Slashdot Mirror

If only there were other options

http://www.hmvdigital.ca/
http://www.puretracks.com/
http://music.scene.ca/
http://ca.7digital.com/
http://mp3caprice.com/

and of course
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Netflix_Instant_Watch_Devices/

I'm sure this will work out perfectly for them. I mean, take a look up here at Canada. Best Buy Canada is owned by Future Shop. And Future Shop opened their own digital music download store, too. It's called Bonfire, and...

Wait, what's that? Oh, okay, it wasn't really their own download store. It was just Puretracks with a custom skin on it. In any case, it blazed their trail into the future of music downloads and...

Huh? Oh. Okay, it turns out Bonfire was a massive flop and was shut down this year.

Well, in any case, I'm sure that Best Buy USA's third-party, rebranded online music store will do much better than Best Buy Canada's third-party, re-branded online music store did.

PS: To give you an idea of how well this is going to turn out, this is the same company that decided it would be a good idea to sell "branded" mp3 players. Basically it was 128MB player that "came with" a few tracks, all for the low, low price of $169. Mmm, dollar-store MP3 player with DRM'd tracks for more than the cost of an iPod. Success!

So if Jobs believed it's a good thing for Apple to get rid of DRM, why doesn't he Just Do It (TM).

Many music labels sell unprotected MP3s for their artists already. Puretracks now sells songs in both WMA and MP3 format. Apple could EASILY do the same as a warning shot to the other music labels. It would also serve as a good test, which can show the labels that MP3's actually improve sales (as the product has more value to consumers than a restricted file).

I don't think Jobs wants to get rid of DRM at all - he's just trying to deflect the heat for DRM onto the labels.

It's early days yet, but here's a very interesting indication.

Last week, as reported here, Puretracks began offering DRM-free MP3s. They have 50,000 tracks, just 3.8% of their total catalog, available in this format. None of it is from the major labels.

Currently, a DRM-free album, Barenaked Ladies are Men, is at number 2 on Puretracks' top 100 chart (sorry, those last two links work in Canada only). It has been moving up steadily since Puretracks announced its MP3 offerings last week. By comparison, the album is at number 45 on the traditional Canadian albums charts. No other song in Puretracks' top 10 sits below number 15 on the SoundScan chart.

It's early days yet, but here's a very interesting indication.

Last week, as reported here, Puretracks began offering DRM-free MP3s. They have 50,000 tracks, just 3.8% of their total catalog, available in this format. None of it is from the major labels.

Currently, a DRM-free album, Barenaked Ladies are Men, is at number 2 on Puretracks' top 100 chart (sorry, those last two links work in Canada only). It has been moving up steadily since Puretracks announced its MP3 offerings last week. By comparison, the album is at number 45 on the traditional Canadian albums charts. No other song in Puretracks' top 10 sits below number 15 on the SoundScan chart.

This Candada-Only store is offering _very_ few songs in a non-DRM format.

Their DRM'ed offerings may only represent 3.8% of their total catalog, but that's still 50,000 songs. That is not a small number.

Granted, they're not available to you if you're not in Canada, and that's not terribly helpful. I don't know why, but I would guess that it's related to the different industry composition in Canada. We have a good number of mainstream artists signed to larger independent labels (notably Nettwerk) that are eager to embrace DRM-free online distribution. I believe that many of these artists have redistribution deals with the major labels in the US, who are, of course, still insisting on DRM.

What percentage of those songs are any good? Are they the most purchased songs? I bet the non-DRM songs are among the least purchased. Seriously, how many people will buy a song by Uncle Goober singing I "widdled a piece of wood on the porch" just because it has no crappy DRM?

How do you want to objectively define "good" music?

Puretracks is not actively seeking out poor selling music to offer as MP3s. Rather, they are offering whatever the labels will allow them to. Right now, that pretty much means everything from the indie labels. Indie music is certainly not bad music; indeed, many people refuse to listen to anything else. And, as I said above, many mainstream artists in Canada are actually signed to indie labels.

Right now, the fifth best selling album at Puretracks (Barenaked Ladies are Men, sorry, Canada-only link) is in MP3 format for $7.99 Canadian (each track from it is 79 cents). The same album in DRM'ed WMA is at number 11 and dropping.

This is not an effort that's designed to fail. And, eventually, this will have an impact on everyone.

That doesn't do any good when they won't even let you access the FAQ!

