“iPods, the most popular music players with more than 70 percent of the American market, can play MP3 music files, a popular digital audio compression format. But for the most part, Apple steers its customers to songs in another format, called Advanced Audio Codec (AAC), which most non-Apple devices cannot play,” Sean Captain reports for The New York Times.
“Apple’s iTunes software, which runs on PC’s and Macs, for example, automatically “rips,” or converts, music from CD’s into compressed AAC files for loading onto a computer or portable player. But users who want to convert tracks to MP3 files have to change the settings,” Captain reports. “And downloads from Apple’s iTunes Music Store come exclusively in a version of AAC that includes FairPlay, Apple’s digital rights management technology, to prevent illegal copying and sharing of music. ‘One of the problems I see a lot is that people who are using iTunes-iPods have ripped their entire CD collection to the AAC format because that is the default setting in iTunes,’ said Grahm Skee, who runs the Web site AnythingButiPod.com, in an e-mail interview. ‘Now they are stuck with a format that can only be played on iPods.’
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: And what, pray tell, are the “problems” you see, Grahm Skee? Is it that people who want to switch from iPod to an iRiver (all zero of them) can’t play their AAC files without converting them to MP3 first? Fact is, CDs ripped to AAC by iTunes are playable on Macs, PCs, and burnable to regular audio CDs; hence they’re playable basically anywhere. AAC is not some proprietary Apple-only format. AAC is MPEG-4 Audio. Apple should’ve just called it MP4 to soothe simple minds. AAC is the de facto standard format for legally-purchased online music. Period. The fact that some still try FUD to force people away from using AAC continues to perplex and amaze. And that Captain trots out the old saw that iPod lacks a built-in FM radio and voice recorder as reasons people might want to use some also-ran portable music player is a joke. Obviously the vast majority of people don’t care or add those capabilities to iPod via accessories.
The only people having “problems” are those online music outfits trying to sell music for portable players that nobody wants and hardware makers trying to sell portable music players that won’t work seamlessly with the world’s leading jukebox software and legal online music service – Apple iTunes and iTunes Music Store respectively. Consumers have choice, the only “problem” is that the Microsofts, Napsters, and Creatives of the world just don’t like that consumers haven’t chosen their failed products and DRM schemes.
Want to avoid any so-called “probems?” Most people have already figured out how to do so: buy an iPod, use iTunes to rip your CDs and transfer to your iPod, and buy online music from the iTunes Music Store via your Mac or Windows PC. “Problems” solved.
Related articles:
Music lovers make Apple’s iTunes Music Store AAC format the de facto standard for online music – August 28, 2005
Wall Street Journal blows it: iTunes only imports ‘weird AAC format,’ iPod only plays Apple formats – July 19, 2005
iPod, iTunes, and iTunes Music Store competitors lack Apple’s ‘seamless integration and ease’ – August 28, 2005
Apple’s roadkill whine in unison: ‘incompatibility is slowing growth of digital music’ – August 13, 2005
The New Zealand Herald serves up a steaming pile of iPod FUD – August 11, 2005
FUD campaign against Apple’s iPod+iTunes fails to stick – April 08, 2005
Apple’s iPod and iTunes competitors continue whining about FairPlay – February 07, 2005
The de facto standard for legal digital online music files: Apple’s protected MPEG-4 Audio (.m4p) – December 15, 2004
Apple discusses AAC vs. MP3 codecs; 128 kbps AAC as good or better than 160 kbps MP3 – April 29, 2003
Zoness – You had my thought exactly – Default on Windows is WMA they should have focused this article on this – and who exactly is complaining? If they have music in AAC and buy from iTunes Music Store then they obviously use iTunes and most likely have an iPod. I doubt that they will downgrade to another player.
DudeMac wrote on Oct 06, 05 – 10:55 am:
| We need to start up the website called ;
| “www.AnythingButPlaysForSure.com” a site dedicated to public
| information about PlaysForSure and its Windows-only strategy!
Just point it to MDN, that should do it!
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AnythingButiPod.com. What a loser name.
Outside of tech columnists, have there really been any complaints about this? Most people, even the rudy poop user who uses their computer just for email, can figure out the settings preference. And if they can’t, they’re not the type to go out and buy a bunch of conflicting audio devices. Of all the things wrong in the tech world, this issue isn’t even a blip on the radar.
