I just recently set up a .mac account and was able to try out the Music Store downloads. 1st off, i think it's awesome how an iTunes Prepaid card can gain you access into a .mac account and already gain access to the free downloads they offer every week. Pretty cool way to sample a full track of music you haven't heard before. Plus, I intended to use my card for those absolutely close-to-impossible-to-find tracks that will never pop up in music one/tower/odyssey. I've majorly cut-down on my illegal downloading from before (piracy is getting pretty bad already), which makes this Music Store free download a nice "nicotine patch", so to speak. ONE THING THOUGH, I noticed when I downloaded the free track this week, and the file was a "protected AAC file." Are these a hassle to work with or not? I remember reading early in the registration process that iTunes tracks can only be burnt on up to 7 discs. How strict is this? Seriously, I'm no pirate, so I'm not planning to sell this music on the black market or do anything to steal from the artists. The thing is, if I wanna let a friend hear a track, is it just limited to letting her/him hear it? Or can i USB it to her, and more friends... I'm curious, 'coz say I wanna burn discs for more than 7 friends for Christmas...what then? WIll the protected AAC clunk on me, too? Will it be unplayable if I "breach" the playing rights, or whatever you call them? Pros and cons please from anyone familiar with Music Store. Thanks!
You can only play that purchased track on up to 5 iTunes apps. Meaning you will have to authorize that iTune app to play that song by entering your iTMS username and password. So, if you want to play it in another friends computer you will have to "authorize" that computer. For people who use multiple Macs then that is one computer less to play your AAC tracks. Am really not familiar with burning a track 7 times only. But I do make audio CDs of all my purchased iTunes Music Store tracks since I like listening to it in the car. It also serves as a backup in my case since the AAC files are converted to WAV so that you can play it on a CD player. Or just import that song back into your iTunes if you lose your AAC file.
Will it create problems during periodic backups (to externals)? Will the protected AACs tracks fail in the transfer?
With regards to CD-burning, you can burn a purchased iTunes track an unlimited number of times, it's just the playlist that can be burned a maximum of 7 times. Change the playlist a little and you're good to go again. There is no problem backing up the files, they'll copy as any ordinary file. You just won't be able to listen to songs without first "authorizing" the copy of iTunes that's trying to play them (as mistermoya mentioned).
1. Regarding authorizing tracks, is this iTMS name and password the Apple ID and password? 2. and why are playlists limited to 7 times... what's the deal with playlists?
1. Yup it is. Give it a try actually. Try playing an AAC track in a friend's iTunes and you'll be prompted to enter your Apple ID and password to play the song. 2. This is an anti-piracy method I suppose....not really sure.
interesting. But as Super Mod Aslan (a.k.a. PatGerlan) says, if you make a new playlist everytime you burn, it becomes unlimited. Cool!
Can you use prepaid cards to purchase videos from iTunes? On a related note, are videos purchased from iTunes come only in iPod-sized resolutions? Or they're HDTV quality?
They are definitely iPod-sized resolution, nowhere near HD quality. In fact when I run iTMS videos at full screen on my laptop, they look kinda grainy. But I guess they're ok enough when output to a regular TV screen.
I guess Apple's reasoning is that if you burn the exact same playlist more than 7 times, it's bordering on mass-production Also, don't worry about having to enter your Apple ID and password when authorizing your friend's copy of iTunes, your friend won't be able to buy songs or videos using your Apple account or otherwise find out what your Apple account password is.
On that note, I usually make mega-mixes and give CDs to friends for Christmas gifts. Say one of the tracks (or more) is an iTMS track, does that mean I have to authorize the track for each and every friend of mine on their computer? ( i don't intend to give to just 7 friends...) Or will the track lose it's protection "muzzle" once it's been burnt on a CD...thus becoming a regular CD. Help! There are kids needing music for Christmas!
The protected AAC tracks will still be intact. It won't get messed up. As a matter of fact, Apple recommends that you protect your purchases by backing it up, and regularly too. In whatever iTunes you play it, iTunes must be authorized. Just make sure you don't forget your password. You will be asked for it to authorize the software and your computer. Without the password, the music won't play.
and you can always deauthorize, if ever you want to.. like if you reached the maximum allowable number of authorized computers
Wait, what if reinstall OSX more than 5 times over time... won't it create problems, since I can only authorize up to 5 computers...? but what if they're all mine...
Once you've burned the music to an AUDIO CD (using iTunes), those audio tracks are unprotected. The CD will play in any CD player or PC.
I wonder if its possible to just duplicate the CD that has already been burned instead of burning from the playlist? This may be possible so that there can be more than 7 copies, but I have a feeling that this form of reproduction will now have to be guided by principles of fair use.
