise -- $.99 for AAC/128, maybe $1.29 for ALAC. Musicgiants charges $1.29 per track for WMA lossless downloads.

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman Why? The iPod plays Apple Lossless. That would be interesting, since I could burn a lossless CD so could make the tracks worth buying (I currently only use subscription services, essentially in order to help me buy CD's). Since ALAC is effectively Lossless AAC encoding, I guess there would not be any problems wrapping it in Fairplay so it wouldn't change things.

I figured it was more of a change in source than portable equipment. Nothing changing with the ipod. I only use lossless for home and on the go so this would be a real time saver if it happens. I'd even bee willing to paid just a little more if it's cheaper than buying the actual cd. I just store them away after I rip them. I don't even check out the cd cover.

 

[biggulp]

Wouldn't happen. The mass consumer seems perfectly content with the so so quality 128kbps files. I don't think people who demand lossless, CD-quality files form a large proportion of ITMS customers.

AND

You could circumvent DRM by just recording your playback or ripping from a burnt CD without losing any audio data. Not going to happen.

 

[Jimothy]

Ripping and line-in recording would lower the quality. Burning a lossy file onto a CD does not make it sound better, and ripping it is compressing it again.

Of course, you could just buy iTMS music through Sharpmusiqe, without any DRM.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by biggulp Wouldn't happen. The mass consumer seems perfectly content with the so so quality 128kbps files. I don't think people who demand lossless, CD-quality files form a large proportion of ITMS customers. AND You could circumvent DRM by just recording your playback or ripping from a burnt CD without losing any audio data. Not going to happen.

I disagree. The major labels have already licensed lossless downloads to musicgiants.com. Why not to Apple? If the files have DRM it gets around the issue the labels are worried about, even if you could rip them to CDs with no loss.

The labels will do it ONLY if Apple agrees to charge more than 99 cents. That's the key. If lossless are $1.50 per track, the labels will do it.

 

[rsabo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimothy Ripping and line-in recording would lower the quality. Burning a lossy file onto a CD does not make it sound better, and ripping it is compressing it again. Of course, you could just buy iTMS music through Sharpmusiqe, without any DRM.

Not if it were lossless (at least the burning), which is, y'know, the whole point of the thread.

I think Apple will manage to market lossless iTunes as the next big, original, Apple innovation. It would become a way to make people rebuy their favorite music, in order to get higher quality (as pointless is that is through iBuds).

 

[aluren]

hmm... i hope that happens, then apple will have to promote sound quality and hopefully that will indirectly affect this site. getting more people in here would create more demands for good headphones/IEM/amps which means we'll have a stronger consumer stance, leading to better manufactured equipment! i can't wait!

 

[TAsunder]

I'm sworn off itunes (the music store, not the software) after being burned by apple on it. If I pay nearly the same price for an album, I should be allowed to download it more than once to the same exact computer, especially if your software is the thing that corrupted the download in the first place.

I used to use it because of the convenience and fact that some of the cds I looked for would take weeks from elsewhere. No longer.

But if they went to lossless I would consider it again.

 

[Nightfall]

So, has this happened? Any updates? I just bought my first iPod and seriously want to be able to take advantage of it .


JC

 

[zip22]

no it hasn't. nothing is stopping you from using apple lossless on your ipod, though.

 

[hempcamp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamdone /img/forum/go_quote.gif This would be pretty cool if it happens. I'm not a big fan of DRM but it would be so convenient to buy from home and still have lossless files. With my cable modem, it shouldn't take too long to download.

If it were true I'd never buy a CD again (unless it wasn't on iTMS). So much anti-DRM drivel comes from zealots (read cheapskates) who just want everything for free. I think Apple managed to strike a good balance between consumer fair use and the (no less zealotrous) demands of the recording industry.

What would make it even better would be to offer better-than-CD-quality (e.g. 92khz 24bit) lossless dowloads, thus burying forever the SACD and all its associated equipment costs.

--Chris

 

[ILikeMusic]

Quote:

So much anti-DRM drivel comes from zealots (read cheapskates) who just want everything for free.

We 'zealots' don't want anything for free, we just want full rights to the product that we paid for.