[Amfdaaandhaq]

So here goes for someone who doesn't post that often and is making an effort to do so. I have to say, love the forum!

Anyway, back to that debate about downloading music. Apple has finally solved the problem. Every major record company is on board and the downloading can begin.

check it out at http://www.apple.com

See ya,
Chris Tarry

[steansathtpos]

I went to the Mac site. Sounds good, really good if the sound quality smokes mp3s!

I wonder if eventually it will make more sense for artists to forego manufacturing of CDs and license their music directly to digital suppliers. Will record labels still have a role? Maybe between artists and digi suppliers, separating the wheat from the chaff.

[Usendyduexy]

I'd be curious to see what a search for Rosolino or Fontana turns up let alone Thad/Mel, Bill Homlan, Howard Rumsey etc.

Given paying $9.99 (is that US or CND) on average to download an entire CD of pay a bit more at A&B, I'll go downtown.

[SDorothy28]

I'd like to know what the .99 does - where does it go? How much of it goes to the musician? And who do you have to you-know-what at Apple to get on the selection list?

200,000 songs are great, but what if I don't like any of them? They SAY there's jazz - what does that mean? Candy Dulfer? Kenny G? Frank Sinatra singing with Bono and Tony Bennett singing with Elmo?

Heavens - I'm bitter. Where's the bartender? I need more wine... *sigh*

[SDorothy28]

I hope the PC version is as wonderful -- I look forward to trying it out. It certainly is more conscientious, in my opinion, to pay something over nothing.
C

[AndyPharmc]

so there is finally a way to pay for music that is easier than downloading it free. I geuss that is the first step towards a legal way of distrubiting music.

I wonder what this means for the major record companies in the future? It would be easy for apple to put bands from independant labels on there service and the musicians would get a bigger chunk of the profits. As far as I know major labels are experiencing drops in record sales while indie labels seem to be doing quite well.

What really blows me away it that new ipod. Its about the size of a palm pilot, but with a 30GB hard drive. thats a lot of music in your pocket
.

[Amfdaaandhaq]

I would say that Apple offers a lot for the 99 cents that you can't get with downloading illegal tunes from say kazaa or lime wire. First of all the interface (and you have to try it to know what I'm talking about) is great! The selection, while only launced yesterday, does cover any album released on any major label throughout the states. I typed in Kurt Resenwinkel as a test and got every album and track the guy has ever released (including the ones released on more independant labels). Typing Kurt into Kazaa or Lime Wire all I got was a blank stare.... As a second more main stream test I typed in Miles Davis and got every album (aside from imports) he ever released complete with album graphics.

Ok, from there, you pay 99 cents for the track you like... let's say I have to learn a tune for an upcoming gig (one of the main and only reasons I ever used Napster..) the tune is downloaded (after checking out 30 seconds of it for free... which, to be honest is probably enough to learn the tune..) and placed directly into iTunes from which I can burn it or throw it into my iPod. Oh ya, you also get all the album graphics with your download which displays in iTunes and will also do the same (in upcoming releases) in the iPod. I am willing and happy to pay 99cents (yes, yes, $1.?? Canadian) to support an artist on a tune by tune basis. The music available also comes in the new AAC format which takes up the same space as an MP3 but has a lot better sound quality....again, playable on the iPod.

For me this seems like an alternative I can live with. My conscience can rest knowing that at least there is some money filtering down the payout ladder for music I download off the internet. I have to say another thing... To download a whole album is only $9.99 U.S. This seems very cheap. To buy the album in a store (in the U.S.) would be at least $18-$25. Yes, for that you get the album in your hand but to me, the only difference (seeing as how you get the album graphics with your download) is the jewel case... Why pay $10 U.S. for a jewel case?

Anyway, cudo's to Apple for trying to figure it out and taking the initial step at bringing everyone together. BTW, there is a PC version of iTunes on the way and the iPods currently work with Mac and PC. PC owners make up half of all iPod purchases.

Taker easy,

[AndyPharmc]

plus there is somthing to be said for purchasing music without the unneeded cd and jewl case. I have about 150 albums on my computer right now and I am glad that I don't have all those cd's and cases hanging around wasting space.

[ZIZITOPER]

I don't get it. Why would anyone pay a buck and a half per song, chosen from a selection of 200,000 when they can choose from virtually everything ever recorded, for free?

Just asking . . .

[irrelaAnnekly]

Chris Tarry plays Fodera basses, GHS strings, Aguilar amps... could Apple computers be the next on the endorsement list? ;-) Just joshin, C.... nothing but love.... do you need a Mac to do this, or will it work with a PC too?

[casinobonbiner]

I think one of the more ironic things in the whole downloading debate is this: The music industry decided we all had to put out CDs in the late 80s.

It was the end of large size art work on covers and liner notes you can read. The cruncher though is that having made everyone go digital, the same animal comes back to bite them once the internet came along and people started downloading for free.

Whose idea was this again? It came from the same music industry that is complaining about how much money they are losing. Does seem like justice somehow! Anyway it's mainly the pop music industry that is losing sales and we all know how deeply they care about jazz!