I would think this Seán [Sea] Captain is not captain of his own brain or ship. I wonder if David Pogue reviewed this highly inaccurate story before NYTimes published it? It is very sad to see a kid like this spout trash from his obviously wandering ship.
What strikes me as funny is that everyone keeps saying you need to re-rip your collection. Not true. Change your import settings in the preferences, select all the tracks you want to be MP3s and right click and choose “Convert to MP3” takes minimal time. And since a 128K AAC is better quality than a 128MP3, you’re set.
MDN, et al: What’s the email address for the NYTimes editors responsible for this FUD?
Time for some mass “clarification”.
Funny thing about the anythingbutipod.com website: in addition to its title which actually markets the iPod when you think about it, the iPod is mentioned in almost every other post. The site is a semi-interesting repository of portable music info, but as I said, it is as much about the iPod as anything.
Keep the blinders on, as usual:
MDN: ‘The only people having “problems” are … hardware makers trying to sell portable music players that won’t work seamlessly with the world’s leading jukebox software and legal online music service’
Use the word “won’t” like it’s a decision made by the manufacturers, and not by Apple is standard fare.. “aren’t allowed to” would be more accurate.
MDN: ‘Want to avoid any so-called “probems?” … buy an iPod, use iTunes to rip your CDs and transfer to your iPod, and buy online music from the iTunes Music Store’
This still sounds like a protection racket to me. It would be a shame if something happened to one of your batallions, Colonel.
APPLE: SUCCESS BY ANTICOMPETITIVE MEANS CAN’T POSSIBLY MAKE YOU FEEL ANY BETTER THAN MICROSOFT. STOP BEING WEASELS. OPEN THE SCHEME.
Here’s the source of the complaining, if you ask me:
“Waaaaaaaaahh… I can’t play AAC, so when my cool friends rip their CDs to AAC in iTunes and put them up on servers so that we can all steal them, it doesn’t do me any good! W-w-w-w-waaaaaaahhh!!!!”
Mountains out of molehills.
Aside from MDN’s crap, the AAC issue is irritating for two additional reasons:
1) Songs I rip from CD using iTunes are defaulted to AAC. I know I can change the setting. Joe Shmoe (the users I support) don’t understand or care to understand the difference. All they know is that they can’t use the songs they ripped on their portable player. They spent all weekend ripping their CD collection, and now they have to do it again.
2) Songs I bought from the iTMS can’t be mixed or edited in any of my a/v tools without first being somehow un-DRM’ed, then converted or re-ripped to MP3, AIFF, or WAV. Presumably in violation of the DRM agreement. Seems silly to have to violate your agreement in order to use the music you bought.
AAC default and closed DRM scheme get in my way every single day of the week. And not because of my whiny attitude.
Skee: ‘Now they are stuck with a format that can only be played on iPods.’
Yeah, because you can only rip CDs once…
I once recall someone asking me why they couldnt use AAC on their PC and I said “uh, no you definately can use it on there” and he replied “but it’s only a Mac thing….AAC- dosn’t that stand for Apple Audio Coding?” i just turned around and walked away……Sad thing was is that my friend had an iPod and to this day i still look back and laugh about that. Just thought I’d share that with you-
PC Apologist: AAC default and closed DRM scheme get in my way every single day of the week.
Well then maybe you should buy your songs from the on-line music stores with open DRM schemes …
iTunes goes with the iPod. Why would someone rip into iTunes and then use another player? That’s just silly. If you another player that’s not an iPod and you’re using iTunes, you’re not getting the best experience. Stop that, get yourself an iPod and this ACC/MP3 is no issue.
Um, kerrazyjoe, you say ‘Newbies just starting out with this stuff will <snip> rip <snip> CDs [and say] “Wow – this is great”. <snip> “Wow – this is easy!!” “I Love this stuff” [and then] go out and get another player (non-iPod)’. If it’s so great/easy/lovable, why *would* they go get a non-iPod?
The guy’s a shill for the anti-Apple companies.
Bozo.
You all can’t honestly sit there believing that because someone makes the premium product in a category that consumers should be denied the choice to use a competing product, no matter how inferior it may be?
Okay – so once you purchase a song from iTMS, you have to use their software and their portable. What next? How about this: if it’s NOT offered in their store, it must be inferior. Thus, let’s have iPod and iTunes *only* support playback of tunes purchased in iTMS.
How much further will you cheer them on?
