iPod Amazon MP3 store: any fans?

[Michael CM1]

I tried the Amazon store out for the first time and was quite impressed. They hooked me on those 5 for $5 deals they do each weekend. I still like using iTunes better because it feels like it was designed better, but I got an album for $5 that was 256kbps AND DRM-free. The downloading app you have to, well, download worked pretty well by putting the songs directly into iTunes.

So I ask this: why can Amazon do all of their songs DRM-free and iTunes can't? I know Jobs has mentioned preferring DRM-free stuff before, so I assume it's an issue with the recording labels. Considering I can make my stuff DRM-free by burning and then ripping, what gives????

 

[icecold0913]

I've used the Amazon store before when iTunes didn't have what I was looking for and was impressed also. I also felt the interface design was severely lacking. Overall, nice large catalog and lack of DRM make it appealing... but I still use iTunes full time for its ease-of-use.

As for the DRM, it's purely a label thing and it's odd that Amazon is more DRM-free than iTunes, but I think it's only a matter of time before DRM is dead anyway... hopefully.

 

[mpshay]

I use amazon quite a bit and find it pretty easy to use, but the biggest advantage is the lack of DRM. I think it's pretty clear that the record labels are allowing them (and a few other online sites) to offer DRM free music while still requiring itunes to have DRM is an effort to dilute Apple's dominance in this sector.

 

[SactoGuy18]

The best thing I like about the Amazon MP3 store is that their downloader program automatically makes the music available in iTunes so you can sync the music with your player very easily.

In short, it's truly one of the very first truly viable competitors to the iTunes Music Store.

 

[mrwizardno2]

I love the Amazon MP3 store. I prefer it, dare I say at the risk of being shunned by the MacRumors community, over iTunes. I like DRM-free music

 

[HandleVandal]

I love the Amazon MP3 store. I prefer it, dare I say at the risk of being shunned by the MacRumors community, over iTunes. I like DRM-free music

I'll sit with you in the shunned corner, b/c I'm quickly preferring Amazon MP3 to iTunes.

Apple kind of forced my hand when, a couple months ago, they had some kind of huge snafu where users couldn't access their carefully cultivated shopping carts. The only help customer support provided was to empty the shopping cart entirely.

Screw that.

I was confident Apple would eventually fix the problem without me having to empty my cart and in the meanwhile, I refused to buy anything from them out of petty spite.

Enter Amazon MP3.

The DRM-free music is merely a perk for me, what I really love is the fact that some songs are $0.89 vs. $0.99 at iTunes.

The exact.same.songs.

I agree that Amazon's interface is deplorable and I much prefer iTunes in that regard but if there's a song in my iTunes cart for .99 that I can get from Amazon for .89, my business goes to Amazon.

I comparison shop all the time now (thanks crappy economy) so why should my business of buying music be any different?

I still use iTunes often, nobody can beat its ease of use, but Amazon is definitely dipping into the amount of $$$ iTunes gets from me.

I'll go sit in the corner now.....

 

[zelmo]

I love the iTMS interface and I'm all for supporting Apple when it makes sense to do so. However, when I am faced with the choice of buying a 128kbps Opeth album on iTMS for $12.99 versus buying the same album on Amazon [with no DRM] at 256kbps for only $8.99, iTunes loses the sale every time.
Lately I browse for music on iTMS, put lots in my cart, then search on amazon.com for the cheaper, higher quality [non-DRM] version. When the price is the same, I still buy from iTunes despite the bitrate and the DRM [neither of which really matters with my ears and listening habits anyway].

 

[atoothelex]

Love it

It's a guilty pleasure of mine. But it makes sense. Cheaper, DRM-Free, and Higher Quality. I just don't like going against Apple. I like high quality mp3's, it's how i roll

 

[bloodycape]

I love the iTMS interface and I'm all for supporting Apple when it makes sense to do so. However, when I am faced with the choice of buying a 128kbps Opeth album on iTMS for $12.99 versus buying the same album on Amazon [with no DRM] at 256kbps for only $8.99, iTunes loses the sale every time.
Lately I browse for music on iTMS, put lots in my cart, then search on amazon.com for the cheaper, higher quality [non-DRM] version. When the price is the same, I still buy from iTunes despite the bitrate and the DRM [neither of which really matters with my ears and listening habits anyway].

If you are referring to the new Opeth album Watershed, man that is expensive. I paid $13 for the actual CD in store for it and get to choose the format I use on my mp3 players. And the album is has what 7 tracks shouldn't that be more like $8-$9 bucks on iTunes? I also like Amazon better, because of the fact it is un-drmed, which is great as I have 3 different mp3 players.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Actually, the best thing about the Amazon MP3 store is the fact they use 256 kbps variable bit rate encoding for their MP3 files. This results in excellent sound quality, only slightly inferior to the original version.

One thing I'd like to see Amazon eventually do--especially given cheap server storage nowadays--is to give you the option to download the music file after purchase in either 256 kbps VBR Windows Media Audio or AAC audio formats. Thanks to the more efficient compression, 256 kbps VBR WMA or AAC format files often sounds closer to CD quality than the same data rate in MP3 format.

 

[Michael CM1]

I really don't think there will be too much hate for Amazon on here. If they sell the same darn song for a cheaper price (without DRM), there's no reason not to buy it there. It forces Apple to work harder, lower prices, etc. I just hate crappy competition to Apple stuff. In fact, if the PC market wasn't so dominant, Apple stuff probably wouldn't be as awesome as it is. Just take a look at Microsoft.

I'll probably keep taking advantage of that 5 for $5 deal when I see good stuff there. I honestly can't tell the difference in audio quality between 128k and anything above, but I'll bite.

 

[aross99]

I don't hate the Amazon store, but I hate that the music companies won't give Apple the same DRM free music.

I would prefer DRM free tracks, but I don't think supporting the Amazon store makes sense, since they are getting preferential pricing from the music companies.

I think Apple has done more for downloadable music than anyone else, and now they are getting punished for being "too successful".

Don't get me started on the NBC/Universal thing either...