Napster question

[charliesmum]

Anyone use Napster? Is it worth it? They have a 7 day free trial, and I'm debating trying it. I can't help but wonder if it is like a 21st century version of those 'record clubs' where you pay a penny to get eleventy billion albums, and then are stuck with the club for a year and then they send you crap records. Is it w orth doing the 7 day trial, downloading the songs I want then cancelling? Think they'd let me do that?

Comments

[bass-babe.livejournal.com]

I have Rhapsody, and i love it.......its unlimited playing of songs on your rhapsody player, from any computer, for like $9.99 a month....the BURN option is .75c a song if i burn a cd, but motly i just mp3 them......i am in love with my rhapsody......

[jessii-6.livejournal.com]

ehem. well... I don't think it's right, personally.
Whom the Napster money goes to, the artists? I don't think so, actually.
Of course I believe that you're free to share...

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

That won't work. You aren't buying the songs, you're paying for access to them. Once you cancel your subscription to Napster the songs won't play any more. I've heard there are ways to break that, but it hurts the sound quality. If you're willing to pay for music on your computer, it's better to buy the songs individually from a place like iTunes. (Also note that you only have access to the songs on that computer. I don't think you can load them on an mp3 player and take them with you, though I'm open to correction on this point.)

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

Oh. See, this is why I'm glad I asked. I thought one could 'buy' the songs, then download them onto your MP3 player and have them forever. I'd rather just find the CDs or something.

thanks!

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Napster has some very deceptive advertising. iTunes isn't the best either, because you can only play songs downloaded from them on an iPod (unless you burn the songs on to a cd then rip them back on your computer in mp3 format), but at least you "own" the songs.

[jessii-6.livejournal.com]

iTunes sucks, actually. They don't have that much of a selection (just go to their store and see how much Bowie there is there. A couple CDs and a few songs. What's that good for?)
And last I heard they were 'the biggest and best' of stores. I think you can play their songs in portable player (up to three), but it's not in MP3 format so *you* can't play it (unless you convert, but that lowers the quality).
Just download mp3s via the regular illegal means <-- not something you wanted to hear.

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

*realizes she has the perfect icon for this discussion*

iTunes is okay. But only okay. Frankly the fact that just about all of the electronic music stores try to lock you into a format that forces you to buy their player of choice drives me nuts. What I hope will eventually happen is that artists only sign away the right to distribute hard copies of their music to the conglomerates. Then they can offer all-player friendly versions on their websites (or at some portal that hosts for a low fee) and keep the money for themselves. Right now I don't think the artists are getting anything back from electronic downloads.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

That icon made me laugh out loud. Or LOL. People looked at me funny.

Anyway, I'll just borrow CDs or something for now! (I was watching VH1 and they were playing Heaven 17, and it made me want the songs, but I only have the actual vinyl, so i checked Napster and they have them...and that's where I left off!

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

book_icons, baby. We've got some mad creative people over there. (With good taste too, though I'm biased since they picked two of my icons to use in the rotating community icon spot)

[jessii-6.livejournal.com]

perhaps. I still stand by what I said in white 'though
there is always much more selection when you have a community
(yes, I agree. cool icon)

[bass-babe.livejournal.com]

with my rhapsody service they are mine once i burn them........ive saved THousands of dollars in CD's becasue i only pay for the songs i like from each artist........then i smack em back on to my computer, and keep them in a file that i can download onto my mp3 whenever i want.......quality is PERFECT.......i SWEAR by my rhapsody...........

[bass-babe.livejournal.com]

plus you can get rhapsody for a free 14 day trial, and if you think it sucks, you cancell it.........but i got hooked........hope this helps!!!!