[timmyp]

Seva,

I have registered at your site, and so far it looks very promising! After going over your site, looking for any answers that might already exist, I have a couple of questions (asking them here instead of through "Assistance" for the benefit of others here who may have the same questions):

1. In your "Help" section you state the following:

"What is SoundsBox.com and what services do you offer?

SoundsBox.com is an online music store. Years of experience in the digital music industry have allowed us to create a unique service. You can browse artists by name, album or title, choose your music format and quality and download music in an easy and convenient way. "

I am very interested in the portion I've made bold above, but cannot figure out where to make my choice of format and quality. It seems that every file is a 320kbps VBR MP3. Can you point me in the right direction?

2. Let me begin this question by stating, unequivocally, that the fact that you have a downloader at all is a *BIG* draw for me to user your service. That being said, to download an individual order I must enter the order # into your downloader. This means that if I order 12 songs from 12 different artists/albums I must enter 12 separate codes, 12 separate times. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a way around this? If not, can this process be eliminated in later versions of your downloader? Can you instead/as an option provide a HTTP list of files available for download (similar to AOMP3)?

Thanks!

-t

[seva]

I'm really sorry about this, this was the idea at the begining but we realised that it would be just too complicated so we decided not to offer online choosing format and quality.

This will probably help lot of people, in what quality all is:
10% - 160kbps (mostly old albums and mp3's riped when we all had slow connections.
40% - 192kbps
50% - 256kbps+ and variable bitrate - all new stuff

All files are in Mp3 format


2. downloader makes stuff more easier than you think

first fill in your cart with albums or sepatate songs from how many artists you want...purchase this...and then you'll see that this is only one order with only one order number you have to enter into downloader...

Once you run downloader it will download all files to foler you specify

Tomorrow we should have new downloader version where all will be more clear with more stats info about what and where youre downloading.


seva

[hansmuster]

I took a look at SoundsBox and think it is a very good, additional music shop. Depending on the music I am looking for, I have to search in different shops. If I find the desired music in more than one shop, I buy it from the shop with the best bitrate.

Unfortunately, at SoundsBox I cannot see the bitrate of the files and as long as the bitrate is not visible, I will not buy music in this shop.

Please add the bitrate to the album description or to the individual files.

[seva]

Originally Posted by hansmuster

I took a look at SoundsBox and think it is a very good, additional music shop. Depending on the music I am looking for, I have to search in different shops. If I find the desired music in more than one shop, I buy it from the shop with the best bitrate.

Unfortunately, at SoundsBox I cannot see the bitrate of the files and as long as the bitrate is not visible, I will not buy music in this shop.

Please add the bitrate to the album description or to the individual files.

90% of all music online is 192kbps or over that... don't understand why this is not good as it's known that difference on higher bitrates you can only notice on sick ass stereo systems

As I can see this bothers some people we'll probably be ending up adding bitrate info as well.


Here is one more detail about bitrate, some stores do have for example 256kbps bitrate album, but they did it by recoding same album from 128kbps. do you still think this has 256kbps bitrate quality? Some old albums you simply cant find in high bitrates but you have smartasses who will recode them and make them "better quality"

[archon.thelawgiver]

OK, so I'm comparing allofmp3/mp3sparks to Soundbox and frankly the bit rate sucks. I'm sorry be so harsh but virtually all of the alternative low price options sell music either below or far below cd quality. So in other word it's cheaper than mp3sparks, but the sound is cheaper (as in too cheap). And I'll give you one reason why this doesn't work for me.

I was hanging out for the new Smashing Pumpkins album (Zeitgeist) when the mp3sparks problems started I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. I then scoped out all the alternatives and resorted to a torrent site. I downloaded the album in cd quality (mp3 @320kbps) for free. In other words I got cd quality for free.

I'll pay for quality but not for rubbish and mp3s below cd quality is just not worth paying for. Increasingly people use different forms of broadband so to use the excuse of what was the case when soundbox started and still not increase bit rates to an acceptable standard is at the very least lazy and at worst just plain greedy.

