Why DRM Sucks

I agree that DRM sucks, but Apple’s DRM sucks the least and this is why. You can buy a song and download it. Put it on as many iPods as you want. Put it on a few of your computers. Burn it to CD as many times as you want. Stop buying new songs from the iTunes music store and you still get to keep the song, play the song, burn the song, iPod the song. Until someone matches Apple’s DRM policy in a non-subscription format and can allow the song to be played in an iPod, all the competing DRMs will fail or maintain distant seconds.

While I agree with your assessment of DRM - I don’t understand the problem you’re having here.

Are you talking about using the Napster application to playback files you downloaded from Napster versus files from Urge?

I have files from multiple services (Napster and MSN, though I’ve had Yahoo in the past) and never had a problem playing any of them in WMP regardless of where they came from.

Since all of these files will play through WMP, I dont understand what Chris is talking about.
I wonder if he is posssibly confusing downloaded tracks via the subscription service with purchased tracks.
Its doubtful that artists are paid through AllofMP3, I mean at 11 cents a track and considering bandwidth costs and the like,
what do you think is left over for the artists?
AllofMP3 will be shuttered soon anyway by the Russian goverment as it is becoming a sticking point in their negotiations to enter the WTO.

Im sorry but I dont follow this
I have Napster and WMP imports all the files into the player library, with WMP 11 it will download the album covers as well.
If you purchase tracks you should not have to update the DRM.
Downloaded tracks through the subscription service are not tracks that you get to keep, otherwise people would pay for a months service go download happy and then quit, it doesnt work that way of course, you do realize this, no?

Since Urge is part of WMP11, what exactly are you talking about?
There is no Urge player they play through WMP same as Napsters files, you do need to have update licenses online turned on in the player though, possibly you have that setting switched off.

iTunes are encoded at 128kb/s. If they are burned to CD and then ripped to MP3, the sound quality is degraded even further. Napster’s files are at 192kb/s. They will sound as good or better then the iTunes originals even after converting to MP3.

If DRM bothers you MP3 is the only way to go.

You also might want to research the analog hole. Capture those Napster sub tunes through your sound card at 192 kb/s, and make an MP3 that sounds better then anything from iTunes.
The Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA) of 1992 allows for analog recordings of anything for private use. The resulting MP3’s are legal and of acceptable quality. It’s $9.95 a month for all you can eat…..and no DRM.

DRM Is Killing Music. And here’s the T-Shirt to prove it.
http://www.voidstar.com/node.php?id=2691
http://www.voidstar.com/node.php?id=2686

Apple’s DRM may well be the least worst, but you’re still buying over-priced, low quality downloads that are infected with DRM. Which is stupid, isn’t it?

Somebody should follow the money with AllOfMp3.com (which may be hard, given that it’s Russia). Do they actually pay ROMS? Does ROMS actually pay the copyright owners? How much?

Just Say No To DRM. You know it makes sense.

[…] This is a story about why DRM sucks — which we all know. But, more importantly, this is also a story about why Microsoft’s horizontal integration of the music business sucks even more with DRM thrown in. Read more… How iPods Took Over the World Source : Slashdot: Apple    Sunday, 17:43 An anonymous reader writes “The Observer has a piece today about the iPod’s ascension to dominance of the mp3 player market. The author argues that it’s largely the result of clever business tactics and the iTunes music store.” From the article: “The second thing about the iPod: it puts you, not them, in control. Basically, the record labels are devotees of the Henry Ford business model: ‘You can have any music you want so long as it’s what I want to give you.’ But using the cyberspace jukebox, you’re no longer at their mercy. You don’t have to pay for the four filler tracks on every album. You don’t have to buy albums at all. You can put country next to classical, punk next to jazz, Barry Manilow next to Placido Domingo (wait, that’s a joke).” […]

the album again. What’s more, Windows Media Player / Windows Explorer doesn’t tell me where the album came from – I have to guess. I have to play (by trial and error) to see which albums are supported by which service. THIS IS MADNESS! – Chris Pirillo

[…] This is a story about why DRM sucks — which we all know. But, more importantly, this is also a story about why Microsoft’s horizontal integration of the music business sucks even more with DRM thrown in. […]

? Why, the man running Linspire - Michael Robertson. Obviously, I already have my credit card out and am making selections to support what I see being a very important step forward away from this music DRM nonsense. After all, I want to see the artists getting paid! And the fact remains that DRM sucks for everyone, not just those not using OS X or Windows. Special rules, renting your music, it’s all very silly in my eyes.

not an easy and smooth operation, apparently, especially if your player is already set up to pull down a whole bunch of exceptional podcasts, but the mode switch is reversible and I’m willing to give it a shot. In the meantime I’m with Chris Pirillo.DRM sucks!

I decided to pay for all my downloaded songs on Napster a few months ago. It cost me over £500. Everything was fine for a about a month and then i got a message saying the licenses were corrupt. How can all of them be corrupted. I contacted Napster and asked for a refund but they told me they didn’t do that. They just gave me a long list of things to try. None of them worked. So now i’m stuck for all these files that I can’t even use. I’m back on Limewire now. If they want people to pay for music then make sure that it works. And I’m sick of people saying why don’t you just buy cd’s. It’s 2008, who still does that? They take up space and only about 3-4 songs on the cd are good. It’s not like before, like in the 50’s-80’s where you could get a tape and listen to the whole thing.