OT: Need iTunes Music Store Equivalent

[CCash]

Hate to ask this here, but I know the DUC will be the place to get an informed answer. I can't believe how incredibly difficult it has been to try to be honest... and BUY songs online.

I work on Pro Tools with Macs, but my internet/home machine is a PC running 98. I found a few sites like buymusic.com, but they require Windows Media Player 9. I can only go up to 7.1. After many installs and hours later, WMP finally (inexplicably) worked... except the burner plug-in doesn't recognize my CD recorder... so I can't convert the WMA files to a CD audio format within the program. And since the files have licenses built-in, I can't convert them outside of the program either using a simple converter like MP3 to WAV. I've tried all kinds of work-arounds.

I just need to buy some some songs for a wedding. I don't want a subscription service. I'd prefer straight-up mp3s, since the WMAs have been a major headache. I suppose EasyCD Creator or Nero could convert them, but then maybe not if they're licensed, and that's $70-80 just to find out. Things like Kazaa seems too sketchy as far as privacy and security. The concept of Win Media Player was fine... it just isn't working. If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it, although I'm not very hopeful since I've already searched the net to death. I'm THIS close to buying a new AMD machine.

Curt

[froyo]

Hello. CCAsh for all practical purposes, there is nothing like the Apple Store. There are several PC sites, but none offer the ease of use and flexibility of the Apple Store. Most will require a subscription, will restrict your abilities to copy, not have enough selection, etc. Besides buymusic.com , Real One has Rhapsody I believe, there is EM music, Liquid Audio has an offering I believe. However Apple said they would have the Apple Store compatible for PC's by the end of the year or late in the year, so it shouldn't be too long now.

[WorldOfWiz]

Time for a new computer.

Wiz

[CCash]

So true... but don't encourage me.

Froyo - thanks for the response.

If anyone's curious - I ended up trying out Real Networks "Rhapsody". I have to say I'm pretty happy with it. You have to download the interface, which was minor. Then you can just work from within the interface. With Win Media Player it was a pain trying to get to Liquid Audio to buy music, but since the Real dealio is all tied together it made it easy. There were plenty of titles. I found almost everything I was looking for, but my searches were pretty mainstream (wedding music). Almost everything was able to be burned to CD (a "fire" icon next to the song title will let you know). Two of 24 tracks I wanted couldn't be burned (probably a license thing). I arranged all the songs and burned right from the app. And yes, it recognized my (extremely common) CD player. Note that you do not (can not) download mp3s. It's all streamed content, and seemed to be converted on the fly while burning. It takes a little while to do it's thing. Sound quality was good - not perfect on every song - but most were just fine. I don't know how their songs are encoded. I burned two CDs - one at 8x, the other at 16x.

When I played back the CD in my stereo I almost couldn't believe it worked, after all the crap I went through with WMA. There is a 14 day free trial, but you still pay .74 per song if you burn them. After 14 days you have to pay about $10 a month (plus CD burns), which I don't see myself doing. The iTunes avenue is more up my alley... I'll cross that road when it comes out.