It's interesting in that the write-ups from the web development crowd were almost all positive when Amazon launched this in the States. Although Amazon has nothing like the amount of tracks currently for sale that iTunes does, everything they sell is DRM free. And, from what I've heard, the download software is good and works well. Maybe this will be the first serious contender to Apple?

*Awaits UK release*

*checks 'Today's Top MP3 Songs'*
*uses P2P to download them*

I've noticed that some of the places that they're partnering with officially haven't shifted all of their offerings there yet either. Which is to say, the obvious, there's definitely more tracks on the way. I think it will be a serious contender.

Holy Crap, is right! I'm about to get sooo broke!

I use eMusic to get my indie/classical/blues/etc. fix... I think I'll go with Amazon for the rest, as I hate the way itunes tracks are (yes, yes, I know I can burn them to CD, but why should I have to).

@Memo: hooray for breaking the law and screwing people over!

Screwing people over? You're listening to their music, right?

Is that somehow doing them a favor? "Hey, your car is nice enough for me to steal. Think of it as a compliment!"

Just buy the track already. It's a freaking dollar.

I figure, as far as p2p is concerned, that I would never have heard their music were it not for my illegal download, and if I like it, the likelihood that I'll buy their CD for myself or someone else is increased from nil to something; therefore, my illegal listening is far more likely to put money in musicians' pockets than the other option, which is not to listen at all.

I don't like the way mp3s sound, and don't listen to them if I have the choice. Some say the difference between CD and MP3 is inaubible; I say they just can't hear the difference. I use mp3s as a way of screening music that I want to buy, and I make it a point to buy CDs of the MP3s I like.

So my illegal downloads are the only way recording artists will see any money from me. I see the internet as an unparallelled way of sampling music, but a shitty way to listen regularly. I'm not going to pay a dollar for something I use as a free sample, and since technology allows me to, I'll keep doing it.

I buy probably twice as much music now as I ever did, from artists I would never have heard of had I not downloaded their music over BitTorrent. So yeah, it's a good thing, and the musicians should be glad I do it.

That's a complete red herring. Memo wasn't talking about trying out new music via P2P and paying for it later.

Oh. Well, I was.

And for all you know, so was Memo.

Can someone explain the difference between iTunes compatible and Windows Media Player compatible? Isn't an .mp3 an .mp3? What if you use neither iTunes nor Windows Media Player, but instead whatever .mp3 reader your CD/mp3 walkman uses?

s_r: yeah, the mp3s from Amazon will play on any mp3 device. They only point out that it's iTunes & Windows Media Player compatible because less-than-tech savvy users sometimes need to be told explicitly that the files will work on their player.

It's a different story with DRM'd AAC tracks you buy from iTunes--those only play on authorized devices. But iTunes will still play a ton of other file types. So, I can see how people can get confused.

Please be aware that Amazon Downloads' User Agreement has you automatically "agree that you will not redistribute, transmit, assign, sell, broadcast, rent, share, lend, modify, adapt, edit, sub-license or otherwise transfer or use the Digital Content."

An EFF official says it's "adding another layer of restrictions potentially above and beyond what copyright law would restrict," according to this newsdeadtree column.

So the RIAA may still want to come after you if you lend out your iPod full of Amazon Downloads, but only if you're as paranoid as the Boingers. As for me, I've already "bought" some sounds from them and will (in violation of their agreement) include them on future MeCha Radio WebCasts. Come and get me.