# iTunes Music Store Sucks **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 16, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846 "2003-10-16T19:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/1 "2003-10-16T19:40:00Z")
The problems start with the download. 19MB? What for? I’m downloading a music player and web browser. This is not necessary. But I can handle it, as long as the program is good. Too bad it sucks. When I first opened it, the window was way too small. My attempts at resizing the window resulted in redraw rates slower than anything I’ve seen since I threw out my old Pentium 2 box. Why is this? Must be the non-standard Mac-like interface, which results in a window which redraws slowly, cannot be maximized, and does not conform to my Windows color settings. Drop-down menus have cool looking Mac-style graphics… until you click on them. There’s no graphical response, and the menu is presented in the standard Windows style. But hey, it’s OK, as long as the actual store is good. But it’s not. Here’s a shitty deal: Blur’s Think Tank. The album is $16.99 at iTunes. It’s $3.00 cheaper at Amazon or Best Buy (which has free shipping). And the selection blows. Matador recently joined the iTunes store. A search for Yo La Tengo produces four albums. eMusic has 12, all on Matador. I purchased three CDs today at Best Buy, only one of which is available at the iTunes Music Store. And even if I did find something I liked (and I’ll admit that I did), I wouldn’t buy it. Apple’s AAC files work on iPods only. Nothing else. If you’re looking for a poorly made application and a music store with occasionally questionable pricing and a semi-complete selection of major label music that’s only compatible with one brand of digital music players, you’re in luck. But me, I’ll stick with stores and eMusic for now. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/2 "2003-10-16T19:51:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheddarsnax \* > And even if I did find something I liked (and I’ll admit that I did), I wouldn’t buy it. Apple’s AAC files work on iPods only. Nothing else. _Nitpick:_ That should be “…nothing else **yet.** ” Since AAC is an open standard (part of the MPEG4 audio standard, IIRC), there’s nothing preventing anyone else from creating a portable music player that supports AAC files. Can’t comment about the suciness/non-suciness of the Windows iTunes music store, since I use the Mac version. And it’s been smooth as buttah since day 1. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/3 "2003-10-16T21:30:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheddarsnax \* > **Apple’s AAC files work on iPods only. Nothing else.** Except for computers and CD players. Anyway, no one’s forcing you to use the damn thing. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/4 "2003-10-16T21:44:51Z")
I downloaded it out of curiosity, and although the OP’s points may be true, I note it has an interesting assortment of free streaming radio stations, many at 128kbps. Yes, this isn’t tremendously unique, but the more the better. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/5 "2003-10-16T22:26:29Z")
I downloaded it. I’m not interested in the online store (especially not with a dial-up connection), and as a library management application I’m not sure what it’s offering me over MusicMatch other than playlists based on ratings. Haven’t noticed any performance problems, though. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/6 "2003-10-16T22:42:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > **Except for computers and CD players.** There is absolutely no consumer CD player in existence capable of player AAC files. Yes, I know what you meant. > [@](#): > > \*\*Anyway, no one’s forcing you to use the damn thing. \*\* Really? Oh. I retract all rants of mine, past present and future due to this insightful comment. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Revtim_ > **I downloaded it out of curiosity, and although the OP’s points may be true, I note it has an interesting assortment of free streaming radio stations, many at 128kbps. Yes, this isn’t tremendously unique, but the more the better.** Meh. There’s a much better selection of Shoutcast streams, and I don’t need iTunes to listen to them. ---
**Author:** ![cmason32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@cmason32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmason32)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/7 "2003-10-16T23:19:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheddarsnax \* > **The problems start with the download. 19MB? What for? I’m downloading a music player and web browser. This is not necessary. But I can handle it, as long as the program is good.** It also has a cd burner \*\* > [@](#): > > Too bad it sucks. When I first opened it, the window was way too small. My attempts at resizing the window resulted in redraw rates slower than anything I’ve seen since I threw out my old Pentium 2 box. Why is this? Must be the non-standard Mac-like interface, which results in a window which redraws slowly, cannot be maximized, and does not conform to my Windows color settings. Drop-down menus have cool looking Mac-style graphics… until you click on them. There’s no graphical response, and the menu is presented in the standard Windows style. But hey, it’s OK, as long as the actual store is good. > > But it’s not. Here’s a shitty deal: Blur’s Think Tank. The album is $16.99 at iTunes. It’s $3.00 cheaper at Amazon or Best Buy (which has free shipping). And the selection blows. Matador recently joined the iTunes store. A search for Yo La Tengo produces four albums. eMusic has 12, all on Matador. I purchased three CDs today at Best Buy, only one of which is available at the iTunes Music Store. And even if I did find something I liked (and I’ll admit that I did), I wouldn’t buy it. Apple’s AAC files work on iPods only. Nothing else.