First off, I’ve been using itunes w/ non-ipods since it was soundjam. The experience is just fine. People are asserting that AAC needs to be re-ripped to edit or mix or whatever. This is false. Like any licensed technology you need the licensed tools. Try Quicktime Pro. If it’s DRM then that’s a different application that strips it (people are not buying itms songs for p2p, but themselves so get over the hymn paranoia).
Of the aac players I looked at over the years (excluding my phones and psp), the same sort of logic was followed by all the manufacturers: AAC could ONLY be played on their device if ripped/transfered (they blur that one badly) using their software (trying to sell stuff online). Pitiful. Finally, AAC is coming out in more and more devices and when it grows we get this kind of article.
Go try half the stuff on the market that isn’t an ipod w/ a mac. It will support all kinds of formats (ONLY if you use their proprietary transfer agent) even if the songs show up in Mass Storage.
So what’s up w/ this whimpering? Simple, ask the average person why they don’t rip to AAC and they say it’s ‘a proprietary apple format’. That’s it. They think AAC stands for Apple Audio Codec and is thus Apple only. Even if it was, why would that matter? It’s a platform thing again there.
….and the real issue..most of the people whining are ‘trading’ mp3s and then complaining…wah. I’m mad I can’t get some music I want for my ipod because it’s in WINDRM only..so I’m going to buy the album.
Geez, PC Apologist
Can you please name me ONE online digital music service that sells popular music from the big name artists/bands that DOESN’T have one form of DRM or another? If it’s not Apple’s AAC/Fairplay, it’s Window’s WMA. (Notice I said big name, as I know you can buy un-DRM’d music from smaller, lesser known artists from various sources).
How come you’re not ripping into MS/Windows for this exact same problem?
And why are you calling Apple anticompetitive? Did they put a gun to your head and FORCE you to buy an iPod? Do you have any other choices besides buying an iPod? If you want to use other music services, go buy an iRiver/Zen/etc and use whichever service you want. Don’t buy an iPod and get locked in. Vote with your $$$. If you already bought an iPod, then don’t whine about being able to buy only from iTMS: you already knew that going in, and you STILL bought one.
You all can’t honestly sit there believing that because someone makes the premium product in a category that consumers should be denied the choice to use a competing product, no matter how inferior it may be?
Okay – so once you purchase a song from iTMS, you have to use their software and their portable. What next? How about this: if it’s NOT offered in their store, it must be inferior. Thus, let’s have iPod and iTunes *only* support playback of tunes purchased in iTMS.
How much further will you cheer them on?
————————————————————–
What the hell are you talking about? If you have a player that doesn’t support AAC buy your online music elsewhere. You’re argument is so idiotic & childish. Let’s look at it from the other angle. I have an iPod & I can’t purchase music from any “Plays for sure” vendors. That DRM scheme is not even crossplatform. This is business. Why the hell should Apple just give MS a handout. Let them earn it. Why would anyone that has a player that doesn’t support AAC want to buy music from iTunes? They have plenty of other options. This sounds like nonsensical whining. Don’t like iTunes or the iPod you have plenty of other options. Go exercise them & stop making arguments that make absolutely no sense.
CK Lai –
I do criticize Microsoft for the problems their DRM causes in fair personal use of purchased music. You probably haven’t seen my posts in non-Apple sites, though, if you’re like most of the folks here. Y’all tend to be a bit… isolationist.
Whizbang –
Members of this and other Apple forums cheered Microsoft’s prosecution for anticompetitive practices when they told PC retailers they couldn’t offer competing browsers if they wanted to carry Windows. It was unethical and ILLEGAL because they were using their position as the dominant OS to squash competition in their other markets. Apple does the same by using their position as the dominant online music retailer to squash competition in the player & portable markets.
You have an iPod and you can’t purchase from the PlaysForSure vendors. That’s correct. Because Apple has refused to allow it, despite Microsoft’s and other retailers’ repeated appeals.
Once you buy a single track from iTMS, you have three options: be chained to Apple’s software and hardware for life, violate your license agreement, or throw away your investment in the song.
Apple makes a great product. But it’s their unethical and (i’m not a lawyer) borderline illegal business practices that support their disproportionate success.
PC Apologist:
Members of this and other Apple forums cheered Microsoft’s prosecution for anticompetitive practices when they told PC retailers they couldn’t offer competing browsers if they wanted to carry Windows. It was unethical and ILLEGAL because they were using their position as the dominant OS to squash competition in their other markets. Apple does the same by using their position as the dominant online music retailer to squash competition in the player & portable markets.
