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x user · Nov 29, 2003, 08:33 PM

I'm a bit baffled. I downloaded iTunes 4 when the music store was announced and have downloaded a small amount of music (35 or so songs). I was just browseing around the other night, when I relised a couple of song i'm sure I bought are missing out of my library. Not to worry, just 'check for downloaded music' I thought to myself. The surprize came when It returned with no un-downloaded songs. Just to try it I tried re-buying one (The one I'm absolutly POSITIVE I had, one other one I think I had, but am not sure.) and it let me!

Anyone else experienced this? Doesn't bother me much unless it starts happening more oftain, but weird none the less.

dtriska · Nov 29, 2003, 08:43 PM

Check your credit card statement to be sure.

x user · Nov 30, 2003, 12:12 AM

Originally posted by dtriska:
Check your credit card statement to be sure.

That wouldn't tell me anything since the statement doesn't list individual songs. But I AM sure on at least one song, because it's one of the first ones I bought...

Developer · Nov 30, 2003, 12:54 AM

Sometimes iTunes loses the reference to the music file, but the actual file is still there. Search for it in the Finder.

x user · Nov 30, 2003, 09:53 AM

I know that, but iTMS shouldn't have lost track that I BOUGHT it.

wataru · Nov 30, 2003, 10:42 AM

It will always let you repurchase songs no matter what, so that doesn't tell you anything.

chabig · Nov 30, 2003, 10:58 AM

Did you look for it in your Music folder like developer asked? Trust us, iTunes doesn't arbitrarily delete files. If it's not there, chances are you never bought, despite your strong recollection.

Chris

x user · Nov 30, 2003, 12:00 PM

Originally posted by chabig:
Did you look for it in your Music folder like developer asked? Trust us, iTunes doesn't arbitrarily delete files. If it's not there, chances are you never bought, despite your strong recollection.

Chris

The song being in my music files isn't quite what I'm trying to point out. I know it's not there, I've switched computers and deleted probably 20 songs from my library, it might have gotten deleted by accident. I'm just surprized that iTMS didn't know that I had bought it previously (IOW, when I selected "check for purchased music" it should have known that I bought it and downloaded it automatically. And I am surprized the iTMS will let you buy songs you've already bought? If that's true it's kinda weird.

I started the topic not because I mind paying an extra 99� or because i'm pissed off at anyone, I just wanted to know if it had happened to anyone else.

I also know I had purchased the song because I had it on my iPod for a long while.

Am I led to assume that no one else has had this problem...?

chabig · Nov 30, 2003, 01:04 PM

OK. I misunderstood you. But now I understand.

Ever since day 1, the iTunes music store has said that's it's a store, not a library. In other words, once you download the song, that's it. You don't get to download it again (and again).

Can you imagine the bandwidth costs if Apple were to operate it like a library and allow multiple downloads of the same song? That's why they've always said to make sure you backup your music.

So I suppose the answer to your original question is "yes" that this is exactly how it happens to everyone else.

See http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93033

Chris

x user · Nov 30, 2003, 03:36 PM

Than my next question is, what is the function of the 'check for purchased music' selection in the Advanced menu?

I guess I misunderstood the principle behind the store.

chabig · Nov 30, 2003, 04:49 PM

It's only purpose is to allow recovery from interrupted downloads. If you lose a connection in the middle of a download, the Check for Purchased Music option lets you start the download over again. But once a song has downloaded successfully, the music store knows.

I realize this is not the way many people expect it to work. But it does make some sense. People are buying millions of songs from Apple. They want to make sure you get what you pay for. But after that the responsibility is ours to take care of what we've purchased, just like it is with physical items we buy.

Chris

bmedina · Nov 30, 2003, 06:57 PM

Exactly. You wouldn't go back to a physical CD store and expect them to replace a CD you bought because you accidentally threw it away, would you?

x user · Nov 30, 2003, 10:41 PM

OK, now I understand...