\*\* Some albums are more expensive - but that is because the artists or record company is not letting Apple sell the album for $9.99. Further, while some albums are more expensive, the majority of albums are $9.99. Apple can only have the albums that the companies/artists agree to put on iTMS. Blaming Apple for the artists refusal is like blaming the weatherman for the weather - there’s nothing that can be done about it. As far as AAC is concerned, you can convert the files into mp3s and you can burn AAC files onto a cd which will play in any cd player. > [@](#): > > \*\* > If you’re looking for a poorly made application and a music store with occasionally questionable pricing and a semi-complete selection of major label music that’s only compatible with one brand of digital music players, you’re in luck. But me, I’ll stick with stores and eMusic for now. \*\* Perhaps if you learned a bit more about the product, your thread wouldn’t look like blatant astroturfing. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/8 "2003-10-16T23:44:41Z")
Oh, thanks for starting this thread. I was wondering when Apple was going to release the Windows version of iTunes! I downloaded it as soon as I read this thread. I _love_ iTunes on my Mac. As rjung said, smooth as buttah (butter, whatever ;)). And this was almost as smooth. Didn’t have any problems resizing the window at all. (Windows XP Pro, Athlon 1800+ XP CPU, 1 GB RAM). I don’t know if it’s just one of those bugs that affects only certain systems–I don’t know. It seems fine and is very similar to my Mac version. And I _love_ the way iTunes is laid out. It works very smoothly, with one exception so far. I did have a problem with it when I first started–I was trying to transfer some of my purchased tunes (burned on CD from Mac) over to the PC. iTunes “stopped responding” while I was trying to do this–I was transferring over some big honkin’ files from the CD onto the hard drive while iTunes was simultaneously trying to play one of the tunes _from_ that same CD. But Windows does this with me sometimes–stutters or falters when I try to do too many things like that at once. So I don’t blame iTunes for that entirely. Though yeah, that was a bug I could have done without. Anyway, unless it’s got some horrible crashy, nasty problem, it is now my **default** MP3 player. I am so sick of Windows Media Player on the PC, and I never did like WinAmp very much. iTunes is the only way to go, baby. Transferring my “purchased” tunes over to the PC (via CD) was seamless. Logging in using my Mac membership username was sealess. Buying an audio book (Jerry Goldsmith and some other guys talking about music) was seamless. Downloading of the purchased audio book was seamless. So far it’s been as seamless (except for that initial freezing up thing) as the Apple version. So far. Oh, happy day. I have iTunes on my PC! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/9 "2003-10-17T00:03:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmason32 \* > It also has a cd burner Windows has built in CD burning support. iTunes should interface with CD burners through IMAPI (if it doesn’t already) > [@](#): > > Some albums are more expensive - but that is because the artists or record company is not letting Apple sell the album for $9.99. Further, while some albums are more expensive, the majority of albums are $9.99. Apple can only have the albums that the companies/artists agree to put on iTMS. Blaming Apple for the artists refusal is like blaming the weatherman for the weather - there’s nothing that can be done about it. I’m not _blaming_ Apple for this, at least I didn’t intend to. But if a real life store doesn’t have the products I want, or sells them at an unreasonable price, I won’t go there. Just as I won’t be using the iTunes music store (for a variety of other reasons, too). > [@](#): > > As far as AAC is concerned, you can convert the files into mp3s and you can burn AAC files onto a cd which will play in any cd player. Converting to MP3 results in a loss of quality, and I highly doubt that Apple has a built-in function to circumvent their own DRM that easily (correct me if I’m wrong). Are there any programs which convert protected AAC files to MP3s? And I don’t want CDs. I don’t even own a CD player. I have a Nomad Zen MP3 player, which cannot player AAC files, at least for now. > [@](#): > > Perhaps if you learned a bit more about the product, your thread wouldn’t look like blatant astroturfing. Blow me. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/10 "2003-10-17T00:06:41Z")
A question to iTunes subscribers: Can you redownload music you have already purchased? For free, I mean. Here’s another complaint: It installed an iPod service, which runs every time I start my computer. I don’t remember being asked about that. I don’t own an iPod. Why did I get an iPod service? ---