—————————————————–
FALSE ANALOGY
You don’t need AAC/Fairplay to use an iPod. You don’t need AAC/Fairplay to use iTunes. You don’t need an iPod to play dowloaded music. You don’t need to buy music from iTunes only.
There are PLENTY of competitors for legal downloads. That’s certainly not the case for Windows.
______________________________________________
You have an iPod and you can’t purchase from the PlaysForSure vendors. That’s correct. Because Apple has refused to allow it, despite Microsoft’s and other retailers’ repeated appeals.
______________________________________________
Nonsense. Play for sure vendors allows a limited number of burns to CDs. You can then re-rip them into AAC or MP3 for your iPod under personal use.
______________________________________________
Once you buy a single track from iTMS, you have three options: be chained to Apple’s software and hardware for life, violate your license agreement, or throw away your investment in the song.
_____________________________________________
Once again, false. Apple allows you to burn a limited amount of CD’s from iTunes. Like above, you can then re-rip them for use in other players under personal use.
PC Apologist,
An iPod is not a Personal Computer.
Microsoft forced PC makers to do things, tied to their DOS and Windows license. It dominated the whole PC market, and many tools required by corporations are Windows only (not always true but it’s the common assumption). It’s a whole different situation, music can be published in many formats just at the flick of a switch, unlike computer software that usually requires complicated ports. Also still 98% of music sold is on CD’s… MS dominates the whole market, while Apple dominates a small sub-market.
Many things can happen until the only music sold is in FairPlay AAC. For one thing, I wouldn’t mind if it became a mandatory standard used by every online music store and that some independent authority owned it. This is very different than Apple licensing FairPlay AAC. If they did license it, any competitor could buy a license, provide crappy service, then switch back to WMA, the fragmented market would be dragged down by all the problems and bad publicity. The only way to fight MS at this level is to act like a monolithic block, a fragmented market can be easily squashed by MS, piece by piece. MS used licensing to built their empire, but it only worked in this particular context. Where is the openness in the XBOX 360? Apple didn’t have to sell the iPod at a loss to enter the market.
So Apple forces who to do what? They force themselves to not include WMA or OGG support? If this is what they want to do, they are not forcing themselves.
I really fail to see the parallel you are trying to make between the MS computer market and Apple’s digital market…
The plan for Microsoft was to bait us with online digital music into using TPM and an OS and hardware PC solution that locks content in much more nasty ways than Apple will ever do. They wanted to use their OS monopoly to tie people’s music to Windows, then movies, programs etc. Next thing you know, Microsoft owns your computers…
The iPod and iTMS success jeopardize this plan. Why should they allow WMA to become the defacto standard instantly? They would even pay for it!
WMA and WMV support from MS on the Mac has always been incredibly crappy. It doesn’t support DRMed WMA music. Why MS is so eager to offer a WMA license to Apple for the iPod? Because they know it would make their format an automatic standard and it would hurt Apple.
Why should Apple shoot themselves in the foot?
For the sake of having only one format? Why should it be the MS format that wins, which is completely closed and owned only by them, and that they can tie to their OS monopoly? At least AAC is defined as an industry standard, not owned by the OS monopoly. FairPlay is already less restrictive than other DRMs and I don’t see MS fighting Labels against price hiking.
The article complains about some people being stuck with the iPod because they’ve ripped their big music collection to AAC or bought iTMS DRMed songs. Well if MS won and WMA became standard, your music would be stuck in Windows, and almost all portable digital music players would eventually only connect to Windows. Want to switch to the Mac or another platform? Out of luck there… stuck in Windows+TPM because of your music collection…
Oh and one last thing:
“Once you buy a single track from iTMS, you have three options: be chained to Apple’s software and hardware for life, violate your license agreement, or throw away your investment in the song.”
1: I rather be stuck with an iPod and iTunes, which are music players, than be stuck in Windows with WMA DRM songs.
2: Well you can burn the tunes multiple times to a standard CD that can play in almost all CD players in the world. The RIAA imposed conditions may not legally restrict the “fair use” of these standard CD’s.
3: When I bought my PS2, I didn’t expect that the PS2 version of Prince Of Persia: Sands of time to play on an XBOX, I would have been forced to buy the XBOX version if I wanted to “switch”. Many people thought and still think that the iPod works only on the Mac! I wouldn’t surprised to learn that most of the iPod newbies assume that the iTMS tunes only works on the iPod and buy them knowing that.