Also see http://www.michaelgeist.ca/index.php?option=com_co ntent&task=view&id=1719&Itemid=125

The move also raises two questions. First - why is Puretracks still blocking Mac users? I tried this morning to access the site and was completely blocked using Firefox and partially blocked with Safari. Presumably offering clean MP3 should allow the service to sell to anyone. Second, the move to clean MP3s brings to mind my colleague Jeremy deBeer's posting last November in which he noted that the online music tariff before the Copyright Board appears to include a mandatory DRM provision. Such a provision is obviously incompatible with the Puretracks DRM-free service.

Well, no FLAC's on Puretracks (hey, that rhymes!), but their mp3's are encoded at 192kbps, according to the FAQ on the MP3 section of the Canadian site at:

http://www.puretracks.com/content/viewer.aspx?cid= GlobalNav_MP3

192kbps according to the faq at http://www.puretracks.com/content/viewer.aspx?cid= GlobalNav_MP3

Q: What are MP3s?
A: MP3 files are the most common type of digital audio file found today. Flexibility is a key part of music these days, and MP3 files offer the most compatibility of any format. If you have a computer or a digital music device, odds are it plays MP3 files, no matter who makes it.
Q: So does that mean I can use these songs on my Apple iPod? Phone? PDA? Sony PSP? SANDisk Sansa? Microsoft Zune? Etc.?
A: Yes
Q: Are there any restrictions on MP3 files? Do they cost more?
A: No. MP3 files have no Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions and cost the same as the Windows Media Audio (WMA) files that we sell.
Q: Why do you have both WMA and MP3 files?
A: Puretracks' music catalog contains content from all major labels and numerous independent labels. Currently, most of our catalog is available in the WMA format. This is due to the fact that each music label has its own policies regarding the availability of their digital tracks and the format they are allowed to be sold in. As time goes on, we hope to significantly expand our MP3 offering.
Q: What's the difference between WMA and MP3 files, and which is better?
A: This really comes down to personal preference. Both file formats offered on Puretracks are delivered in top (192kb) sound quality and are completely virus free. How you intend to use the file should dictate which format you choose to purchase.
Q: I heard that MP3 files can contain viruses, are they safe?
A: Every file sold on Puretracks, regardless of the format, is guaranteed to be 100% virus free. While MP3 viruses are uncommon, it is possible to get an infected MP3 file from a source such as a peer to peer (P2P) network. All Puretracks MP3 files are delivered to our customers free of viruses and abnormalities.
Q: Does this mean I can buy songs from Puretracks on a Mac?
A: Not yet. But we are definitely working on it.
Q: What are the terms of use for MP3 files?
A: Content sold by Puretracks, whether in WMA or MP3 format, is protected by copyrights, trademarks,and/or other proprietary rights under the laws of Canada and other countries. In purchasing MP3's, you agree to use the content only for personal, non-commercial, lawful purposes and not for resale to, or other transfer to, or use by or for the benefit of, any other person or entity.

Hi guys, I am in Canada and gave this a try, works fine for me at this URL (which I'm sure needs a Canadian IP)
http://www.puretracks.com/content/viewer.aspx?cid= GlobalNav_MP3

Theres actually a decent selection - Jimi Hendrix, Bare naked ladies, anthrax, prodigy etc...

Although I still like ripping my cds. I would sue one of these sites if I could get MP3s in true stereo, 112-320 VBR. I could care less if my iPod can hold 1000 songs that I wont even listen to in ok quality, because I would rather have 100-200 songs in near CD quality. Just my opinion

Oh, you mean the "MP3" link stuck right in the middle of the nav bar in plain sight, yeah, we Canadians are sneaky, we hid the MP3s from the Americans, right over there, beside the weapons of mass destruction.....


http://www.puretracks.com/content/viewer.aspx?cid= GlobalNav_MP3

I was able to see the Canadian version of the site from a US location, but I couldn't buy anything . It appeared that there were 50+ artists that had one or more albums available as MP3 as well as WMA.

This might not work: MP3s for an artist...

Weird, because all I get is website layout with "We apologize, but www.puretracks.com is not available for Mac OS." for content.

http://www.puretracks.com/content/viewer.aspx?cid= UserDetection_PlatformNotAllowed

This is the image that shows up when trying to access PureTracks using a Mac browser: http://www.puretracks.com/res/img/macsplash.gif

After reading a lot of people from the USA claiming this was bullshit and making a big fuss about it (something you do a lot of) I went to the site myself, and sure enough, there's PLENTY of albums available in MP3 format.

