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Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

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Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#91

Post by teh_klev »

portman wrote: post #42
k2enemy wrote: post #3

If only the publishers would let them do this with books!

I currently buy two copies of books that I really really like -- both the Kindle and the hardback, both from Amazon. Maybe there are enough crazy people like me that the publishers shouldn't offer this 2:1 deal?

Have to confess I do the same for my favourite authors' hardbacks. I'd happily do this more often and with paperbacks if they priced it right - I like having and seeing books on shelves. However at the moment I mostly feel resentful and gouged by the publisher when I want a book in both formats and they get a double dip from me for exactly the same set of words.

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#92

Post by georgemcbay »

elbelcho wrote: post #13
quadhome wrote: post #5

"Available to US customers only."[0] That sucks. "MP3 versions of tracks from CDs purchased from Amazon since 1998 and that are eligible for AutoRip will be delivered to your Cloud Player library." That rocks. [0] http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=...

The page goes on to say that the first time you log in to your Cloud Player account they will "scan" your purchases and provide the MP3's for any eligible albums. It turns out the only album that I purchased on CD that was eligible was an album I bought as a gag gift for a friend. Here I was expecting some awesome free* MP3's but instead I got Barry Manilow.

I wonder if Rick Astley's CDs are eligible for this. I'd like to think more than a few people accidentally rick-rolled themselves long after rick-rolling some friends in real life.

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#93

Post by jedberg »

prezjordan wrote: post #86
pdknsk wrote: post #24

I just want to point out that the link is an affiliate link. It does no harm (other than Amazon making a bit less), and I don't know what the policy on this is, but IMO if someone makes money from this it should be the site providing the traffic (YC).

Side note: is there a policy (on Amazon's end) for editing affiliate links? Could pg theoretically swap the tag to ?ref=yc-20 if he wanted to?

Amazon has no such policy.

I know this because we considered doing it at reddit (changing or adding our affiliate link to all Amazon links).

We weren't sure how the community would react, so we we opted not to do it.

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#94

Post by mmanfrin »

brandonbica wrote: post #75
chimeracoder wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish that they'd do this for books. The biggest thing keeping me from buying more ebooks is that they're usually the same price as the physical book - and, in some cases, more expensive than the physical book. At that price, I'd just as soon buy the physical copy. On the other hand, it would be nice to know that, when I buy a physical copy, I also have access to a digital version if needed. In the case of technical…

More than likely, given the option to buy an ebook for $x or a physical book with the addition of the ebook for 1.5*$x, I would probably spend the extra money for the option.

As would I. The benefit of having a physical copy of a book is tangible (pardon the pun). I can't lend ebooks to friends, but I can physical copies.

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#95

Post by InclinedPlane »

rgbrgb wrote: post #15

I wonder how many people both buy CD's and care about CloudPlayer? I guess I don't know anyone from either party so there's a chance of there being some overlap. To me this seems like an utter waste of resources. How about offering a Spotify-like streaming service? How about making CloudPlayer free for the first 20,000 songs like Google Play? How about making a web player that doesn't make me feel like I'm in Target?…

The point of this move is to get more people to care about CloudPlayer and Amazon MP3 purchases in general. They've just exploded the number of people who have used the service by a huge margin. Once more people are familiar with the system it will probably drive increasing adoption.

There are little downsides to CloudPlayer. You buy music, Amazon keeps track of it, you can listen to it or re-download it in DRM-free MP3 form whenever you want. Can't really see much wrong with that.

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#96

Post by dalore »

chimeracoder wrote: post #67
majormajor wrote: post #63

This is pretty awesome, but I can't help myself see it rather cynically in that I don't expect it to expand to books or movies any time soon. Especially not books. Ripping a CD is so trivial and such an old practice at this point, and so many MP3s can fit on a portable device, that buying a CD already de facto gave you the MP3s for free (except for the bit where you'd have to pay to get more Cloud Player storage if y…

I wish that they'd do this for books. The biggest thing keeping me from buying more ebooks is that they're usually the same price as the physical book - and, in some cases, more expensive than the physical book. At that price, I'd just as soon buy the physical copy. On the other hand, it would be nice to know that, when I buy a physical copy, I also have access to a digital version if needed. In the case of technical…

In the UK one of the reasons that digital copies don't come with books is that if they did that it would mean that it's now VAT chargeable. Books normally don't have VAT but digital goods do.

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#97

Post by dalore »

jedberg wrote: post #93
prezjordan wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Side note: is there a policy (on Amazon's end) for editing affiliate links? Could pg theoretically swap the tag to ?ref=yc-20 if he wanted to?

Amazon has no such policy. I know this because we considered doing it at reddit (changing or adding our affiliate link to all Amazon links). We weren't sure how the community would react, so we we opted not to do it.

Metafilter does it. But my love is for reddit.

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#98

Post by dalore »

alanctgardner2 wrote: post #66
epaulson wrote: post #10

It's a little frustrating that only some discs are eligible. I wonder if that's just because they haven't ripped everything or if they have specific license agreements. I'll pitch my friend's here - Murfie ( https://www.murfie.com/ ) does much the same thing, but also includes a marketplace so you can sell your discs. Because everything's backed by a physical CD in their warehouse, everything can just happen in the c…

That's interesting, but the prospect of having them go bankrupt and not only lose digital files, but also physical disks, is a bit disturbing. Also, no word on whether disks are fungible... if I send you my autographed maroon 5 boxset, will I get the same boxset back? Or just an equivalent product feom the warehouse?

Why would you send your valuable autographed boxset?

Re: Amazon to Provide CD Buyers With Cloud-Based MP3s For Free

#99

Post by batiudrami »

prezjordan wrote: post #86
pdknsk wrote: post #24

I just want to point out that the link is an affiliate link. It does no harm (other than Amazon making a bit less), and I don't know what the policy on this is, but IMO if someone makes money from this it should be the site providing the traffic (YC).

Side note: is there a policy (on Amazon's end) for editing affiliate links? Could pg theoretically swap the tag to ?ref=yc-20 if he wanted to?

A site I go to (OzBargain.com.au) allows users to submit affiliate links, but automatically replaces them with it's own affiliate link for readers who aren't logged in, so I assume there's no policy.

It seems like a reasonable compromise to me, but that's in the context of a website which is based on sharing discounted products.

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