Here’s a question, have you bought anything from the iTunes Music Store? Or any online music store for that matter? Now that I only use a Mac I am iTunes exclusive for my music needs. As you should know I have a number of problems with the program but it meets enough of my needs.
I have been hesitant to purchase any music online. I feel much more comfortable having an actual CD and knowing that I’ll be able to do whatever I want with it. With these online companies I’m nervous that I will one day lose a file and not be able to get it again. Or that I will use more computers than they allow and I won’t have access to my music. Also on a CD there is bonus material included.
When you think about it though I only use my original CD once to rip it onto my computer and 99% of bonus material I don’t even watch (the only ones I can think of are Fall Out Boy’s EP and comedy albums that also include a DVD).
The reason this comes up is that there is a CD that came out today that I want to get: Mest – Photographs. Mest is one of my favorite bands from when I first heard them Freshman year. In fact Wasting Time is one of my Top 5 albums. I can either go out tomorrow and buy it at Circuit City or get it right now on iTunes. Same price either way. I don’t need to hear it right now and going out to an electronics store would be the highlight of my day. On the other hand its just another CD Case that is going to sit in the pile in my room and eventually be put into a box that will forever be moved along with me.
The details on what you can do with music you buy on iTunes seem pretty fair but obviously they don’t give you complete freedom. At any one time you can have 5 computers authorized to play your music. You can deauthorize computers at any time. Five seems like enough since I only really keep my music on one system and stream it to the others if needed. Still, I’d like to be able to move it all around. The biggest concern is that if you do lose the file you can’t download it again. You have to buy it. This to me is ridiculous. Even if they said you could download it only a few times per year in case you lost a hard drive that would be fair. I understand not allowing unlimited downloading of what you buy wince that bandwidth could add up quickly.
I think its about time I try out this iTunes deal and see what happens. This is just one CD and only $10. At worst I burn it to a CD and then really I have the same thing I would have if I bought it at the store, minus the DVD, artwork, etc. So here goes, wish me luck.