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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 160
Location: Montana | I love my ipod, I hate iTunes. I've been going thru some computer difficulties, several hard drive crashes and a replacement computer - and now I find out that each time I reload a song that I bought from iTunes it counts as another of my 5 allowable "authorizations" so by now many songs that I bought, I can no longer play. I prefer to just buy CDs so that I always "own" them but at times there are songs from artists that I really just want the single.
So any suggestions for alternative music sources where I can permanently own songs and buy them as singles? |
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Joined:
May 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Bellevue, Washington | With iTunes when you reach your 5 activation limit there is a process you can initiate that will reset your 5 activations. Here is some text lifted from the iTunes support page:
To deauthorize all computers associated with your account
If you find you have reached 5 authorizations, you can reset your authorization count by clicking Deauthorize All in the Account Information screen.
Click iTunes Store in the menu on the left side of iTunes.
If you're not signed in to the store, click the Account button, then enter your account name and password.
Click the Account button again (your ID appears on the button), enter your password, and then click View Account.
In the Account Information window, click Deauthorize All.
Note: You may only use this feature once per year. The Deauthorize All button will not appear if you have fewer than 5 authorized computers, or if you have used this option within the last 12 months. If you need assistance on using this feature, please contact the iTunes Store support via email (http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/ww/)."
This can be done once a year as stated and should do just fine for getting your music back in working order. As for an alternate to iTunes there are lots of great choices, Rhapsody being one of them. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 160
Location: Montana | Ah, but there is a catch. This works fine IF you know that you are going to sell or discard a computer or something or reformat your hard drive and you deauthorize the computer. In the case of a hard disk crash you do not get a chance to deauthorize before it is gone. I have everything backed up to CDs but the songs no longer work because I have exceeded my authorizations. |
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Joined:
May 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Bellevue, Washington | Yes but on a computer that isn't authorized you can select the option to de-authorize all previous computer accounts by following the steps listed above. I've had to do this once or twice in the last few years and it works great! |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | This is why I don't get music from any of these sources .
I understand downloads from Amazon are DRM free.
While I use my iphone extensively to listen in the car and at work, I certainly wouldn't trust my music collection to itunes.
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | I buy MP3 from Amazon.com. Their download app automatically adds songs to iTunes if you want, or you can just put them on your hard drive and transfer them to your MP3 player. |
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Joined:
October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | Copy your Itunes music sub-directory to CD or DVD. Should you have any of those issues, your just re-import them. Works for me.
As for where I get music... CDs (owned or borrowed), iTunes (when I have gift cards), Limewire (though usually ot a problem, keep you anti-virus on high to be safe). |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | While I use iTunes to organize my music, and upload it to my phone and ipods, or just play on my network, I have only purchased a few tunes from the iTunes store. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Waskel:
While I use my iphone extensively to listen in the car and at work, I certainly wouldn't trust my music collection to itunes. Just to clarify this, I don't mean that I don't use itunes. Unfortunately I have to use it to load my iphone and ipod. And it is a handy music player (though VLC media player certainly has a smaller RAM footprint).
What I don't do is use it to rip CDs or import WAVs. If you do that it converts them to .m4a files. If I want to put a CD into itunes I first rip it (with a third-party ripper) to good quality .mp3s which itunes will store without converting. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | Originally posted by Waskel:
Originally posted by Waskel:
[qb]...it converts them to .m4a files. If I want to put a CD into itunes I first rip it (with a third-party ripper) to good quality .mp3s which itunes will store without converting. You can change the settings so the format it rips in is MP3 (from 16kbps all the way to 320kbps). It's all under the import settings.
All that said, it is a RAM hog |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | I just got a new record player for my birthday. SWMBO wants me to convert our albums to digital, but I don't wanna. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
but I don't wanna. ...but you know you're going to anyway. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Damon67:
Originally posted by Waskel:
Originally posted by Waskel:
[qb]...it converts them to .m4a files. If I want to put a CD into itunes I first rip it (with a third-party ripper) to good quality .mp3s which itunes will store without converting. You can change the settings so the format it rips in is MP3 (from 16kbps all the way to 320kbps). It's all under the import settings.
All that said, it is a RAM hog |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 160
Location: Montana | RNickels you rock! It works, and my family thinks I'm brilliant.
Ok, I publicly apologize to the Apple Corporation for bad mouthing their fine product .... |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | Another convert! :D |
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OT Alternative to iTunes?