[J'nathus]

I feel like I'm missing something. Does anyone know anything about this?

Will it be coming with a new version of iTunes (didn't they say 'effective immediately at MacWorld?)

Is there some facet of iTunes I'm missing that does this?

Is the conversion to DRM free a certain bitrate?

Is there a place that gives this kind of information? I've been digging all over Apple and iTunes and can't really find anything that answers these questions.

[Nail]

J, on January 10th 2009, 12:03 AM, said:

I feel like I'm missing something. Does anyone know anything about this?

Will it be coming with a new version of iTunes (didn't they say 'effective immediately at MacWorld?)

Is there some facet of iTunes I'm missing that does this?

Is the conversion to DRM free a certain bitrate?

Is there a place that gives this kind of information? I've been digging all over Apple and iTunes and can't really find anything that answers these questions.

should have looked harder:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/whatsnew/

[bobbob]

J, on January 10th 2009, 12:03 AM, said:

Does anyone know anything about this?

It's the same iTunes Plus that's been available for a while. Now they're just putting more iTunes Plus tracks up.

Quote

Will it be coming with a new version of iTunes (didn't they say 'effective immediately at MacWorld?)
...
Is the conversion to DRM free a certain bitrate?

256kbps, and you pay to download them since it's entirely store-side.

[J'nathus]

Nail, on January 10th 2009, 03:24 AM, said:

should have looked harder:http://www.apple.com/itunes/whatsnew/

Yeah, a bullet-point feature list really wasn't what I meant. That much I knew. The nitty gritty on how it's done was more of my aim.

[Kaoro]

J, on January 10th 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

I feel like I'm missing something. Does anyone know anything about this?

Yep!

J, on January 10th 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

Will it be coming with a new version of iTunes (didn't they say 'effective immediately at MacWorld?)

No, iTunes has supported iTunes Plus (The name Apple gives to DRM, higher bitrate songs sold on the store since May '08 I believe). It already supports DRM-free music.

J, on January 10th 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

Is there some facet of iTunes I'm missing that does this?

When you go to buy a song, if it has that blue plus symbol next to the price, that is an iTunes plus song. That means it is 256kbps (versus 128kbps of the DRM songs) and lacks any DRM.

On the right side of the store's home page, there's a link called "Upgrade my library" it will tell you how many DRM songs you that can be upgraded to iTunes Plus. It's $0.30 a song -- not sure about other countries.

J, on January 10th 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

Is the conversion to DRM free a certain bitrate?

^ what I said above. It's now 256kbps. Still AAC.

J, on January 10th 2009, 01:03 AM, said:

Is there a place that gives this kind of information? I've been digging all over Apple and iTunes and can't really find anything that answers these questions.

Besides the apple site, I have no idea.

By the way, the apostrophe in your name makes the BB think the string ends at "J"... haha

[J'nathus]

Thank you. That's the information I needed. Alas, iTunes plus doesn't know about all of my purchased tracks (there are about 5 or so of them). iTunes is my last stop for music, if I can't find it anywhere else, and I have 'on occasion' had to resort to it.

[BifBologna]

J, on January 10th 2009, 09:58 AM, said:

Alas, iTunes plus doesn't know about all of my purchased tracks (there are about 5 or so of them).

Not everything has been converted yet. My list of songs that can be upgraded has grown everyday since the announcement. So, check back often. You also need to make sure you're logged in to your iTunes account or it won't show you anything.

Bif

[J'nathus]

BifBologna, on January 10th 2009, 02:52 PM, said:

Not everything has been converted yet. My list of songs that can be upgraded has grown everyday since the announcement. So, check back often. You also need to make sure you're logged in to your iTunes account or it won't show you anything.

It shows me 10 tracks, not all of which I've kept, so it's going by my purchases, and possibly in date order. In any case, I'll keep checking. Just 5 more and all of my music is free of DRM (but still incompatible with an MP3 CD burning.... can't win them all I suppose).

[bobbob]

J, on January 10th 2009, 03:44 PM, said:

Just 5 more and all of my music is free of DRM

There are ways to do that without paying Apple.

Quote

(but still incompatible with an MP3 CD burning.... can't win them all I suppose).

iTunes can do AAC to MP3 pretty easily, though, can't it? Certainly lots of better encoders can do it easily, though you might want to up the bitrate.

[Frost]

About fire trucking time. I had stopped buying from the iTS and gone back to CDs because of DRM (well, that and quality, though if they're now offering 256 kbps, that's enough to satisfy me). This'll actually get me into iTunes again.

