What do you use for music?

[Dr.Jeckyl]

My Napster thread got me thinking.. What does everyone use for music? Do you just own CDs and that's it? Are you an iFanboi and can't live without iTunes? Rhapsody? Radio... etc...

Me, Napster. Love it.

[BOBK]

I guess I've been in a DEVOlution of sorts.  I listen to LPs and CDs, and since my used car came with a cassette, I use up my leftover supply of tapes...like my Peter Gabriel and Yes tapes (although, there isn't much life left in them, to be sure)

[MaddGIJoe]

Sadly, I just use iTunes for my music and music purchases.  Its just easy for me and I like how the software works.  Whatever.

[farmboy]

iTunes and for one reason only: I got $100 in gift cards two christmases ago (plot by the whole family to go with the iPod I also recieved).
The more I deal with it, the more I hate apple.  I want to use WinAmp to listen to my music on my computer, but their proprietary sh*t gives me no alternatives.  Plus the latest Apple update tried to download Safari onto my computer.  That's a little underhanded, I think, presenting an alternate browser (which I'm sure sets itself as default upon install) as an iTunes update.
When I finally get through that $100, I'm going to find somewhere else.  I'm never going to use Apple products again.

[Fixxxer]

I mostly buy CD's but I <3 my iTunes if a CD I want as no more than a few songs on it that I like.

[Mutt_Dog]

CD's and Limewire...

[Zazoo]

I mostly buy CD's but I <3 my iTunes if a CD I want as no more than a few songs on it that I like.

Ditto.

~Mike

[Rainier]

CDs and Itunes.

[Aramis]

Uhm... 




*cough*torrents*cough*

[Da Fish]

CD's, and anywhere i can get DRM free MP3s besides Itunes..... All my mates use Itunes and i hate the way it "owns" all your mp3 media.... (i dont share the mp3's but, to me, having the option to is as important as not having thought police!)

that said i do use itunes to get podcasts......

[Mutt_Dog]

Uhm... 




*cough*torrents*cough*

Oh I didn't say I paid for Limewire Aramis...I just use it

[Lazerblade]

*cough*forum rules*cough*

Hehe. Just had to bust someone's 'nads.

Anyway, what ever happened to CD players? Do any of you spend time away from the computer?

Personally for mp3's I just use iTunes or WMP, or whatever happens to open when I double-click the file. I don't even know what my default is, and it probably changes every time I install a new program. Typically I just listen to radio online.

[Aramis]

*cough*forum rules*cough*

Hehe. Just had to bust someone's 'nads.

Anyway, what ever happened to CD players? Do any of you spend time away from the computer?

Personally for mp3's I just use iTunes or WMP, or whatever happens to open when I double-click the file. I don't even know what my default is, and it probably changes every time I install a new program. Typically I just listen to radio online.

All I said was torrents. Didn't mention what type, as there's legal and otherwise. For instance, NIN's new Ghosts album was made available through legal torrents, which you could download after paying $5 for the album.

Pretty cool album, too.

I got one album on iTunes and hated the DRM on it, especially since I use a Zune now. Never again. I like that a lot of them (iTunes included) are going DRM-free. However, they sell their mp3's at fricking 128kb encoding, and most of my collection is in the 320 range. I feel that 192kb encoding should be the minimum for quality.

[AirForceOne]

Mostly iTunes, but sometimes I use WMP for web stuff. I like iTunes because the layout is easy to use, and I like th color scheme

[BOBK]

Add visiting Moroon5's web site http://www.maroon5.com/hi_fi/. 

I know they've been around for awhile, but for some reason they are starting to grow on me. 
Good harmonic senses.

[Fixxxer]

I was going to check out Napster, but;

"*It is necessary to maintain a Napster subscription in order to continue access to songs downloaded through the Napster service."

made me think twice.

lolsubscription? Like for serious? I have to pay monthly(?) to use Napster? And if a better service comes along after I have paid, possibly, HUNDREDS of dollars downloading from Napster I am unable to keep all those songs?

That's robbery... (pun intended)

EDIT---

Okay, I had to see if that was true but I read in the FAQ;

8. What if I just want to buy songs or albums to burn to CD or transfer to a compatible MP3 player?
You can always use Napster Light, Napster's music store, to purchase songs for CDN$1.19 and albums from CDN$9.95. Once purchased, you can keep this music on your PC forever, burn it to CD or transfer to a compatible MP3 player. You can get Napster Light when you download and register for Napster. Napster and Napster To Go members can also purchase songs for as low as 99¢ a song with Napster Track Packs. Click here to see why we think a Membership is such a good deal.

That makes more sense.

The membership just sounds ridiculous.

EDIT 2---

14. Does Napster work with iPod?
Apple has chosen to keep both the iPod and iTunes closed off from Napster and every other digital music service. Napster's philosophy is different. A Napster Membership gives you more ways to discover and enjoy music on more players. Click here for more information.

lol

Nevermind.

[Dr.Jeckyl]

Well, yeah. It actually makes perfect sense. You pay the monthly service and as long as you pay you get to download/stream all the songs you want. If you want to burn songs you have to BUY them. $.99us per song usually, just like iTunes. The downloaded songs are really only there for offline play on the computer that Napster is installed on. You can pay a couple dollars more a month and then you can download to a compatible mp3 player.

Why would Napster work with iTunes/iPod? Aren't they DIRECT competitors? But if you have an iPod why would you want to use something other than iTunes anyways?

There are ways around having to buy songs on Napster. There are stream ripper apps. I use one all the time WITH Napster and it works great.

[Fixxxer]

Why would Napster work with iTunes/iPod? Aren't they DIRECT competitors? But if you have an iPod why would you want to use something other than iTunes anyways?

I like a certain amount of choice. Like Aramis said, sometimes the bitrate isn't quite good enough for me so having other sources would be nice.

[Aramis]

We have a Zune and an iPod in the house that both get used, so it's DRM-free .mp3 files only for us. That opens up the compatibility without issues. There's a few services out there that allow it, but not many. I'm not trying to encourage anyone, especially based upon forum rules, but I haven't had issues with getting the music that I want with nearly no exception.

If there were more options out there that were DRM-free, .mp3 based and allowed for bitrate choice, I'd be all over it.

[farmboy]

But if you have an iPod why would you want to use something other than iTunes anyways?

Proprietary, protectionist music format.  The heavy resource load iTunes takes to run.  The fact that iTunes doesn't have the mod support of WinAmp (I like making skins and visualizations).