I live in Canada and we're seeing the links. I suspect that since the RIAA rules your dominion, you guys are stuck living in a DRM world for Puretracks but for Canadians, we're finally seeing some MP3's on this site.

You guys gotta stop flaming other people and claiming the story is bullshit until you do a little research. Just because you live in the US doesn't mean that you can get to it. It's the same thing that pisses me off about American websites that advertise the ability to stream TV shows but the moment I try it, no luck because I live in Canada.

BTW, since I have bought stuff from Puretracks in the past, I received an email from them just prior to reading the post on Slashdot. Here's a copy of the letter.

----
Thank you for being a Puretracks customer. We are very excited to announce that as of today Puretracks will be offering MP3 files for sale on our site at Puretracks.com: http://www.puretracks.com/content/viewer.aspx?cid= GlobalNav_MP3.
And as the first North American digital service provider to launch 'a la carte' MP3 music downloads, we're happy to offer you a free MP3 track from the popular Canadian band The Barenaked Ladies.
The track, called 'The Sound of Your Voice,' will be delivered along with the February 27th Puretracks newsletter. You will need to be a registered newsletter subscriber to be eligible to download this track.
If you don't currently receive our newsletter (filled with weekly free tracks and exclusive content), click here to register.
MP3s at Puretracks
MP3 tracks are easy to download (no licenses required) and can be played on all digital audio devices. Puretracks currently offers over 50,000 tracks in French and English from popular artists such as: Sarah McLachlan, Broken Social Scene, Feist, The Barenaked Ladies, Jean Leloup and Richard Seguin. Track prices starting at $ 0.79 each.
Be sure to register now for the Puretracks newsletter to get your free MP3 track from The Barenaked Ladies! Click here to register. If you are already registered, watch for your February 27th Puretracks newsletter to get your free track.
Regards,

Alistair Mitchell,
CEO

From their FAQ:

Can I download MP3s from Puretracks? Puretracks and its affiliates utilize Microsoft's DRM (Digital Rights Management) technology to provide secure licensing for our track downloads. The MS DRM technology supports the .wma (Windows Media Audio) file format and has not yet been developed by Microsoft to be compatible with the MP3 file format.
So you're above quote is indeed a troll

Two clicks is too much to expect from the average Slashdot bandwagoner, I guess.

I followed your link, and got this error page.

I suppose it might be the case that this system for auto-redirecting all Mac users to an error page dates from the time when all their songs were DRMed, and hasn't been updated. But it certainly doesn't convey the impression that they've changed anything.

I am in Canada, btw.

That's the USA version of the store. Try (if you can) going to the Canadian version of the same page.

And that one redirects me to "only available in Canada".

Funny, this page: http://www.puretracks.com/catalog/details.aspx?pid =indy_624284002354_mp3&mod=1 lists 7 albums available as MP3, with one only available as MP3.

I've just checked out the website, and found no way to look only for non-DRM music.

Didn't try too hard did you? From the main page, click "MP3". Next, click a BNL album, like this one: http://www.puretracks.com/catalog/details.aspx?pid =indy_624284002354_mp3

Two clicks is too much to expect from the average Slashdot bandwagoner, I guess.

Is this what's meant by "immediately" ???

FTFWS:

http://www.puretracks.com/res/img/macsplash.gif

Ah, you're on a Mac. Here's the thing about that.

Thanks for visiting.

Our current music sotre uses Windows Media technology to play our music files. Unfortunately that means our songs are incompatible with your operating system. Furthermore, Aple's iTunes FairPlay system is currently not available to us for use with iPods.

We'd love to offer our music to Mac users, and we are currently working to offer content in new formats.

Ah, comme ça vous êtes sur Mac. Sauf que...

Merci de votre visite.

Notre magasin de musique utilise présentement la technologie Windows Media pour jouer nos fichiers musicaux. Malheureusement, cela signifie [sic] que nos fichiers musicaux sont incompatibles avec votre système d'exploitation. De plus, le système iTunes FairPlay de Apple [sic] ne nous est présentement pas [sic] disponible pour fins d'utilisation avec des [sic] iPods.

