[Edwood]

Are you hearing me, Apple? 
 
I'm a bit of a soundtrack score junkie, and was looking forward to buying the CD album of the original score soundtrack for Modern Warfare 2.  Much to my dismay it's an iTunes only download.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/call-duty-modern-warfare-2/id373903827
 
Piss off, Apple.  I WILL NEVER EVER SPEND ONE CENT ON A DRM RIDDEN LOSSY MUSIC TRACK, NEVER EVER!
 
I guess it doesn't help that I don't use iTunes or iPods.  I realize I'm not even remotely the average consumer.
But, c'mon, it's 2010, no flying cars, colonizing other planets, and we're still dealing with old lossy formats, badly mastered, clipping/distorting music?  I've bought a few downloadable 24/96 and 16/44.1 FLAC tracks from iTracks and such, but their selection is abysmal compared to the pile of lossy crap that is out there.  I would much rather go old school and buy a physical CD to roll my own FLAC's then.
 
I absolutely hate this trend, it's getting worse, and I want no part of it.  I can definitely feel for what vinyl junkies go through, but we're going even more backwards in sound quality in music.
 
I guess in the end, this terrible trend saves me a lot of money, but makes for a very slowly growing music collection. 

 
OK, off of my soap box for now...
Long Live Lossless!
 
-Ed

 

[plonter]

Quote:

Are you hearing me, Apple? 
 
I'm a bit of a soundtrack score junkie, and was looking forward to buying the CD album of the original score soundtrack for Modern Warfare 2.  Much to my dismay it's an iTunes only download.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/call-duty-modern-warfare-2/id373903827
 
Piss off, Apple.  I WILL NEVER EVER SPEND ONE CENT ON A DRM RIDDEN LOSSY MUSIC TRACK, NEVER EVER!
 
I guess it doesn't help that I don't use iTunes or iPods.  I realize I'm not even remotely the average consumer.
But, c'mon, it's 2010, no flying cars, colonizing other planets, and we're still dealing with old lossy formats, badly mastered, clipping/distorting music?  I've bought a few downloadable 24/96 and 16/44.1 FLAC tracks from iTracks and such, but their selection is abysmal compared to the pile of lossy crap that is out there.  I would much rather go old school and buy a physical CD to roll my own FLAC's then.
 
I absolutely hate this trend, it's getting worse, and I want no part of it.  I can definitely feel for what vinyl junkies go through, but we're going even more backwards in sound quality in music.
 
I guess in the end, this terrible trend saves me a lot of money, but makes for a very slowly growing music collection. 

 
OK, off of my soap box for now...
Long Live Lossless!
 
-Ed

was something specific wrong?  or you just generally hate lossy codecs..

 

[mark2410]

hear hear!

 

[gopack87]

Completely agree!  How hard would it be to offer lossless downloads on itunes?  Until they do(if they ever) it's cds for me......

 

[plonter]

itunes was never a place for serious audiophiles..only for the novice crowd who can't care less about what codec the music is encoded with..as long as it is listenable it is fine by them.
and as they invented the alac lossless coded i am sure that they thought about offering lossless music on itunes,but i guess they have thier reasons.  maybe they checked and found that most people will not be willing to download heavy weighted files to thier computers or ipods.

 

[Edwood]

I have no problem with iTunes existing, and even being popular.
 
What I DO have a problem with is, music and albums becoming iTunes exclusives.  I should be free to buy ans listen to music the way I want to.  I will not be forced into Apple's proprietary system to listen to music I enjoy.  Worst of all, it is of inferior quality.  If that means avoiding some music, so be it. 
 
I rue the day that Apple becomes a monopoly and owns all music content exclusively. 
 
-Ed

 

[plonter]

Quote:

I have no problem with iTunes existing, and even being popular.
 
What I DO have a problem with is, music and albums becoming iTunes exclusives.  I should be free to buy ans listen to music the way I want to.  I will not be forced into Apple's proprietary system to listen to music I enjoy.  Worst of all, it is of inferior quality.  If that means avoiding some music, so be it. 
 
