iTunes Store - No DRM, Ubuntu joins in?

[methodmarvel]

OK - YOU'VE ALL GOT REALLY CONFUSED


What I mean is

I don't want the iTunes app, just access to the store - iTMS access != iTunes for Linux (thanks zmjjmz)
I don't want to always use iTunes over amazon, just the option to = competition = fairer deals
iTunes is now DRM-free for music and video, so you could use it on anything that plays AAC music including in apps like amarok and songbird - sure it's not mp3 compatibility but it will be more so accepted in time
iTunes has artists other stores (amazon, 7digital, play.com) are yet to get and it would be nice to have access for them
Apple does benefit even if it's just a few cents a song - why bother with the windows or mac market if it's just a few cents a song? as linux grows in popularity they score more money
I'm not saying that amazon isn't AWESOME - but it lacks an artist I want which itunes has - which made me think "why don't we have access if they're not worried about DRM anymore?"
You guys who are being anti-apple for no good reason need to think about the difference between buying some DRM-free music and buying DRMed tracks. DRM-free can't lock you in because it'll play on the competitions devices.


The only good opposing arguments so far are

Watermarking - though if you've got nothing to hide this shouldn't be so bad
It not being worth it for apple to do - HOWEVER - apple doesn't need to as we've proven it can be done before with apps like sharpemusique which apple might now even allow as they have no DRM to enforce
Apple is competing with linux for the "stability" market and is using access to the iTunes store as weight in the desktop argument



Didn't post this in the support threads because it probably wont be answerable/worth the space

I understand this is pointless questioning/a wait and see issue

Now itunes has gone DRM-free, shouldn't linux users be allowed in?

We wouldn't need itunes - could a simple C# app be written (similar to sharpmusique) which would give us fair access?

Even better - couldn't apple start up a browser based download site similar to amazonmp3 or 7digital?

It eats me up because I want to buy Julia Nunes music (http://junumusic.com/) but don't want to have to pay the CD shipping costs to England :D

[Grant A.]

Amarok supports iPods. I also hear that Banshee does aswell.

[Joeb454]

Amarok supports iPods. I also hear that Banshee does aswell.

I think what the OP is referring to is the actual store. So that linux users can get access to the iTunes store.

[SuperSonic4]

I think what the OP is referring to is the actual store. So that linux users can get access to the iTunes store.

+1, it'd be nice to see but I doubt it'd happen. Apple are masters of vendor lock in

[racoq]

Didn't post this in the support threads because it probably wont be answerable/worth the space

I understand this is pointless questioning/a wait and see issue

Now itunes has gone DRM-free, shouldn't linux users be allowed in?

We wouldn't need itunes - could a simple C# app be written (similar to sharpmusique) which would give us fair access?

Even better - couldn't apple start up a browser based download site similar to amazonmp3 or 7digital?

It eats me up because I want to buy Julia Nunes music (http://junumusic.com/) but don't want to have to pay the CD shipping costs to England :D


I think that would be an excellent idea, and probably from now on, plugins for the best linux media players will start to show on, i believe that nothing can stop it now. And this can actually benefit not only Linux users but also Apple.

[Ancalagon82]

And this can actually benefit not only Linux users but also Apple.

How does Apple benefit?

[Half-Left]

So your will to relinquish your rights for iTunes just because it doesn't have DRM music anymore, dont count me in.

Alot of Windows users complain about iTunes regardless of the DRM, like the crap support non native app that works with Apple products only. If you go for something like this you may as well dump Linux right now.

[Changturkey]

Wouldn't Amazon be a better for Linux users?

[methodmarvel]

How does Apple benefit?

you're buying their music

I'm not saying we steal from the itunes store but purchase just as a windows user would do

[methodmarvel]

Wouldn't Amazon be a better for Linux users?

I use amazon at the moment along with 7digital.com and play.com downloads

The point is competition/no lock ins. It technically should drive down prices and give a greater selection

Selection example - iTunes has Julia Nunes while the other services I can use at the moment don't...

[MikeTheC]

Given Apple's history, policies and detectable priorities, sadly I don't see this as a likely possibility. Apple doesn't make such an app (at least, not in any kind of externally-release sense) for any platform, let alone Linux.

I don't think we're going to see it happen due to price structuring-related issues. First, Apple would need to be making more than a token amount from each song (I think Apple only gets a few cents per song, the rest goes to the label), and considering they are going to a 3 tier pricing schedule (which, to me, is a needlessly confusing and arbitrary system likely the industry forced on Apple), where's the incentive?

That doesn't mean I don't think web browser-based iTMS wouldn't generate sales, nor does it mean I don't think Apple would see no profits from having done such a thing. Clearly, the server back-end software is there to make this whole process very quick and painless for them, from an internal perspective.

