[Track_40]

Hi,

I've been using MusicMatch on the PC ever since I bought my 2G iPod. Contrary to most, I've never, ever had a single problem with it. I just recently bought a PowerBook and was considering starting to use iTunes, however, before I do so, I need some clarity on the app.

I can't remember where I heard this or what the facts are exactly, but is it true that all music downloaded from the iTunes store is keyed only to work with the Mac that it was sold to? Does that mean that if I were to download MP3s onto my PowerBook from the iTunes store, that they can never be transferred to another computer? If yes, what happens if that computer goes up in smoke?

My other main question has to do with importing music into iTunes. I've got just about 20GB of music that I've ripped and tagged via my own cd's that has been managed flawlessly by Musicmatch since 2002. If I copy/import these MP3s into iTunes on the PowerBook, does iTunes then add any sort of copy protection to the files? Can I use iTunes to Rip more cds? If so, will iTunes then prevent me from moving the MP3s that I ripped with iTunes to another computer later?

Is it possible to use my Mac as a centralized music catalog/storage system... whereby, if I had 5 iPods, I could hook each of them up up to the Mac (one at a time) and load it up with whatever I wanted? I know I can't (using iTunes) pull music off the iPod, but is there any limit to the number of iPods one could hook up to a single Mac/iTunes library?

Any insight would be appreciated.

[Paul]

Before getting into specifics, I just wanted to say that everything you think you should be able to do with iTunes, you can. Quite easily and intuitively I must add. All of your concerns are pretty much overblown. iTunes is a full-featured music management application FIRST. It has been around in some form since like 2000 and the iTMS (where the DRM/copy protection comes from) is a fairly recent addition to the application. You could conceivably use iTunes without ever even knowing that you could buy music through it.

That said, I'll try to address your concerns.

All music downloaded from the iTMS (through iTunes ) will have a "copy protection" layer commonly referred to as DRM (or digital rights management). This DRM consists of a few limitations placed on the music files in order to "protect" it...
1. You can only play the music on authorized computers (or any number of iPods).
2. You can authorize up to 5 computers.
3. You can only burn a particular playlist 7 times but you can burn each individual song an unlimited number of times.
4. You can share your music with up to 5 different computers through a network.
5. You can not convert the protected AAC files into any other format.
6. The iPod is the only portable music device can play the AAC files directly.
This ONLY applies to music DOWNLOADED from the iTMS. Any music you manually import (through ripping CDs or otherwise ) WILL NOT have any form of DRM on it.

That should allay your concerns about DRM. As long as you are OK with the concept of DRM (and many people aren't) the iTMS variant of it is quite mild compared to the other types out there.

As for importing your music from music match, as long as the songs themselves have accurate ID3 tags (which it sounds like they do) iTunes will recognize and read that information flawlessly.

iTunes will rip cds fine and the files will have no restrictions whatsoever.

You can connect as many iPods as you want to your computer and import music onto them. You can also do the reverse with a minimal amount of fuss with a host of 3rd party applications.

Hope this helps.

-Paul

[torifile]

To reiterate what Paul said:

You can use the music you bought from the iTMS on up to 5 computers at any one time. You can deauthorize a computer at any time and use it on another computer without ANY problems.

The music you have already and any other music you rip yourself will NOT be restricted in ANY way. iTunes doesn't add copy protection to songs, it only honors the DRM in iTMS songs.

You can use any number of iPods with your iTunes. There are no limitations on that at all.

You can also copy all the music you've got on your PC in musicmatch to iTunes. A word of advice: let iTunes manage your music for you. It'll tag the songs properly (so you can easily find them on your iPod) and sort the folders in a very logical way.

Bottom line is that you shouldn't worry about any restrictions on your own music and there are just a few that your need to think about with iTMS music. HTH. And welcome to the Mac.

[Track_40]

Thanks guys.
That pretty much nails it.

My entire MP3 library is comprised only of store-bought music that I've ripped myself. My entire library has been meticulously tagged (ID3), and is very organized. I'm looking forward to giving iTunes a try.

[LudwigVan]

(NOTE: I can only speak to the classical recordings that I own.) iTunes uses the Gracenote database for its CD track source. This accounts for some less-than-stellar identification when it comes to various titles, especially in the classical genre. For example, why the hell are some movement titles (think arias and choruses in vocal works) stuck in the album field, whereas the track field contains the album (i.e. work) name? It appears these errors are found in older recordings mainly, so that may be the issue right there, but all the same I sometimes find myself spending half an hour of my day correcting the track, album, and performer information for a recording.

[Brad]

The problem there, LudwigVan, is that Gracenote is primarily a user-submitted database. If you would be so kind as to correct the track information for your CD's tracks, you can submit that information back to the database using the "Submit CD Track Names" from the Advanced menu.

Forgive me please if this is not the correct way to ask a quedstion here. I did a search on this issue and did not find anything relevant.

I went to Itunes Radio for the first time yesterday and clicked on "hard rock/metal". When I clicked on the arrow to find out what stations were available, the entire listing disappeared and I cannot recover it.

Is the listing for "hard rock/metal" still available?

If so, is there any way I can get it back??

If not, does anyone know of any representative radio stations online that I can add to a playlist? I am, obviously, interested in heavy metal and hard rock.

Thanks and thanks for your patience with a newcomer who probably did not post this correctly.

[FFL]

I just repeated your steps and the exact same thing happened.

Maybe they dropped the hard rock/metal category??