Where to buy music online for download?

**p.dath** · 5th August 2010, 13:02

I want to buy music, in mp3 format (so I can put it on my phone, in my car, and other devices), in downloadable form, that includes music by big labels (aka - most popular artists).

I have been buying my music from the Vodafone music store. But they took it down for an "upgrade" a month ago, and it still has not come back. I've rung them three times and they can't even give me a date of when it is going back up - apart from saying it was meant to be back up two weeks ago.

iTunes is out. iTunes sells you music in their copyprotected format, and you can't convert that to mp3 - and I'm not replacing all my devices just to use iTunes.
And downloading, burning to CD, and rippping it back is too much of an effort. Really, do they want me to buy the music or not.

Amplifier.co.nz does not have the big name studios.

So where else can I buy music legally in mp3 format that includes big name artists?

**onearmedbandit** · 5th August 2010, 13:20

Just send me a list of what you want and I'll supply them, only 99c a track. And band or label you want.

**Usarka** · 5th August 2010, 13:39

I'm still stumped as to why no one sells high quality music downloads.

**onearmedbandit** · 5th August 2010, 13:40

Originally Posted by Usarka

I'm still stumped as to why no one sells high quality music downloads.

In what format? MP3 is pretty shitty.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 5th August 2010, 14:28

Sound files are a funny thing...

128bit MP3 is usually okay but as in "meh" ok the average person can't tell the difference... but the audio head geeks can ... higher the bit rate the better the quality of sound... and 320 bit MP3 is as close as you will get to raw data wav file that is compressed... and it does depend on how much compression has been added to the MP3 etc... both in at the recording level and at the final production level.

A 320bit mp3 song or track is usually a 10 to 15mb file (depending on length of track) compared to a 3-4mb file at 128bit

OGG file format is better than MP3 as it is compressed with out loss of sound quality...

Putting RAW WAV Data audio files on line is impractical really as a final mix down of a track can easily be 200-500mb WAV file... which means your 8gb MP3 player can only hold 8 songs...

**p.dath** · 5th August 2010, 14:39

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Just send me a list of what you want and I'll supply them, only 99c a track. And band or label you want.

No no, I said legal downloads.

Originally Posted by Usarka

I'm still stumped as to why no one sells high quality music downloads.

The Vodafone music store sold 256kb/s MP3s. They sounded great in my car, computer and the stereo at home. I stopped buying CD's many years ago (incidentally, right after I got one that was "copy protected" and couldn't play it in my car stereo ...) - however, I can't hear the different between the CD's and 256kb/s MP3s. Even when turned up loud on the stereo at home.

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

In what format? MP3 is pretty shitty

All depends on the encoding rate. As I say, 256kb/s professionally encoded sounds perfect to me. Perhaps if your using stolen ripped tracks off the Internet it might sound poor ...

**Usarka** · 5th August 2010, 15:55

MP3's just don't "feel" right to me.

I currently use Windows lossless (yes the devil and yes there are better but it's a combination of what plays on what). A decent quality digital file sounds / feels better than cds IMHO, and I'd be willing to pay for them. Bute even if a company started selling decent artists on FLAC or something I'd be stoked.

When the music industry starts selling their goods at high quality is the day I'll start purchasing music again.

An anology for the dumb arse music guys - what you're selling is coke that's cut to shit with baking soda that you don't notice in a club after 6 tequilas. Sit back in the quiet of your room with a mate and it makes you pissed off you trusted the dodgy dealer who said "I've been hearing good shit about this stuff, man".

PS - there have been studies comparing mp3 and CD, and they've shown that in some cases the mp3's sounded fuller and better because even though they were compressed, they were also taken off the master so still had full frequency range.

PPS - what about high-def audio that's appearing on blu-ray. Where the fuck is the high-def music?

**Cayman911** · 5th August 2010, 16:08

If you actually want to buy it. and thought i wish i could find a place where i could pay less than the $1 per song on itunes and get way higher quality mp3's.

your wish is granted http://www.mp3fund.com/

good site, ive used it for the last 6 years. well im not really the have to buy it kinda person, well not at all. but if there is something i cant find which is on a paysite, id use that site. good as quality. trust worthy.

**dipshit** · 5th August 2010, 16:20

Originally Posted by p.dath

No no, I said legal downloads.

I got feed up with purchasing legitimate downloads when they were copy protected so you got penalised because you couldn't transfer them to a new computer or they wouldn't run in different programs or hardware.

Now I don't give a rat's ass and only get free mp3s.

**Usarka** · 5th August 2010, 16:25

Originally Posted by dipshit

I got feed up with purchasing legitimate downloads when they were copy protected so you got penalised because you couldn't transfer them to a new computer or they wouldn't run in different programs or hardware.

Now I don't give a rat's ass and only get free mp3s.

Exactly. I wouldn't pay for an MP3 but they won't sell me anything worth paying for so fuck it no one loses because there is nothing there I would have bought.

**yachtie10** · 5th August 2010, 16:34

Originally Posted by dipshit

I got feed up with purchasing legitimate downloads when they were copy protected so you got penalised because you couldn't transfer them to a new computer or they wouldn't run in different programs or hardware.

Now I don't give a rat's ass and only get free mp3s.

+2

these companies that spend a fortune trying (and failing) to protect there products penalise the legitimate buyer annoy the fuck out of me

**avgas** · 5th August 2010, 16:43

Originally Posted by Usarka

MP3's just don't "feel" right to me.

Don't you have valves to tune?
Good on you for speaking you mind - just next time ask if you don't know what your talking about.....
I suggest you start reading about these guys http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraunhofer_Society and finish at inter-harmonics of the inner ear.

There are MP3's and there are MP3's. Just like CD's or records you can get a good copy or a bad one.

As for buying MP3's - yes the industry shot itself in the foot by trying to protect them. I buy CD's and just burn the CD (freerip or whatever ripper I can get my hands on). It feels better, you get an album book and you even get something to put in the car (for those of you who have old style cd stereos in your car).

You can rip lossless audio if you want - but my previous experience tells me that if I have the choice between 1 song on portable audio or 10 using a 95% codec.......I pick 10

**Usarka** · 5th August 2010, 16:52

Originally Posted by avgas

Good on you for speaking you mind - just next time ask if you don't know what your talking about.....

I feel I should argue but couldn't get passed the first line

Originally Posted by avgas

You can rip lossless audio if you want - but my previous experience tells me that if I have the choice between 1 song on portable audio or 10 using a 95% codec.......I pick 10

When you've got a half terrabyte of disk storage (and uprgradeable) for the home media centre, why would you go for 256mp3?

**SMOKEU** · 5th August 2010, 16:52

Why would anyone want to pay for music these days? You might as well burn $20 notes just for kicks.

**p.dath** · 5th August 2010, 17:00

Originally Posted by Cayman911

If you actually want to buy it. and thought i wish i could find a place where i could pay less than the $1 per song on itunes and get way higher quality mp3's.

your wish is granted http://www.mp3fund.com/

good site, ive used it for the last 6 years. well im not really the have to buy it kinda person, well not at all. but if there is something i cant find which is on a paysite, id use that site. good as quality. trust worthy.

This looks interesting. The sample clips are only encoded at 64kb/s. Are the purchased versions encoded at a higher rate?

Also, how the hell do you sign up for an account?