Amazon MP3
I've just ordered two albums off the new Amazon MP3, and I have to say it compares very favorably to iTunes.
In case you haven't heard, Amazon today launched a public beta of their new digital music store. All tracks are high-quality MP3s with no DRM -- in other words, there are no restrictions on where or on how many devices you play your music, and since MP3 is supported by every digital audio player on the market, it'll work with everything from iPods to Zens. Also, the tracks are $0.89 or $0.99, and albums are $4.99 to $9.99 -- beating iTunes on price in many cases.
They don't have nearly the selection iTunes has, but with about 2 million tracks to iTunes' 6 million, they're off to a good start.
I bought Self Defense by UNKLE -- 30 remixes of tracks from UNKLE's "Never, Never, Land" album -- for $8.99, and Neon Bible by Arcade Fire, also for $8.99.
Ladies and gentlemen, DRM is truly in doomed. Henceforth, I will always look on Amazon first to see if an album I want is available before turning to iTunes as a last resort. And since eMusic.com is now offering DRM-free audiobooks (albeit by subscription only), I'll probably look there before audible.com, too. I've already found at least 5 books that I bought from Audible.com (as part of a slightly different subscription model) that are now also available from eMusic.com -- and given the choice, if price is comparable, I'll always choose the option without DRM attached.
UPDATE: I was just thinking in the shower recently that I need to re-acquire The Chemical Brothers' first album, "Exit Planet Dust -- it's $7.99 on Amazon mp3. Nice.
In case you haven't heard, Amazon today launched a public beta of their new digital music store. All tracks are high-quality MP3s with no DRM -- in other words, there are no restrictions on where or on how many devices you play your music, and since MP3 is supported by every digital audio player on the market, it'll work with everything from iPods to Zens. Also, the tracks are $0.89 or $0.99, and albums are $4.99 to $9.99 -- beating iTunes on price in many cases.
They don't have nearly the selection iTunes has, but with about 2 million tracks to iTunes' 6 million, they're off to a good start.
I bought Self Defense by UNKLE -- 30 remixes of tracks from UNKLE's "Never, Never, Land" album -- for $8.99, and Neon Bible by Arcade Fire, also for $8.99.
Ladies and gentlemen, DRM is truly in doomed. Henceforth, I will always look on Amazon first to see if an album I want is available before turning to iTunes as a last resort. And since eMusic.com is now offering DRM-free audiobooks (albeit by subscription only), I'll probably look there before audible.com, too. I've already found at least 5 books that I bought from Audible.com (as part of a slightly different subscription model) that are now also available from eMusic.com -- and given the choice, if price is comparable, I'll always choose the option without DRM attached.
UPDATE: I was just thinking in the shower recently that I need to re-acquire The Chemical Brothers' first album, "Exit Planet Dust -- it's $7.99 on Amazon mp3. Nice.