Content Protected CDs are shit.

[Atticus]

So, I bought the new Switchfoot CD today and it is Content Protected, something I guess the labels are now trying to do more of. It is pure horseshit.

You put the CD in and all you can do is play the fucking thing with their player. You can NOT convert them into mp3 using iTunes. The only thing you CAN do is rip the tracks using THEIR software, and after that's all done, all the songs are in protected .wma format.

This pisses me off more than words could ever describe. The only thing I could do is rip them onto a CD and rip the CD onto iTunes to make them MP3's, but the quality isn't as good. SO, anyway, just thought I would share on the fact that this is the stupidest fucking idea I've ever heard of. I hope the record labels get assfucked with letters and shit about this. It's the first CD I've ever bought that I almost wish I hadn't and it's just because of this stupid shit.

This is going to increase illegal downloading.

[LikkleBaer]

You can NOT convert them into mp3 using iTunes.

This is going to increase illegal downloading.

I agree... what are they thinking? One of the things I love about my shuffle is that I can rip my favourite songs from the CDs that I own using iTunes and listen to them on the go. I don't think I'd be inclined to buy a CD that I couldn't do that with, especially since I listen to music more when I'm walking along than I do at home.

I prefer to buy music that I'm really into, because I'm nice like that and want to support the artist - but bullshit like this will only encourage people to get music in good quality for free so that they are not limited in how they can use it.

[Verence]

I know, isn't that so hilarious?

They're driving away people who legitimately buy CDs. They're MAKING them want to just download the evil illegal uncoded mp3s.

Classic.

[Afrotect]

can you burn the protected mp3s do a CD then rip again?

[BreakmanX]

Keep in mind this is only a response to piracy. Things like this would not have occurred without piracy running rampant. But... its a really bad attempt at squelching it. If you buy something, it should be yours to do whatever with. There was a post on Dave Matthews Band's page that was slashdotted a few months ago.. apparently Apple is working on a fix for this problem so you can rip your protected CDs with iTunes.

Unless people stop downloading music illegally all the sudden... look for this to increase.

[Atticus]

can you burn the protected mp3s do a CD then rip again?

Did it Afro, but the quality was ripped pourly. ALL of my mp3s are ripped at 192kbps, not 128. I HATE 128, and I deserve the right to have the music I rightfully PAYED for at whatever bit rate I shoose.

[LikkleBaer]

Keep in mind this is only a response to piracy.

Unless people stop downloading music illegally all the sudden... look for this to increase.

Glad that they're working on a fix for iTunes, but to be honest I don't believe that piracy is killing the music industry... the shit music does that by itself. I'm naughty, I DO dl stuff - it's the only way I can sample new music really (kind of a try before you buy thing) and I have a system that I think is fair. IF I only like one track and the rest is frankly shit, then I keep the one track and don't bother buying the album. However, if the album rocks my world then I add it to a list I have and buy it (or convince someone else to buy it for me) at the nearest available opportunity.

I like what NIN did with their latest album - where you could listen to it all for free on myspace before you decided to buy it. If the music stands up to that then the majority will buy the album (NIN is always good ^_^).

The simple truth is that most albums only have one or two decent songs on them and just aren't worth shelling out for until you see them two years later in the bargain bin.

Ohh.... and on a related note, I like extra stuff with my albums - like stickers, etc. and at the very least I expect a lyrics booklet.

[BreakmanX]

Keep in mind this is only a response to piracy.

Unless people stop downloading music illegally all the sudden... look for this to increase.

Glad that they're working on a fix for iTunes, but to be honest I don't believe that piracy is killing the music industry... the shit music does that by itself. I'm naughty, I DO dl stuff - it's the only way I can sample new music really (kind of a try before you buy thing) and I have a system that I think is fair. IF I only like one track and the rest is frankly shit, then I keep the one track and don't bother buying the album. However, if the album rocks my world then I add it to a list I have and buy it (or convince someone else to buy it for me) at the nearest available opportunity.

I like what NIN did with their latest album - where you could listen to it all for free on myspace before you decided to buy it. If the music stands up to that then the majority will buy the album (NIN is always good ^_^).

The simple truth is that most albums only have one or two decent songs on them and just aren't worth shelling out for until you see them two years later in the bargain bin.

Ohh.... and on a related note, I like extra stuff with my albums - like stickers, etc. and at the very least I expect a lyrics booklet.

I usually go to iTunes to sample the song, but I understand exactly what you're saying. The problem is that very few people actually do what you do. Most just want the music regardless of what happens to the artist. They see it as a buffet table. There's a bunch of food there, why shouldn't I just eat it all? They forget the lengthy and expensive recording process as well as politics that have been played on many parties to bring this music to them. There are people like you, but you are definitely the minority. Album sales has declined quite a bit since the advent of downloadable music so it has definitely taken a chunk. Buying an album, as I've said a million times before, is like voting for them to make more records.

I really like the iTunes system. A lot of music at my fingertips constantly. I can preview all the songs. The problem I have with it is that all the songs are at 128kbps. Granted it is the AAC/mp4/m4p/m4a codec developed by Dolby.. but it is still slightly lower than a CD. I notice the little artifacts especially in the cymbol crashes, and extreme frequencies. If they raised it to 192 I would probobly buy 95% of my music from there. I already buy a lot of it from there because it is cheaper.

All this said, there are always exceptions to everything. Everything is grey in life, sometimes gray even, no black and white. Some bands have entirely different philosophies for music and sales and what not, but they are by far the exception.

[Vamp [Bot]]

You put the CD in and all you can do is play the fucking thing with their player. You can NOT convert them into mp3 using iTunes. The only thing you CAN do is rip the tracks using THEIR software, and after that's all done, all the songs are in protected .wma format.

Late reply, but if you want to get past crap like this you could always look to using alternative operating systems. I run Ubuntu Linux, and any CD I've thrown at it with copy protection has yielded the goods no question. CD producers won't bother making binaries on their discs for an OS with only about ~2% at best of the market share. The same applys for Mac OS X in most cases, although not all. Still, it's worth a thought if you're looking to rip your CDs at a good bitrate (and most Linux distributions are free) rather then DRM'd shit.

[jayt11]

um, and they think we have NOT found a way around this?

http://www.tunebite.com .......i think NOT.

[Atticus]

They're so fucking stupid. The more CDs that come out with copy protection, the easier it's going to be to find a way around it.

[Triad636]

All media is crackable, its just a matter of waiting until someone finds a way how to do so.

[Jbrown]

My opinion this just makes me want to DL it more..