When people first encounter MP3 either by making their first internet download or ripping their first CD, it seems delightfully simple. As time passes and the music collection grows, problems occur, doubts start to emerge and questions start to arise…
Building you own digital music library can be much from fulfilling and rewarding that covering a wall with shelves of stuffed with CDs. Digital music has so much more potential and it is vastly more accessible. It shouldn’t be complicated! Unfortunately a proliferation of standards, combined with ceaseless debates about quality coupled with confusing copy protection mechanisms can shatter one’s faith in this brave new world.
The book is about having fun with this digital media. There plenty of free music on the internet but some sources are illegal (but don’t appear to be) and others are out to slip spyware on to your hard disk.
This books sets out to make it easy, to make it fun and to turn you in to an MP3 expert. It will answer you questions and suggest exciting opportunities. The guide will help you answer the following questions:-
♪ Which format should I use to rip my CDs?
♪ What quality (bit rate) is best?
♪ How should I organise my music files?
♪ Am I buying digital music from the cheapest and best quality source?
♪ Some of my music files don’t sound right, why it that?
♪ What’s the best PC Audio playing software for me?
♪ Is there an easier way to burn a compilation CD?
♪ Where on the internet can I find music that I really like?
♪ Should I backup my PC? How?
♪ Can digital music files contain spyware or other forms of malware?
♪ What other software can I use to organise my music files and playlists?
♪ What happens if I convert one format to another, does it degrade the quality?
These are just some of the questions answered in this book.
♪♫ More and more people are beginning to adopt the digital music lifestyle. You don’t have to read this book from cover to cover to enjoy digital music and join the party. Just dip in to those parts that interest you when you want or need to do so. It is highly recommended that all readers read the introductory chapters, in particular the sections on formats, quality and organising your music. This especially applies to those who are buying music subject to copy protection mechanisms (Digital Rights Management) which applies if you buy from some sites including iApples Music Store (iTunes), Microsoft’s MSN, OD2 sources and many other sources.
Right now unsuspecting soles are downloading music from iTunes or other mainstream download sites that incorporates copy protection mechanisms that restrict the use of their music. What’s more the quality of these mainstream music files is below the standard that many audiophiles would accept. This book will help you avoid buying music that are subject to DRM.
♪♫ You are witnessing a revolution in the making and one that can enrich your life The options to acquire, store, access and enjoy your music is changing rapidly. This revolution is create accessibility to more Artist right around the world. The consequences are greater consumer choice, support for more emerging artists, improved consumer access and ease to review and purchase music. Whilst digital music sales still on represents only a very small part the total sales market these are climbing rapidly. In the USA in 2005 downloads increased by 166% over the previous year.[1] A similar growth was reported in the UK. It might have been much steeper had it not been for copy protection mechanisms that are applied for the four main music labels.
Some analysts and record companies predict digital sales could reach 25% of revenues in five years.[i] Forrester predicts legal downloads will account for 33% of the market within five years.[ii] The Author suspects both these figures are greatly understated and by 2012 maybe half the music sales will be digital, at least in Western Europe and the USA. Why? Improved accessibility, lower prices (eventually), improved quality, ease of use and digital home entertainment systems. But most important of all will be the pervasiveness of portable music devices including our mobile phones.
[i] IFPI DIGITAL MUSIC REPORT 2005: FACTS AND FIGURES. http://www.pro-music.org/musiconline/news050119c.htm.
[iii] British Phonographic Industry “Festive cheer for singles as downloads go uploads in 2005 : 19th December 2005”. www.bpi.co.uk.
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