Download issues: File Format/Compression, etc.

> Right, this is what sucks about music services. The content owners want
> to limit what you can do with the media, and they don't give you a format
> that is as universal as MP3.
>
> If you are looking for bands on major labels, then no, you have little
> chance. The happy medium is to purchase the CD's and then rip the audio
> off in MP3 format. Then you can do whatever you want with it.
>
> --
> Chris Lanier
> Microsoft MVP - Digital Media
> ----
> "Paul Engel" <pengel@source-imaging.com> wrote in message
> news:ORcx45%23oEHA.1992@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

>> Boy, this music download business had a LONG learning curve. I started
>> downloading MP3s from a fee site. TROUBLE! Got more adware and crud on my
>> machine than I could handle. BUT...loved the fact that I could put tons
>> of music on my digital player.
>>
>> Turned to pay per buy, using Music Match. Come to find out that the file
>> format is WMA with some type of pirate control capability. Had to buy a
>> new digital player to use these.
>>
>> Seems that the WMA format uses much less compression, so I can only keep
>> about 27 songs on my 256MB digital player. Tried converting ot MP3, but
>> the software errors out due to the pirate protection.
>>
>> Is there a happy medium? Is there a place where you can legally pay for
>> your music and get MP3s so you can drag hundreds of songs around?
>>
>> Sorry for the newbie-like question. I'm a pretty heavy power-user who had
>> been figuring these things out for 25 years...so it's a little daunting
>> to have something w/ so many mazes built in.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Paul
>>
>> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>> Source Imaging, LLC.
>> Paul Engel, President
>> Certified Document Imaging Architech (CDIA)
>> Summation Certified Trainer (SCT)
>> inData Certified Trainer
>> mailtoengel@source-imaging.com
>> Voice: 859-255-5222
>> Fax: 859-514-1705
>> www.source-imaging.com
>> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>>

>
>

> Thanks. That may be the best approach.
> "Chris Lanier [MVP]" <cal2002a@hotmail.NOSPAM.com> wrote in message
> news:%23YOM41ApEHA.556@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

> > Right, this is what sucks about music services. The content owners want
> > to limit what you can do with the media, and they don't give you a format
> > that is as universal as MP3.
> >
> > If you are looking for bands on major labels, then no, you have little
> > chance. The happy medium is to purchase the CD's and then rip the audio
> > off in MP3 format. Then you can do whatever you want with it.
> >
> > --
> > Chris Lanier
> > Microsoft MVP - Digital Media
> > ----
> > "Paul Engel" <pengel@source-imaging.com> wrote in message
> > news:ORcx45%23oEHA.1992@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

> >> Boy, this music download business had a LONG learning curve. I started
> >> downloading MP3s from a fee site. TROUBLE! Got more adware and crud on my
> >> machine than I could handle. BUT...loved the fact that I could put tons
> >> of music on my digital player.
> >>
> >> Turned to pay per buy, using Music Match. Come to find out that the file
> >> format is WMA with some type of pirate control capability. Had to buy a
> >> new digital player to use these.
> >>
> >> Seems that the WMA format uses much less compression, so I can only keep
> >> about 27 songs on my 256MB digital player. Tried converting ot MP3, but
> >> the software errors out due to the pirate protection.
> >>
> >> Is there a happy medium? Is there a place where you can legally pay for
> >> your music and get MP3s so you can drag hundreds of songs around?
> >>
> >> Sorry for the newbie-like question. I'm a pretty heavy power-user who had
> >> been figuring these things out for 25 years...so it's a little daunting
> >> to have something w/ so many mazes built in.
> >>
> >> Thanks for any help.
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Paul
> >>
> >> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> >> Source Imaging, LLC.
> >> Paul Engel, President
> >> Certified Document Imaging Architech (CDIA)
> >> Summation Certified Trainer (SCT)
> >> inData Certified Trainer
> >> mailtoengel@source-imaging.com
> >> Voice: 859-255-5222
> >> Fax: 859-514-1705
> >> www.source-imaging.com
> >> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> >>

> >
> >

>
>
>

> WMA compresses much better than a MP3 will. The problem you have isnt that
> WMA has worse compression its that the bitrate is probably set around 192.
> Typical "CD" quality from a MP3 takes around 128kbs while WMA only needs
> about half that. Try converting it to a lower bit rate and you can easily
> fit more than 27 songs into 256mb. I have around 30 or so on a 128 card,
> I
> used a variable bit rate while riping them from my CDs so they are around
> 50-80 kbs.
>
> "Paul Engel" wrote:
>

>> Thanks. That may be the best approach.
>> "Chris Lanier [MVP]" <cal2002a@hotmail.NOSPAM.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23YOM41ApEHA.556@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

