Texas

Do you buy from iTunes or Amazon? What is best for buying digital? I want to own what I buy.

Scopitone

They're both excellent quality tracks with no DRM. (Google Play sells 320k MP3s, incidentally, while amazon's MP3s are 256k, as are Apple's AAC files.)

They allow you to re-download anytime you need.

Amazon has frequent sales, and their albums usually go for $9.49 if Apple's are $9.99.

These days, I tend to buy from iTunes just to be consistent. But I have purchased from amazon and Google a lot, too, over the last few years.

I have no complaints -- except sometimes Google's selection is missing stuff the other two have available.

Gavin B.

There are websites where DRM-free albums and songs are considerably cheaper. I'm not going to advertise them on Music Banter but I'm describing perfectly legal Ukrainian retail music websites where high quality DRM-free digital albums can be downloaded for between 75 cents and $2.

The Ukrainian music retailers are a thorn in the side to the global music industry. The Ukrainian government simply refuses to acknowledge international copyright law.

__________________
There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff.
Townes Van Zandt

Texas

This is not playing Devil's Advocate, but how do you feel about buying digital with places like Spotify booming? If that doesn't bother you, do you feel like you own your digital music? The reason I ask is because I may make the switch. Do you buy from Amazon and other outside sources and then use iTunes Match?

Texas

I'd love more information, dude.

Scopitone

It doesn't bother me not to "own" it. I have bought so many albums over the years that I barely ever listened to once. I prefer being able to listen to anything I want, and renting it is okay since I know the artists are at least getting paid a little something. It's taken me some years to come around to this attitude, but I am happy about it.

And yes, I tend to consolidate my outside purchases by uploading to iTunes Match, just to have them backed up. Most things, I have also uploaded to Google for a second backup. You can use Amazon to do the same.



I couldn't say, but I am guessing not a dime goes to the artists. If you're going to do that, you might as well just go ahead and steal it from torrents or youtube.