I rue the day that Apple becomes a monopoly and owns all music content exclusively. 
 
-Ed

i am with you mate!  can't this soundstack be found on cd tough?

 

[Edwood]

I hope that it's not completely an iTunes exclusive.  Maybe they only have a period of time for exclusivity.
 
-Ed

 

[Olias of Sunhillow]

Quote:

I have no problem with iTunes existing, and even being popular.
 
What I DO have a problem with is, music and albums becoming iTunes exclusives.  I should be free to buy ans listen to music the way I want to.  I will not be forced into Apple's proprietary system to listen to music I enjoy.  Worst of all, it is of inferior quality.  If that means avoiding some music, so be it. 
 
I rue the day that Apple becomes a monopoly and owns all music content exclusively. 
 
-Ed

 
I'm not entirely certain what this has to do with iTunes -- the title in question is also available from Amazon and other download sites.
 
That said, I share your distaste for lossy downloads, especially when no physical version is available. I will buy lossy when I know the source sounds like crap -- like the "Best of Lefty Frizzell" album I downloaded from eMusic for $4 instead of buying on CD for $12 -- but anything of normal quality or better is either lossless download (I like HDTracks and Qobuz) or CD. It's definitely swimming against the current, though.
 

 

[necropimp]

Quote:

Piss off, Apple.  I WILL NEVER EVER SPEND ONE CENT ON A DRM RIDDEN LOSSY MUSIC TRACK, NEVER EVER!
 

 
 
hate to say it because i also don't spend money on lossy formats but last i checked apple did away with DRM

 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
What I DO have a problem with is, music and albums becoming iTunes exclusives.

this i completely agree with... music that is lossy download only
 
i can accept download only if a lossless download is available but lossy only is pure bull

 

[mckinetic]

Yep APPL music is now DRM free. No worries.

 

[Edwood]

Yeah, true that about no more DRM, supposedly with Apple. 
 
But the exclusive thing is really pissing me off.  It's just away to try to force people into "switching" to Apple.  It's not unique to Apple, happens all the time, especially with video game consoles these days.  But I won't buy into an entire other system just for one game, nor will I do so with one song/album.  But if trends keep continuing, then we will have no choice. 
 
I don't deny Apple has changed the landscape, but not everything is for the better. 
 
-Ed

 

[mckinetic]

Yes, I'm without a doubt an APPL fan, although I hope I'm not a fanboi,
as from what I understand this is a negative. Anyway, I do not think
everything they do is beyond reproach, not at all. There have been some
well publicized missteps, providing some continuing irritants lately.

 

[Skylab]

If the iTunes store offered Apple Lossless downloads, I would happily back the Brinks Truck right up to Steve Jobs' house.  No problem.
 
As it is, I agree with Edwood.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Music becoming available only through download only and no option to buy as a physical CD also means we have less rights to use and resell the music or even give away as a gift or pass on to our heirs.  When you buy a digital download you get a license that is more restrictive than the rights you have if you purchase the same music as a CD.  A CD you can resell at a garage sale and easily give away as a gift.  A digital download you cannot.
 
With a physical CD you get certain rights from copyright law like the right of first sale and other rights.  Those rights are stripped away in the license agreement that comes with a digital download.  The copyright holders want all of the benefits of copyright protection but then strip away the rights we have as consumers under copyright law.  Copyright protection is becoming completely one sided.  It is supposed to be a two way street with society granting the copyright owners certain rights for a certain number of years while also giving society certain rights to use and resell that content.  That two way street is now a one way street.
 
Read a recent article from law.com titled "Do You Own Your Software of Just License It?"
The same issues apply to downloaded music from iTunes, Amazon MP3, HD Tracks, and any other digital download.
 
So even if you don't like being forced to get a lossy version as the only available version of the music, there are still reasons to avoid digital downloads and complain about digital download exclusives.
 
I'm waiting for the day that physical CDs and books come in shrink wrap with a license attached taking away all of our rights.