>> > Right, this is what sucks about music services. The content owners
>> > want
>> > to limit what you can do with the media, and they don't give you a
>> > format
>> > that is as universal as MP3.
>> >
>> > If you are looking for bands on major labels, then no, you have little
>> > chance. The happy medium is to purchase the CD's and then rip the
>> > audio
>> > off in MP3 format. Then you can do whatever you want with it.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Chris Lanier
>> > Microsoft MVP - Digital Media
>> > ----
>> > "Paul Engel" <pengel@source-imaging.com> wrote in message
>> > news:ORcx45%23oEHA.1992@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> >> Boy, this music download business had a LONG learning curve. I started
>> >> downloading MP3s from a fee site. TROUBLE! Got more adware and crud on
>> >> my
>> >> machine than I could handle. BUT...loved the fact that I could put
>> >> tons
>> >> of music on my digital player.
>> >>
>> >> Turned to pay per buy, using Music Match. Come to find out that the
>> >> file
>> >> format is WMA with some type of pirate control capability. Had to buy
>> >> a
>> >> new digital player to use these.
>> >>
>> >> Seems that the WMA format uses much less compression, so I can only
>> >> keep
>> >> about 27 songs on my 256MB digital player. Tried converting ot MP3,
>> >> but
>> >> the software errors out due to the pirate protection.
>> >>
>> >> Is there a happy medium? Is there a place where you can legally pay
>> >> for
>> >> your music and get MP3s so you can drag hundreds of songs around?
>> >>
>> >> Sorry for the newbie-like question. I'm a pretty heavy power-user who
>> >> had
>> >> been figuring these things out for 25 years...so it's a little
>> >> daunting
>> >> to have something w/ so many mazes built in.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks for any help.
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Regards,
>> >> Paul
>> >>
>> >> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>> >> Source Imaging, LLC.
>> >> Paul Engel, President
>> >> Certified Document Imaging Architech (CDIA)
>> >> Summation Certified Trainer (SCT)
>> >> inData Certified Trainer
>> >> mailtoengel@source-imaging.com
>> >> Voice: 859-255-5222
>> >> Fax: 859-514-1705
>> >> www.source-imaging.com
>> >> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>> >>
>> >
>> >

>>
>>
>>

> Sounds like a good solution. What tool should I use to lower the bitrate
> on these. They have the special copy protection that blocked my from
> converting to MP3. Is there a tool that will lower the bitrate even though
> they have this protection? Or do I have to resort to the other
> recommendation I got about ripping from CD instead of downloading?
>
> Paul
> "Seth" <Seth@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:CE28BFCF-9B62-428F-AA4A-3CCA094D365F@microsoft.com...

>> WMA compresses much better than a MP3 will. The problem you have isnt
>> that
>> WMA has worse compression its that the bitrate is probably set around
>> 192.
>> Typical "CD" quality from a MP3 takes around 128kbs while WMA only needs
>> about half that. Try converting it to a lower bit rate and you can
>> easily
>> fit more than 27 songs into 256mb. I have around 30 or so on a 128 card,
>> I
>> used a variable bit rate while riping them from my CDs so they are around
>> 50-80 kbs.
>>
>> "Paul Engel" wrote:
>>

>>> Thanks. That may be the best approach.
>>> "Chris Lanier [MVP]" <cal2002a@hotmail.NOSPAM.com> wrote in message
>>> news:%23YOM41ApEHA.556@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>>> > Right, this is what sucks about music services. The content owners
>>> > want
>>> > to limit what you can do with the media, and they don't give you a
>>> > format
>>> > that is as universal as MP3.
>>> >
>>> > If you are looking for bands on major labels, then no, you have little
>>> > chance. The happy medium is to purchase the CD's and then rip the
>>> > audio
>>> > off in MP3 format. Then you can do whatever you want with it.
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Chris Lanier
>>> > Microsoft MVP - Digital Media
>>> > ----
>>> > "Paul Engel" <pengel@source-imaging.com> wrote in message
>>> > news:ORcx45%23oEHA.1992@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>>> >> Boy, this music download business had a LONG learning curve. I
>>> >> started
>>> >> downloading MP3s from a fee site. TROUBLE! Got more adware and crud
>>> >> on my
>>> >> machine than I could handle. BUT...loved the fact that I could put
>>> >> tons
>>> >> of music on my digital player.
>>> >>
>>> >> Turned to pay per buy, using Music Match. Come to find out that the
>>> >> file
>>> >> format is WMA with some type of pirate control capability. Had to buy
>>> >> a
>>> >> new digital player to use these.
>>> >>
>>> >> Seems that the WMA format uses much less compression, so I can only
>>> >> keep
>>> >> about 27 songs on my 256MB digital player. Tried converting ot MP3,
>>> >> but
>>> >> the software errors out due to the pirate protection.
>>> >>
>>> >> Is there a happy medium? Is there a place where you can legally pay
>>> >> for
>>> >> your music and get MP3s so you can drag hundreds of songs around?
>>> >>
>>> >> Sorry for the newbie-like question. I'm a pretty heavy power-user who
>>> >> had
>>> >> been figuring these things out for 25 years...so it's a little
>>> >> daunting
>>> >> to have something w/ so many mazes built in.
>>> >>
>>> >> Thanks for any help.
>>> >>
>>> >> --
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Regards,
>>> >> Paul
>>> >>
>>> >> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>>> >> Source Imaging, LLC.
>>> >> Paul Engel, President
>>> >> Certified Document Imaging Architech (CDIA)
>>> >> Summation Certified Trainer (SCT)
>>> >> inData Certified Trainer
>>> >> mailtoengel@source-imaging.com
>>> >> Voice: 859-255-5222
>>> >> Fax: 859-514-1705
>>> >> www.source-imaging.com
>>> >> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>>

>
>