[I WAS the One]

I don't know, but maybe Apple thinks that everybody that download an album in iTunes store has an iPod... and the truth is not everybody, I realize that if I want to download a whole CD I want the art cover too (the poor quality art cover they offer doesnt count)... it will not be a big deal if apple include a PDF document with the CD art just for print it ourselves (and I mean the inserts, with the lirics and all) then I think iTunes will be complete.

Am I right or what?

[wataru]

Uh, welcome to last year. Clearly not many people care, as the iTMS has been doing very well.

I think the biggest things holding back the customers are: DRM, low bitrates, lack of ability to resell music, the fact that you have to own a computer and have an internet connection, and just plain ignorance of computers in general. Album art probably comes in last.

[gorickey]

Which other on-line music store is more complete than iTMS then?

[mitchell_pgh]

I feel the iTMS is the most complete store, but I still buy CDs for the following reasons.

- I can encode them in any format I like (MP3, AAC, OGG, even... WMA... barf)
- No DRM
- Not tied to any hardware or software
- Can scan cover art (naturally I never do that, but it's an option)
- Minimal cost upgrade (10-20%)

Many love iTMS and that's great, but I would rather go to the store and buy...

[I WAS the One]

well.. its true, but lets say that everyone has a computer and a high speed net connection... why isn't a pdf with the CD art available for download? its something very simple to do... dont you think?

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by I WAS the One:
well.. its true, but lets say that everyone has a computer and a high speed net connection... why isn't a pdf with the CD art available for download? its something very simple to do... dont you think?

No, I don't think it's that simple. Think how long it takes to convert a CD to AAC, and multiply that by a thousand (for all the scanning).

I also don't think people would really use it all that much.

I think Apple has bigger fish to fry.

[I WAS the One]

hello?? scanning?? all the music company has the original art in stock, they are all DIGITAL, I know because I work on a lot of them out there, its a very simple thing to do, open the art in Photoshop and save it on a PDF format... whats the big deal?
and its not important to you, but for people like me, that has to get every penny worth it, the digital art is not an extra, it is a MOST... the sound quality is the same, and the only real matter of buying from the net is that you don't have to go to a store... thats the main porpuse. no offense, I'm excited, thats all LOL

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by I WAS the One:
hello?? scanning?? all the music company has the original art in stock, they are all DIGITAL, I know because I work on a lot of them out there, its a very simple thing to do, open the art in Photoshop and save it on a PDF format... whats the big deal?
and its not important to you, but for people like me, that has to get every penny worth it, the digital art is not an extra, it is a MOST... the sound quality is the same, and the only real matter of buying from the net is that you don't have to go to a store... thats the main porpuse. no offense, I'm excited, thats all LOL

Do they have the artwork for all 700,000 titles?

Is it worth increasing the file size of every song file by anywhere from 25K (300 x 300 image) X 5 sides/pages ? = 125K, not much, but 300 x 300 isn't all that much and people would complain especially when it's word intensive so probably 600 x 600 is more reasonable... 100K x 5 = .5 MB per CD... it starts to add up.

I am not saying it's not a good idea, but I haven't really heard a big outcry for it.

Also, apple doesn't restrict you from adding cover artwork to your songs, they just don't provide it.

[lenox]

One of the reasons the record labels are cool with apple selling their music online is that it's NOT exactly like buying a CD. You are getting compressed audio at low bitrates, with a silly little album cover picture.

Therefore, they feel less threatened by it. It's a matter of keeping the record companies happy so that the itms actually has songs to sell.

[dampeoples]

I never look at the album art, so it's a non-issue for me.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by lenox:
One of the reasons the record labels are cool with apple selling their music online is that it's NOT exactly like buying a CD. You are getting compressed audio at low bitrates, with a silly little album cover picture.

Therefore, they feel less threatened by it. It's a matter of keeping the record companies happy so that the itms actually has songs to sell.

The record labels are terribly threatened by "low bitrates and silly little album cover art".

just read up on the RIAA

[spatterson]

What I don't understand is why some of the albums are missing songs... for example it will be missing tracks 4, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15.... and you still pay 9.99 for it....

[dampeoples]

Originally posted by spatterson:
What I don't understand is why some of the albums are missing songs... for example it will be missing tracks 4, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15.... and you still pay 9.99 for it....

That is annoying, especially since some bands want you to buy the whole album, to keep their 'art' intact.
**** you, I listen to music how I want to, pal.

[Jaey]

iTMS is incomplete because it doesn't have any Jethro Tull.