[stevenq]

I used to be able to find a lot of the music I went looking for on one of the 5 russian sites where I have balances. But that is less and less true. Mp3skyline had become my lifeline for Indie Rock, since they had a lot that mp3sparks and my other 3 sites did not.

But now that mp3skyline has become nearly useless, I am finding very little of the music I want. I have been buying quite a few tracks from Amazon.com, and I have to say, 256kbps tracks with no DRM are very attractive. They have most of what I go looking for. For years people bitched about DRM and low bitrates from the online music stores. Now there is an alternative. My biggest remaining complaint is the 30 second preview, but I find ways to hear the full track elsewhere.

True, I'd rather pay the russian prices, but they are seem to be filling their catalogs with stuff I don't care about. Every time I look at the mp3sparks new updates page, it seems to have lots of new metal and hip hop, but very little of the indie rock I'm looking for.

75% of the tracks I've downloaded in the last few months I could only find on Amazon. So I've got a couple hundred dollars scattered around these sites that I find increasingly hard to spend. Oh Well.

[solaris]

Originally Posted by stevenq

I have been buying quite a few tracks from Amazon.com, and I have to say, 256kbps tracks with no DRM are very attractive. They have most of what I go looking for. For years people bitched about DRM and low bitrates from the online music stores. Now there is an alternative. My biggest remaining complaint is the 30 second preview, but I find ways to hear the full track elsewhere.

As long as Amazon is being such a nationality discriminating store, I find it really hard to join your appraisal of it, Steven

[Nightfly]

Originally Posted by stevenq

I used to be able to find a lot of the music I went looking for on one of the 5 russian sites where I have balances. But that is less and less true. Mp3skyline had become my lifeline for Indie Rock, since they had a lot that mp3sparks and my other 3 sites did not.

But now that mp3skyline has become nearly useless, I am finding very little of the music I want. I have been buying quite a few tracks from Amazon.com, and I have to say, 256kbps tracks with no DRM are very attractive. They have most of what I go looking for. For years people bitched about DRM and low bitrates from the online music stores. Now there is an alternative. My biggest remaining complaint is the 30 second preview, but I find ways to hear the full track elsewhere.

True, I'd rather pay the russian prices, but they are seem to be filling their catalogs with stuff I don't care about. Every time I look at the mp3sparks new updates page, it seems to have lots of new metal and hip hop, but very little of the indie rock I'm looking for.

75% of the tracks I've downloaded in the last few months I could only find on Amazon. So I've got a couple hundred dollars scattered around these sites that I find increasingly hard to spend. Oh Well.

Have you tried eMusic the largest Indepent Music site in the world.
Drm free-low prices and excellent fast downloader and 25 free downloads
to give them a spin..check it out...It is now my favorite site for music.

[stevenq]

Emusic, yes I have checked it out, but I HATE the subscription model. I don't buy enough music every month on a regular basis to make it economical, and I don't want to be "forced" to buy more music than I otherwise would, or wind up paying higher per track charges because I didn't max out on my plan.

[stevenq]

Originally Posted by solaris

As long as Amazon is being such a nationality discriminating store, I find it really hard to join your appraisal of it, Steven

I didn't realize there were nationality restrictions. But I suppose there are legal issues or restrictions they must live under. I wouldn't refer to it as discrimination. The world after all does still have borders and different economies and laws and legal systems. You really cannot fault any given economic entity in one country for being subject to such restrictions or taking actions to limit their risks due to that reality. After all, it isn't as if they wouldn't LOVE to be able to sell to a wider audience. It's not as if they are sitting around saying: "Yeah, we'd make more money, but we don't want to sell to THOSE people. They're just foreigners. We only want to sell to decent Americans."

Sorry it is not a Global solution, but I wouldn't run it down just because it is not universally available. It is a good option for those who have access to it.

Blame Governments, Music Companies and Lawyers, not the merchant who has to deal with all those devils.

