DRM is also bad for business
by Volker Weber
Wired reports:
Everyone knows the MP3 format is used by more devices and people than any other file-based digital-audio format. Most also know that record labels prefer DRMed alternatives such as the ones sold by Apple's iTunes, because they make it harder for people to share music.
But wait -- was that a pig flying past my window just now? Evidence is mounting that major labels may start to prefer the MP3 format, as impossible as that used to seem.
The most interesting quote is on page 2:
knowledgeable users generally prefer MP3s to Apple's DRMed AAC files, and more users become knowledgeable each day
Repeat after me: DRM is bad for the customer.
Comments
All i can say is.. Tunebite
I stopped shopping over at the iTunes music store because it was just too much of a hassle to convert everything into mp3 and then have every song lay around twice on my harddrive. However, now I have found an online store that sells a lot of Swiss music DRM free in the mp3 format and I am a happy customer again. =) If anybody cares, here are my detailed thoughts.
Also Tunebite! Tried it, works fine
Volker gave me a free voucher for 3 iTunes songs (thanks!). I bought 3 songs and a much more expensive tutorial and received .m4b and .m4p files. I do not have an iPod and I do not want one, since I do not want to carry an additional device with me. I like to listen to music, podcasts and tutorials using my Blackberry Pearl. I never carry my Notebook to listen to music or podcasts. The money I spend on iTunes was wasted and I am not going to spend any more money with iTunes.
Felix, burns the tracks to CD. They are free after that.
Never heard about Tunebit. Simple but very efficient approach.
But still no anti-DRM solution for mac... sniffle. I'll just keep burning my purchases to disc then.
Too bad there is no solution for Mac, burning CD's is a pain. And also some sites like Napster used to charge ppl extra for having the right to burn the tracks on CD's, so...
After I discovered Tunebite, it all became very easy, a push of a button away :)
