Awesome (and cheap) Music Download Site

**Pete Hanlin** · 03-28-2009, 03:03 PM

I finally gave in and purchased an iPod last Christmas (got one for each member of the family- they were a big hit)...

As much as Apple tries to position itself as "non-conformist," its amazing to me that their devices are MUCH more restrictive than other MP3 players- but enough of my anti-Apple rant.

Anyway, after spending a weekend burning my CD collection to iTunes, which saves them in Apple's stupid .m4a format so you can't burn them to an MP3 disc... :angry: stupid Apple (sorry, rant wasn't quite over :o), I realized I was never going to be able to afford $1.00 a song from the iTune site if I wanted to download all my favorites from the fabulous 80s (which, of course, was the apex of music and cultural expression)!

Then a co-worker informed me of a site called www.gomusic.ru, which allows you to download tunes for only $0.09 a piece! That's about 100 extra tunes per your $10 vs. iStore. Plus, the songs are in .mp3 format- so you can later share or burn them to anything.

Perhaps everyone is already downloading music from similar sources, but I'm just so beside myself with joy as I download obscure tracks from The Kinks, Toto, Men at Work, and Irene Cara that I just had to share.

Enjoy! :p

PS- I'm a 41 year old optician, and I'm a PC. Bite me, Apple!

**GAgal** · 03-28-2009, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by Pete Hanlin

all my favorites from the fabulous 80s (which, of course, was the apex of music and cultural expression)!

I couldn't agree more about the 80's! I have about 1000 songs on my ipod from that time period! Thank you so much for the info!

**hcjilson** · 03-29-2009, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by Pete Hanlin

Anyway, after spending a weekend burning my CD collection to iTunes, which saves them in Apple's stupid .m4a format so you can't burn them to an MP3 disc... :angry: stupid Apple (sorry, rant wasn't quite over :o), I realized I was never going to be able to afford $1.00 a song from the iTune site if I wanted to download all my favorites from the fabulous 80s (which, of course, was the apex of music and cultural expression)!

Dear Friend Pete!

Perhaps I can put things in their proper context so that you will be able to better understand the complexities of something which is propriatary.

I will freely admit that Crizal Alize Avance is the best AR treatment on the market today, and I am sure I would get no argument on that point from you. That being said:

Have you ever tried to get a Crizal Alize Avance put on a Hoya GPWide lens??

Try it sometime and tell us all what your result is................Then you can complain about the Apple iTune corner on the market.

In the words of a former president, "I feel your pain!"

Now do you get it????:D:D:D

**Ory** · 03-29-2009, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Pete Hanlin

I finally gave in and purchased an iPod last Christmas (got one for each member of the family- they were a big hit)...

As much as Apple tries to position itself as "non-conformist," its amazing to me that their devices are MUCH more restrictive than other MP3 players- but enough of my anti-Apple rant.

Anyway, after spending a weekend burning my CD collection to iTunes, which saves them in Apple's stupid .m4a format so you can't burn them to an MP3 disc... :angry: stupid Apple (sorry, rant wasn't quite over :o), I realized I was never going to be able to afford $1.00 a song from the iTune site if I wanted to download all my favorites from the fabulous 80s (which, of course, was the apex of music and cultural expression)!

Then a co-worker informed me of a site called www.gomusic.ru, which allows you to download tunes for only $0.09 a piece! That's about 100 extra tunes per your $10 vs. iStore. Plus, the songs are in .mp3 format- so you can later share or burn them to anything.

Perhaps everyone is already downloading music from similar sources, but I'm just so beside myself with joy as I download obscure tracks from The Kinks, Toto, Men at Work, and Irene Cara that I just had to share.

Enjoy! :p

PS- I'm a 41 year old optician, and I'm a PC. Bite me, Apple!

Just don't kid yourself that these are "legal" copies. Do you really think that the artist gets anything of that 9 cents you just sent to Russia?

**hcjilson** · 03-29-2009, 07:48 PM

I hope you got a chance to see 60 minutes tonight! Leslie Stahl did a segment on this new Cornficker Worm that may be attacking a PC near you sometime around April 1 (NOT an April Fools joke!) We Mac drivers don't have to get bothered everytime this happens. We only have a few virus's that can attack Apple's OS. You have a few hundred million to worry about. Rot's of Ruck with this one!

PC's rule!.....my foot!

**Pete Hanlin** · 03-29-2009, 09:28 PM

Have you ever tried to get a Crizal Alize Avance put on a Hoya GPWide lens??
I'll respond (sorry, this will be long and off the thread topic) by noting that- for a lens to be approved for Crizal the manufacturer has to a.) request approval, and b.) provide lenses for testing. Why is it necessary to test lenses? As you probably are aware, Crizal products represent an integrated lens surface- which just means the existing hardcoat has to be stripped from the lens prior to the application of the primer and hardcoat used for all Crizal products. In fact, it is the hardcoat that makes Crizal lenses so durable. Anyway, the lenses must be tested to ensure the original hardcoat can be reliably removed during the stripping process. There are some products which are not reliably strippable (including some of Essilor's own products). Any lens with unstripped hardcoat may cause contamination of the coating system- which basically shuts the unit down at considerable expense and loss of production time.