[the Battle Cat]

I've upgraded a number of songs and the higher quality is very noticeable even for a guy with blown out ears from explosions and gunfire who is stone deaf in two frequencies and hears loud ringing 24/7. I recommend upgrading for the sound quality alone.

[Mr. Selvetarm]

the Battle Cat, on January 11th 2009, 10:54 AM, said:

I've upgraded a number of songs and the higher quality is very noticeable even for a guy with blown out ears from explosions and gunfire who is stone deaf in two frequencies and hears loud ringing 24/7. I recommend upgrading for the sound quality alone.

I hear ya. The same thing happens after an all night rave. Couldn't hear my ring tone for a several days.

[Dark_Archon]

It is a step in the right direction, but it would be nice if they sold Apple Lossless CD quality rips. There is a bit of a difference between 256kbps AAC files and CD (not nearly as big as the difference between 128 and 256 kbps AAC).

I'll still continue buying CDs. I like the packaging and the booklets, and most CDs can be found (new or lightly used) for around the same price as the albums on iTunes through Amazon Marketplace.

[teflon]

ditto
reality is better

[The Liberator]

I think there is no substitute for something physical (that you can hold in your hands). Well, except for a really, really good bargain.

By the way, when I upgrade my purchased library to iTunes Plus, does that mean that some songs that have mysteriously disappeared from my library (that I bought), would be downloaded again? yes or no?

Liberator.

[teflon]

yes.
itunes is checking its own database of what you bought and not what is still on your computer.

[jackdawsson]

Dark_Archon, on January 12th 2009, 06:05 AM, said:

I'll still continue buying CDs. I like the packaging and the booklets, and most CDs can be found (new or lightly used) for around the same price as the albums on iTunes through Amazon Marketplace.

The Liberator, on January 12th 2009, 10:05 AM, said:

I think there is no substitute for something physical (that you can hold in your hands). Well, except for a really, really good bargain.

Agreed! I've hundreds of CDs, buying more all the time, but nothing from iTunes. I listen to all my music on quality hi-fi separates, so anything less isn't really an option for now. I'd only go for iTunes if I emigrated (a possibility) & needed to drastically declutter all my possessions.

[Kaoro]

Dark_Archon, on January 12th 2009, 01:05 AM, said:

It is a step in the right direction, but it would be nice if they sold Apple Lossless CD quality rips. There is a bit of a difference between 256kbps AAC files and CD (not nearly as big as the difference between 128 and 256 kbps AAC).

I'll still continue buying CDs. I like the packaging and the booklets, and most CDs can be found (new or lightly used) for around the same price as the albums on iTunes through Amazon Marketplace.

I'll usually buy the CD if it's only available DRM'd, but I am the opposite. I don't like having anything physical 'cause I have no room to store all this stuff. I have a hard enough time storing console & computer software.

I can't tell a difference between 256kbps and a CD. What exactly do you hear/not hear that makes the difference?

[jackdawsson]

Kaoro, on January 12th 2009, 02:28 PM, said:

I can't tell a difference between 256kbps and a CD. What exactly do you hear/not hear that makes the difference?

Until Dark_Archon gets back to you on this, I'll just chip in my 2 cents worth. IMHO, there's probably no significant difference for many people unless you're used to listening to CDs through quality hifi. Probably some individual subjectivity accounts for any discernible degree of difference, or none. That's between early CDs & MP3s.

However, there's now a massive difference in quality between early CDs & recent CD remasters, DSD (hybrids) or SACD. Really! I have 1960's Stones CDs in both early CD & DSD versions. Highest & lowest frequency sounds are noticeably clearer on DSD. For eg., Brian Jones's sitar on some tracks is positively scintillating on DSD (as it is on original vinyl), but sounds relatively muffled on the standard CD.

[Dark_Archon]

It is probably most noticeable with cymbals, but the difference is pretty clear with most percussion and (acoustic)string instruments. The difference generally isn't nearly as pronounced with electric guitars as there is already distortion. With 256kbps AAC files, instruments sound less clear and crisp.

We did a blind test using my roommate's SACD player. I didn't expect to be able to hear a difference between CDs and SACDs, but it was definitely there.

I actually keep two copies of everything. There is no point loading up an iPod/iPhone(or any portable MP3 player) with lossless files because the output is pretty noisy and they can't provide proper amplification.