Nous aimerions offrir notre musique aux utilisateurs [des] Mac[s], et nous sommes en train de travailler sur la possibilité d'offrir notre nouveau contenu sous de nouveaux formats.

The page for Barenaked Ladies lists WMA as the only available format.

http://www.puretracks.com/content/viewer_page.aspx ?cid=UserDetection_MacOSNotAllowed

This article is completely wrong. This store actually uses standard Windows PlaysForSure DRM on all it's tracks. The friggin' PlaysForSure logo is on their homepage. http://www.puretracks.com/

PureTracks

With Moz's default UA, no go. Change it to spoof IE on WinNT, no problems.

On JACK FM this morning they mentioned that tonight at 9pm (PST) FutureShop via this link will be allowing the first several (hundred?) thousand MP3 downloads for FREE. (thereafter they will charge $1 per MP3)

yeah I'm probably going to burn karma for posting this, but what the hell...

On JACK FM this morning they mentioned that tonight at 9pm (PST) FutureShop via this link will be allowing the first several (hundred?) thousand MP3 downloads for FREE. (thereafter they will charge $1 per MP3)

yeah I'm probably going to burn karma for posting this, but what the hell...

Plus, remember that the legality of file sharing is very much in limbo here, so Canadians can be a little more fearless about downloading for free.

Well said! Here's (as an AC so as not to whore the karma) an excellent comment by Linuxbaby, who works at the superb CDBaby service (hats off for being such an ethical company!):

Try some of the more open/competititive ones! (Score:5, Informative)
by linuxbaby (124641) * on 04:43 PM May 7th, 2004 ( #9085738)
(http://www.cdbaby.com/)

Worry not. There are many many MANY more to come that are being very competitive AND open. CD Baby is delivering over 250,000 songs to EACH of the companies below, and the norm for the smaller companies is to receive MP3 or even FLAC delivery.

So instead of whining about how some big major-label Universal album (where the artist hardly gets paid anyway) is DRM'd or expensive, be an independent thinker and go try some of the smaller services.

Emusic
Website for Mac, Windows, Linux where members can download up to 40 tracks per month of high-quality MP3 files. Has been around for YEARS doing both 99-cent downloads, and all-you-can-eat downloads for paid members. Has great catalog of indie label music - company is currently reforming.
AudioLunchbox
One of the first all-independent music download sites. Tracks retail for 99 and albums retail for $9.99. ALB pays out 59 per song and $5.90 per album.
NetMusic
Digital download and streaming service. We get 65 cents per downloaded song. Entire-album downloads usually retail at $9.99.
Emepe3.com
Website that primarily targets Latin America, USA and Spain. Tracks sell for 99 cents. We get 65 cents. Entire-album downloads are usually $9.99.
Etherstream
Website that offers a la carte downloads. Tracks sell for 99 cents. We get 65 cents. Entire-album downloads are usually $9.99.
Music4Cents
Retails independent music at very reasonable prices. Pays 55 cents per download. Sells independent music - they will sell CD Baby songs at $.69.
QTRnote
Artist gets about $.64.
TriaSite
TriaSite retails independent music downloads. Pays $.65 per download
Puretracks
Canada-only service that offers $.99 downloads. Website is currently available to Candian residents only. Puretracks is acting both as an online download retailer and a back-end service provider for other retailers. Downloads cost $.99 per track - artist gets about $.59 per track.
CatchMusic
Download site focusing on independent music. CatchMusic sells a la carte downloads at $1 each. Songs retail at $1 - artist gets about $.55 per song.
Viztas Digital Marketplace
Viztas Digital Marketplace will sell all kinds of digital media - not just music. Tracks retail for 99 and albums retail for $9.99. Vistaz pays out 60 per song and $6.10 per album. Viztas has not yet launched.
DiscLogic
A la carte downloads. Tracks sell for 99 cents. We get 65 cents. Entire-album downloads are usually $9.99.

** BEGIN added to original comment by AC poster **
CDBaby
CD Baby is a little online record store that sells CDs by independent musicians. I don't think they sell downloads, but I

So instead of whining about how some big major-label Universal album (where the artist hardly gets paid anyway) is DRM'd or expensive, be an independent thinker and go try some of the smaller services.