So, if a product is not available on the Crizal list, it either a.) has never been requested by the manufacturer, and/or b.) has not been validated.
The above is all I can say at this time about your observation. :)

As for Apple- bah humbug. I actually purchased one a couple years ago and couldn't get used to it. I called the Apple store to attend a class, and they were just plain snootish (if that's a word). Is a Mac better than a PC? Who knows... but I'm happy with my PC! I'd rather contribute to the success of an admitted monopoly (Microsoft) than delude myself that I'm participating in some pseudo-counterculture movement (Apple).
:bbg:

**Pete Hanlin** · 03-29-2009, 09:33 PM

Just don't kid yourself that these are "legal" copies. Do you really think that the artist gets anything of that 9 cents you just sent to Russia?

The site claims to be legit (big surprise), but that's a notable observation. I would assume something would be done to curtail such activity if it were illegal (especially since Visa and American Express are accepted as payment), but obviously use at your own risk. I wonder what the actual royalties are for a download (i.e., I wonder how much of the $.99 Apple pockets from iTune downloads)?

Two things do make me question the site somewhat... 1.) they have Beatles songs (not that I'd ever be interested in any, but even iTunes doesn't have the Beatles, and 2.) they have individual tracks by Metallica (which only sells its music in album form).

**Jazz-Nut** · 03-30-2009, 04:16 AM

"The last word I got back was it's stalled at the whole moment, the whole process," the former Beatle said. "I really hope it will happen because I think it should."
McCartney, who was speaking at the launch of his new album, Electric Arguments, added: "It's between EMI and the Beatles, I think."
The band's holding company, Apple Corps Ltd., has so far declined to allow the Fab Four's music on any Internet music service, including iTunes. The situation has been exacerbated by a long-running trademark dispute between Apple Corps and Apple Inc., which owns iTunes -- a dispute that was resolved last year.
Record label EMI, which owns the Beatles recordings but needs Apple Corps' permission to release the music in new formats, said it was still trying to resolve the matter.

**Spexvet** · 03-30-2009, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Pete Hanlin

...As much as Apple tries to position itself as "non-conformist," its amazing to me that their devices are MUCH more restrictive than other MP3 players- but enough of my anti-Apple rant.

Capitalism at its finest!! :p:p

Originally Posted by Pete Hanlin

Anyway, after spending a weekend burning my CD collection to iTunes, which saves them in Apple's stupid .m4a format so you can't burn them to an MP3 disc... :angry: stupid Apple (sorry, rant wasn't quite over :o), ...

You can get a free or inexpensive file conversion program. I'm not sure how well they work, but try tucows.com.

You can also try burning a .m4a cd, then rip the cd into .mp3 format using windows media player. I've had success with that method in the past.

Good luck.

**Pete Hanlin** · 03-30-2009, 09:08 AM

Thanks, Spexvet! Actually, I did purchase a file converter (I can convert DVDs to play on my iPod or my son's PSP, and I can turn an m4a into a mp3...

I'm just still fuming from the first time I tried to burn a mp3 from my iTunes and realized all the discs I had copied to iTunes were in m4a!

I'm sure Apple is a fine enough company (I've actually visited Cupertino, and its a nice place- considering its in California ;^), and I'd love to use Keynote (which has greater capability than PowerPoint). It's just too bad Bill and Steve couldn't have gotten along better a few decades ago! IMO, however, iPods represent everything that is wrong with Steve Job's way of thinking (seriously, the guy always seems to find a better solution, but then destroys it by trying to restrict its use).

Finally- a serious question... Why would anyone want to download Beatles music? ;)

**Spexvet** · 03-30-2009, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Pete Hanlin

...Finally- a serious question... Why would anyone want to download Beatles music? ;)

Beauty is in the eye (or ear, in this case) of the beholder. I want to download Beatles songs because I like the way they sound.

I would posit, though, that the Beatles had more impact on popular music that any other artist. They took the music from formulaic "songs" to "opuses". They didn't find it necessary to stick to the traditional verse-chorus-verse, etc form, a time limit, or traditional pop instruments.

**hcjilson** · 03-30-2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Spexvet

Beauty is in the eye (or ear, in this case) of the beholder. I want to download Beatles songs because I like the way they sound.

I would posit, though, that the Beatles had more impact on popular music that any other artist. They took the music from formulaic "songs" to "opuses". They didn't find it necessary to stick to the traditional verse-chorus-verse, etc form, a time limit, or traditional pop instruments.

I think you are forgetting a few artists with that statement. Do the names Gershwin, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Dave Brubeck,The Who, ring a bell? Each in their own right did as much to influence and revolutionize popular music as the Beatles have done.

**obxeyeguy** · 03-30-2009, 12:16 PM