But nevertheless, that's just not Apple's strategy, period.

[methodmarvel]

Amarok supports iPods. I also hear that Banshee does aswell.

iTunes store downloading songs, not iPod support

Just as a side note - I use Songbird which handles my iPod better than amarok and banshee ever did

[gletob]

I bet you they will watermark the audio and I'd rather use Amazon anyway.

[jrusso2]

Someone here once started a large iTunes petition for Linux users. It went no where as I predicted. I doubt they even looked at it.

[zmjjmz]

iTMS access != iTunes for Linux.
I think iTMS access would be good. After all, the main problem with SharpMusique was that it bypassed the DRM. Same goes for the iTunes Hash project that allowed OSS to interact with iTunes libraries.

[MisterFlibble84]

Didn't post this in the support threads because it probably wont be answerable/worth the space

I understand this is pointless questioning/a wait and see issue

Now itunes has gone DRM-free, shouldn't linux users be allowed in?

We wouldn't need itunes - could a simple C# app be written (similar to sharpmusique) which would give us fair access?

Even better - couldn't apple start up a browser based download site similar to amazonmp3 or 7digital?

It eats me up because I want to buy Julia Nunes music (http://junumusic.com/) but don't want to have to pay the CD shipping costs to England :D

Why would Apple support Linux at all?

That would just undermine their own system they're tring to sell you.

[Spr0k3t]

Not a fan of iTunes Store or App. If the store disappeared tonight I wouldn't be there for the candlelight vigil. I'd probably be one of the many who would have mastermined their undoing.

Long live DRM free resources!

Oh, and find a book on iTunes that is DRM free (they don't exist).

Apple => Vendor Lockin

[sharon.gmc]

I think it's a nice idea. The more the merrier.

[Giant Speck]

I'm not really fond of the iTunes Music Store.

How about instead of begging for iTMS support in Linux, we crush Apple into the ground by supporting Amazon's music store instead?

Unless you are into really obscure artists, Amazon offers a really large selection, and their music downloader has a version for many Linux distros.

[derekr44]

So your will to relinquish your rights for iTunes just because it doesn't have DRM music anymore, dont count me in.

Alot of Windows users complain about iTunes regardless of the DRM, like the crap support non native app that works with Apple products only. If you go for something like this you may as well dump Linux right now.

I personally don't like Apple any better than Microsoft for this very reason. I don't believe one word when Apple suddenly says they can now sell DRM-free music and they couldn't before, and they need to charge a premium for it. Amazon has been selling $0.89-$0.99, DRM-free MP3s for how long now? And Amazon's bitrate is better too. Long live Amazon!!!

It's just another marketing ploy to me. Another way to scrounge an extra penny out of the people who ALREADY purchased a license for the song they downloaded. The only reason why iTunes is as big as it is is because of the iPod. Other than that, it's just another store.

[methodmarvel]

So your will to relinquish your rights for iTunes just because it doesn't have DRM music anymore, dont count me in.

Alot of Windows users complain about iTunes regardless of the DRM, like the crap support non native app that works with Apple products only. If you go for something like this you may as well dump Linux right now.

I don't want itunes - I want the itunes store - you get your songs wouldn't be stuck inside it right?

[Nathan_M]

This is my interpretation of why Apple didn't only refuse to make iTunes for Mac, but also deliberately broke it in Wine with each new release:

Someone using Windows has been using iTMS for a while, and has lots of music (that costed hundreds of dollars/pounds/whatever) which they can only play through iTunes. This person then gets tired of Windows being rubbish, and decides to jump ship to another computer. If iTunes works on a Mac, but not on Linux, which will they choose?

Now that iTunes is DRM free, is the incentive still there? It depends which way you read it. Just thought I'd throw that into the mix.

[methodmarvel]

This is my interpretation of why Apple didn't only refuse to make iTunes for Mac, but also deliberately broke it in Wine with each new release:

Someone using Windows has been using iTMS for a while, and has lots of music (that costed hundreds of dollars/pounds/whatever) which they can only play through iTunes. This person then gets tired of Windows being rubbish, and decides to jump ship to another computer. If iTunes works on a Mac, but not on Linux, which will they choose?

Now that iTunes is DRM free, is the incentive still there? It depends which way you read it. Just thought I'd throw that into the mix.

That kind of makes sense - however I think your first sentence is meant to say "This is my interpretation of why Apple didn't only refuse to make iTunes for linux, but also deliberately broke it in Wine with each new release"

I see what you mean - apple is trying to push the belief: the only solid operating system which runs itunes is a mac

But now there is no DRM it is (as you say) debatable if that is still there - though it is yet another reason for apple to not contribute to the project