Boycotting iTunes Music Store

James Governor took my iTunes 6 sucks post and goes one step further and proposes a boycott of the iTunes music store.

I've basically done that since I wrote that post.  I buy my mp3s from emusic and if its not available on emusic, I buy the CD from Amazon and pull the mp3s.

I don't share my mp3s with the file sharing networks and I only post mp3s to my blog in degraded 96kbps with a link to buy the music. 

But I need the ability to put my music, the music I've bought, on any of my multitude of devices and DRM just won't allow that.

So I've joined James in his boycott.  It's not too painful so far.

Comments

[Kent]

I'm all for that. DRM-run-wild is exactly why I've never used iTunes.

[Shivering Timbers]

I'm with you on this one, but I think the word boycott is a little too strong.

I prefer to say that "I've found that iTunes Music Store simply doesn't provide the value for the money that I can get by buying a physical CD and ripping the tracks." To me, the word boycott implies that there's some larger political goal, but as far as I'm concerned this is a purely economic decision.

In many cases, the physical CD is cheaper than the DRM-crippled copy you get through iTMS, especially if you buy it used. Which, by the way, is another big advantage of owning the plastic: you can buy it used, and you can resell it if you don't like it and recover much of your purchase price. Secondary sales will never be possible under any DRM regimen, since that's one of the activites the technology was specifically designed to prevent.

On that last point, by the way, I made an extensive argument on my blog some months ago that the real intent of DRM is not to prevent piracy (DRM is almost entirely ineffective for that purpose), but to enable price discrimination and new business models for the content providers.

[Ric]

Fred

I've never actually used the iTunes store - I'm a latecomer to the whole iPod thing - and you managed to warn me off it before I started. Add to that here in Australia it costs more per tune anyway, and it wasn't hard to stay away. I eventually subscribed (Basic) to eMusic, and have found way more there than I can download in a hurry, so my current sub level will keep me attached for a while!

As for ripping CDs - Australia has never had a fair-use policy for taking music from its original form for back-up or use in/on different devices, so ANY form of ripping is actually illegal here - a law more honoured in the breach, I suspect!

[MaxS]

allofmp3.com is 10c a song. afaik they model is based on "gray area" of international licensing.

[tom]

Fred, I know that it's probably not ideal for you, given the exchange rate but you should give bleep.com a run for their money. Great independent labels like rough trade, warp & domino with an emphasis on british bands & electronica/dance. Plus its all high quality VBR MP3's. They even have a RSS feed: www.bleep.com/feeds.php/rss.xml. All in all a great source for unsual & new music. Only sting in tail is the price 79p - fine for us Englanders but not so ideal for you I imagine.
p.s. try Readymade FC & José Gonzáles, both on peacefrog

[Will]

So when you wrote:
I don't share my mp3s with the file sharing networks and I only post mp3s to my blog in degraded 96kbps with a link to buy the music.

Is that like:
I don't rob banks but all the money I take from them I use for good causes.

While iTunes may not work for you because you own and actively use for your own enjoyment a couple of dozen music players (yeah!); it's a great LEGAL source of electronic music for many, many people.

Your post and the associated feedback was brilliant if you were a) trying to find a way not to get ripped off by sites offering music that violates the artists rights and b) no shortage of plugs for others sites offering music that might rip off future consumers.