[Hirs Ute]

Originally Posted by stevenq

I didn't realize there were nationality restrictions. But I suppose there are legal issues or restrictions they must live under. I wouldn't refer to it as discrimination. The world after all does still have borders and different economies and laws and legal systems. You really cannot fault any given economic entity in one country for being subject to such restrictions or taking actions to limit their risks due to that reality. After all, it isn't as if they wouldn't LOVE to be able to sell to a wider audience. It's not as if they are sitting around saying: "Yeah, we'd make more money, but we don't want to sell to THOSE people. They're just foreigners. We only want to sell to decent Americans."

Sorry it is not a Global solution, but I wouldn't run it down just because it is not universally available. It is a good option for those who have access to it.

Blame Governments, Music Companies and Lawyers, not the merchant who has to deal with all those devils.

Good post - not a lawyer are you??

[Dave C]

Originally Posted by stevenq

I didn't realize there were nationality restrictions. But I suppose there are legal issues or restrictions they must live under. I wouldn't refer to it as discrimination. The world after all does still have borders and different economies and laws and legal systems. You really cannot fault any given economic entity in one country for being subject to such restrictions or taking actions to limit their risks due to that reality. After all, it isn't as if they wouldn't LOVE to be able to sell to a wider audience. It's not as if they are sitting around saying: "Yeah, we'd make more money, but we don't want to sell to THOSE people. They're just foreigners. We only want to sell to decent Americans."

Sorry it is not a Global solution, but I wouldn't run it down just because it is not universally available. It is a good option for those who have access to it.

Blame Governments, Music Companies and Lawyers, not the merchant who has to deal with all those devils.

Rant Warning
I wait to see what will happen with amazonmp3 when it comes to the UK, but I really hope they do not go down the route of itunes / emusic where everyone in the UK get screwed over the cost of the downloads. Non of the Russian site charge us twice what it costs people in the USA to download music, so why do itunes & emusic? The answer to that question is obvious; because they know customers in the UK are used to paying inflated prices so they continue to rip us off. I know I should protest at this in the only sensible way by not using these sites (certainly the case with itunes), but emusic is good enough for me to get off my moral high ground
Cheers,
Dave C

[Earl Purple]

I cancelled my subscription to emusic when I went through my release list and one after another they were coming up as not found.

I have to pay because they don't have stuff?

[solaris]

Originally Posted by stevenq

I didn't realize there were nationality restrictions. But I suppose there are legal issues or restrictions they must live under. I wouldn't refer to it as discrimination. The world after all does still have borders and different economies and laws and legal systems. You really cannot fault any given economic entity in one country for being subject to such restrictions or taking actions to limit their risks due to that reality. After all, it isn't as if they wouldn't LOVE to be able to sell to a wider audience. It's not as if they are sitting around saying: "Yeah, we'd make more money, but we don't want to sell to THOSE people. They're just foreigners. We only want to sell to decent Americans."

Sorry it is not a Global solution, but I wouldn't run it down just because it is not universally available. It is a good option for those who have access to it.

Blame Governments, Music Companies and Lawyers, not the merchant who has to deal with all those devils.

Steven, it is so EASY for you to sanctify yourself by stating the above: You live in the USA (or is it the UK?) and therefore aren't affected by this DISCRIMINATION, which is definitely is


I would NEVER blame the merchants (well, maybe a little (see below)) - I MOSTLY blame the people that you point out above


But I still won't wish those regionally restricted shops the best in the world or support them by praising them here in this forum (or anywhere else for that matter) as long as they continue to lay down on their backs and take it in the a by these so called "rights" holders


They should unite and fight these low life parasites

[solaris]

Originally Posted by Hirs Ute

Good post - not a lawyer are you??

GOOD POST!!!?

Did you actually read it or did you just loosely run through it, Hirs? From the sound of it, I'm pretty sure you did the last - and then I'll forgive you for your above comment