Now if Soundbox and others were working from master copies then I'd be prepared to compromise on bit rates, but that's not the case and to say otherwise is false advertising. My advice can be best summed as caveat emptor…let the buyer beware.

[chris7]

Originally Posted by archon.thelawgiver

OK, so I'm comparing allofmp3/mp3sparks to Soundbox and frankly the bit rate sucks. I'm sorry be so harsh but virtually all of the alternative low price options sell music either below or far below cd quality. So in other word it's cheaper than mp3sparks, but the sound is cheaper (as in too cheap). And I'll give you one reason why this doesn't work for me.

I was hanging out for the new Smashing Pumpkins album (Zeitgeist) when the mp3sparks problems started I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. I then scoped out all the alternatives and resorted to a torrent site. I downloaded the album in cd quality (mp3 @320kbps) for free. In other words I got cd quality for free.

I'll pay for quality but not for rubbish and mp3s below cd quality is just not worth paying for. Increasingly people use different forms of broadband so to use the excuse of what was the case when soundbox started and still not increase bit rates to an acceptable standard is at the very least lazy and at worst just plain greedy.

Now if Soundbox and others were working from master copies then I'd be prepared to compromise on bit rates, but that's not the case and to say otherwise is false advertising. My advice can be best summed as caveat emptor…let the buyer beware.

Dear Seva,

Although I have stil not used my free voucher from you I have to agree with Archon above. Without you stating your bitrate, you are going to stuggle, even if you dropped your price to 5 cents a track. Too many punters on here want the best and are more than happy to pay, you only have to read many other posts. The one thing that people like about sparks is their choice of bitrate and type of file, they are not the cheapest, fiesta are normally 50% cheaper, but they are probably the best for a lot of people on here.
To sum up, you are not the cheapest and you are not the best, you are somewhere in the middle, and there lies your problem. Should you strive to be better or be cheaper, that is your dilemma?

[Wren]

Seva,

i totally agree with archon.thelawgiver

another question, are you using p2p network to add albums in your catalogue like others mp3 websites ? or are you buying the albums (i don't think so, why in that case there are not always the same encoding...)

Wren

[kimaw1313]

I am totally happy with Soundbox. The only suggestion I would have is to make it possible to search by genre. Other than that, it's 10 times better than the other site I was using. Thanks Seva!!

[seva]

Originally Posted by chris7

Dear Seva,

Although I have stil not used my free voucher from you I have to agree with Archon above. Without you stating your bitrate, you are going to stuggle, even if you dropped your price to 5 cents a track. Too many punters on here want the best and are more than happy to pay, you only have to read many other posts. The one thing that people like about sparks is their choice of bitrate and type of file, they are not the cheapest, fiesta are normally 50% cheaper, but they are probably the best for a lot of people on here.
To sum up, you are not the cheapest and you are not the best, you are somewhere in the middle, and there lies your problem. Should you strive to be better or be cheaper, that is your dilemma?

Bitrate will shot with every album from next week, we realized this error too late and we'll fix it.

As for the quality we'll upload only 256 and above from now on...no more 192 or 160kbps.

I'll be little rude now because you have no right at all to compare soundsbox to any site especially not sparks or allofmp3. Site exists some 2 weeks now! We'll try to improve quality and will not lower prices. And I'll tell you one very good reason why we are better than allofmp3, mp3sparks and all tunes - on soundsbox you can deposit money and download music...can you do this on allofmp3?!

I'm really sorry about those sites they are icons in this business but some of you guys just don't get it. Why don't you give me at least one million $ and you'll see the quality of everything on soundsbox, don't even have to mention millions allofmp3 made!

Just think about it



Seva

[seva]

Originally Posted by kimaw1313

I am totally happy with Soundbox. The only suggestion I would have is to make it possible to search by genre. Other than that, it's 10 times better than the other site I was using. Thanks Seva!!

Browsing and searching genres will be added next week...search will be really improved


Seva