So you've sprung for a hot new MP3 player, or have set up a media player in your home. You've admired its glossy looks, digitised your music and video collection, and created themed playlists for dancing down the street. Now it's time to take the next step -- time to ditch the discs and get into buying media online.
If you're keen to boost your music and video collection without stepping away from the glow of your monitor, our guide to online media in Australia will give you all the information you need to get downloading. This page takes you through the basics; for a summary of local music and video services, check out our roundup on the next page.
Music
Format traps
Digital music is offered in three main formats online: WMA, MP3 and AAC. Although "MP3" has come to be a general term for downloadable music, Microsoft's WMA (which is the preferred format for Microsoft's Windows Media Player music management software) is by far the most common file type offered by online stores. This is because the WMA format is compatible with the copyright and piracy prevention requirements of the major music labels -- WMA files can carry additional information that restricts the number of times they can be burned to CD, the number of computers the files are licensed to play on, and how many transfers can be made to a portable device.
The AAC file type is Apple's version of WMA. Songs bought in AAC format from the iTunes Store are also subject to copyright restrictions, under a digital rights management (DRM) scheme known as FairPlay.
The final format, MP3, is generally free from restrictions, although some online stores such as JB Hi-Fi "watermark" the MP3s they sell, making it possible to determine who originally downloaded the file if it is distributed. The MP3 file type tends to be offered by sites showcasing independent and upcoming artists, as they are not bound by the copyright rules imposed by major music labels.
So what music formats will work with your portable device? Here's a basic guide:
- If you have a player from Apple's iPod family, you are limited to AAC (available only from the iTunes Store) and MP3 files.
- If your player is made by Archos, Cowon, Creative, iRiver, Rio or SanDisk, you can get songs in WMA or MP3 format. If you have a newer Sony player, it should be able to play these as well, although older ones did not play "playsforsure" protected WMA.
If you think all this DRM stuff sounds pretty darn complicated, you're not alone. This aspect of digital music has attracted significant controversy, with lobby groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation calling for restrictions to be relaxed, and DRM-related lawsuits hitting courts all over the world. Software has been developed that will allow users to circumvent restrictions by removing the copyright protection data from files, but this practice is illegal in many countries. Fortunately most seem to be moving away from this draconian method in favour of watermarks.
Most commercial music download sites will display the usage and copying restrictions for each download prominently. Limitations tend to vary according to what music label the artist belongs to, in compliance with the distribution arrangements that have been negotiated.
Local download options
The main way that Australian music services differ from those overseas is that songs are purchased per track or album, rather than as part of a subscription model. In the United States, for example, offerings such as Rhapsody and URGE offer unlimited downloads for a flat fee per month.
When it comes to downloading tunes locally, the main name is Destra. Destra Music was the first company in Australia to launch a legal digital music service in December 2003, and now powers several online music stores, including ChannelGo (Harvey Norman), JB Hi-Fi, Leading Edge, Triple J and the ABC Shop. In visiting these sites, you'll see the same prices and often the same FAQs and layout. The main differences between the Destra-powered stores are the genre focus (some sites specialise while others are more general) and some extras like user opinions, video clips and streaming audio.
Video
The war between HD DVD and Blu-ray may be all over bar the shouting, but it could all be moot anyway. Digital downloads are the future of video delivery, and if you're looking to stream media around your house, digital formats make a whole lot of sense. The digital music scene is a well established one, but digital video is still in its infancy in Australia, even if there's actually more incentive to get it up and running, commercially speaking. Following amendments to the copyright act, it's now legal for Australian consumers to rip audio CDs for listening on other devices, as long as they own a legitimate copy of the original CD. The same rights don't apply to video material, so while you may be physically able to rip DVDs, HD DVDs and Blu-ray, it's actually illegal for you to do so.
Before you plunk down your hard-earned dollars, be aware that just like music many of the providers only offer files with digital rights management (DRM) software that limits what you can do with the files you download. This is especially true for online video, where most outlets work on a rental model, with files self-destructing after either being watched, or when a set time period has expired. You'll need to make sure that your intended viewing platform supports the DRM on offer, as well as whatever file types are sold/rented.
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lex
02/01/2007 04:50 PM
What about subscription services - are there any available in Oz?
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Alfred Zerfas
03/06/2007 09:50 AM
what are suitable web sites to download a classical piece for use in a student film i am planning to submit to festivals
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TheD
25/01/2008 04:19 PM
AAC is not apples format, get a clue. Also online download stores are a rip off, CDs don't cost much more and sound a ton better and don't have drm.
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dan_rox77
15/03/2008 07:28 PM
Albums are $17 on iTunes, while CDs cost $30. Go figure, TheD
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