**Author:** ![Daisy\_Cutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Daisy\_Cutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daisy_Cutter)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/11 "2003-10-17T00:16:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheddarsnax \* > \*\*There is absolutely no consumer CD player in existence capable of player AAC files. Yes, I know what you meant. > \*\* Wrong. :smack: CD players which can playback AAC files exist, and they are consumer. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/12 "2003-10-17T00:35:30Z")
Here’s one: [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005O02X/104-8990923-5396704?v=glance](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005O02X/104-8990923-5396704?v=glance) ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/13 "2003-10-17T00:42:00Z")
Amazing. But I’m not out to spend $120 on a CD player. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/14 "2003-10-17T00:42:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Apple’s AAC files work on iPods only. Nothing else. Others corrected this statement, but I thought I’d rub it in some more: [AAC Plugin for Winamp2](http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/11/1/3/11-1-3-40.shtml) OGG’s still the best, though. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/15 "2003-10-17T00:44:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hodge \* > \*\*Others corrected this statement, but I thought I’d rub it in some more: [AAC Plugin for Winamp2](http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/11/1/3/11-1-3-40.shtml) \*\* I intended that to refer solely to portable digital music players (Rio, Zen, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/16 "2003-10-17T00:46:40Z")
[Here](http://www.epinions.com/Personal_CD_Players-AAC) are some more AAC CD players, including four players under $80. But I’m suspicious - doesn’t iTunes use some kind of DRM? Do you have to decrypt the file before you can play it on a CD player? If you don’t, then what exactly is the purpose of the DRM? ---
**Author:** ![Meros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Meros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meros)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/17 "2003-10-17T00:55:36Z")
The main purpose of the DRM is just to keep the record industry happy and allow the store to exist at all. The main function is just to prevent the files from being shared from computer to computer in their original format (beyond the three computers you’re allowed to have) Not being nitpicky here at all, it’s just been an observation of mine that Apple’s DRMing has had a tendency to be the minimum to keep the Record Industry crying foul while still giving the user reasonable use of their data. The fact that it’s usually circumventable to a reasonable degree by common actions supports this (at least IMHO) I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the CD players were interpreted by the file the same way as an iPod is currently in which case there wouldnt be any decryption problems. ---
**Author:** ![Meros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Meros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meros)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/18 "2003-10-17T00:56:39Z")
Um…that should say keep the record industry **from** crying foul. ---
**Author:** ![cmason32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@cmason32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmason32)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/19 "2003-10-17T01:16:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cheddarsnax \* > \*\*Windows has built in CD burning support. iTunes should interface with CD burners through IMAPI (if it doesn’t already) \*\* You asked why the file was big. I never said there weren’t other cd burner programs. > [@](#): > > \*\* > I’m not _blaming_ Apple for this, at least I didn’t intend to. But if a real life store doesn’t have the products I want, or sells them at an unreasonable price, I won’t go there. Just as I won’t be using the iTunes music store (for a variety of other reasons, too). \*\* Fine. Don’t buy products you can get cheaper. But don’t pick out 3 albums that are more expensive and act like it’s the same for every album on iTunes. Whether you intended it or not, it was misleading. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Converting to MP3 results in a loss of quality, and I highly doubt that Apple has a built-in function to circumvent their own DRM that easily (correct me if I’m wrong). Are there any programs which convert protected AAC files to MP3s? And I don’t want CDs. I don’t even own a CD player. I have a Nomad Zen MP3 player, which cannot player AAC files, at least for now. \*\* So you complain that Apple doesn’t support mp3s while simulatneously complaining that mp3s have poorer quality? To convert an AAC file do the following: 1. Highlight the track 2. Go to the “Advanced” tab 3. Choose “convert selection to mp3” Taa-daa! > [@](#): > > \*\* > Blow me. \*\* :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Meros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Meros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meros)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846/20 "2003-10-17T01:19:09Z")
> [@](#): > > To convert an AAC file do the following: > > 1. Highlight the track > 2. Go to the “Advanced” tab > 3. Choose “convert selection to mp3” > > Taa-daa! > > :rolleyes: \*\* Unless it changed with the new version doesn’t this only work with AAC files you rip from CD and not with the DRMed files you get from iTMS? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-music-store-sucks/207846.md?page=2)