Emusic
Website for Mac, Windows, Linux where members can download up to 40 tracks per month of high-quality MP3 files. Has been around for YEARS doing both 99-cent downloads, and all-you-can-eat downloads for paid members. Has great catalog of indie label music - company is currently reforming.
AudioLunchbox
One of the first all-independent music download sites. Tracks retail for 99 and albums retail for $9.99. ALB pays out 59 per song and $5.90 per album.
NetMusic
Digital download and streaming service. We get 65 cents per downloaded song. Entire-album downloads usually retail at $9.99.
Emepe3.com
Website that primarily targets Latin America, USA and Spain. Tracks sell for 99 cents. We get 65 cents. Entire-album downloads are usually $9.99.
Etherstream
Website that offers a la carte downloads. Tracks sell for 99 cents. We get 65 cents. Entire-album downloads are usually $9.99.
Music4Cents
Retails independent music at very reasonable prices. Pays 55 cents per download. Sells independent music - they will sell CD Baby songs at $.69.
QTRnote
Artist gets about $.64.
TriaSite
TriaSite retails independent music downloads. Pays $.65 per download
Puretracks
Canada-only service that offers $.99 downloads. Website is currently available to Candian residents only. Puretracks is acting both as an online download retailer and a back-end service provider for other retailers. Downloads cost $.99 per track - artist gets about $.59 per track.
CatchMusic
Download site focusing on independent music. CatchMusic sells a la carte downloads at $1 each. Songs retail at $1 - artist gets about $.55 per song.
Viztas Digital Marketplace
Viztas Digital Marketplace will sell all kinds of digital media - not just music. Tracks retail for 99 and albums retail for $9.99. Vistaz pays out 60 per song and $6.10 per album. Viztas has not yet launched.
DiscLogic
A la carte downloads. Tracks sell for 99 cents. We get 65 cents. Entire-album downloads are usually $9.99.

TELUS has recently started this. In co-operation with PureTracks, you can purchase songs from a large assortment of albums for 99 cents a song, legally. I don't really know the details for it as I just use P2P to download songs illegally but it seems to be fairly popular as they've sold 1,000,000 songs already in the 4 months it has been operating. If you can't stop people from doing something, at least make money off of it

Validated this sample, *122* errors. Validated sample

Try this, reviewed here.

That's incorrect. Actually Canadians do have the benefit of an online music store, similar to buymusic.com called PureTracks. I live in Alberta and was able to find it with a bit of googling. The prices appear to be a little cheaper as well, when they are converted back into USD.

(I assume you can also still buy from Emusic.com, although it's nowhere near the deal it used to be.)

That's almost as nice (rude) as the one on the frontpage of puretracks:


Thank you for visiting Puretracks.com

Currently our website supports Internet Explorer 5.0 and above on the Windows operating system, and is available to Canadian residents only.

We value our Mac audience, however the Windows Media player for the Mac platform is not currently compatible with Microsoft protected audio content. Puretracks is currently working to make our service available to Mac users.

feedback@puretracks.com


I've sent them a nice/nasty email already saying that it's very hard for me to evaluate or recommend their service if I can't get into their site with the browser (mozilla) and OS (linux) that I use at work. Sucks to be them.

That's almost as nice (rude) as the one on the frontpage of puretracks:


Thank you for visiting Puretracks.com

Currently our website supports Internet Explorer 5.0 and above on the Windows operating system, and is available to Canadian residents only.

We value our Mac audience, however the Windows Media player for the Mac platform is not currently compatible with Microsoft protected audio content. Puretracks is currently working to make our service available to Mac users.

feedback@puretracks.com


I've sent them a nice/nasty email already saying that it's very hard for me to evaluate or recommend their service if I can't get into their site with the browser (mozilla) and OS (linux) that I use at work. Sucks to be them.

Not true, there is PureTracks which launched last month with content from all of the majors. The url is www.puretracks.com

Umm...actually, there's PureTracks, which sells music to Canadians like you and me. Well, like you, maybe. I use a Mac. :-P

Puretracks, is a canadian legal music service.

Puretracks is available in Canada.

Anyone here used PureTracks extensively? I think I'll spend a few bucks, download some and see how it all works. Otherwise, I'll have to wait until iTunes is available in Canada >:-(

Yes, it's WMA, probably DRM up the wazzoo, but it's available in Canada. Which means they got the licensing worked out, and CHEAPER than the US iTunes store.

However, I'm not going to harp on Apple; I fully realize getting the iTunes store to Windows is far more important, and they have to prioritize their advances. Now that this is done though, Apple had best get their asses in gear.