Comments on: I am now an Amazon customer

By: anon

anon — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 03:16:22 +0000

The contents of the .amz file are obfuscated... by encrypting with a static key (included in the music downloader) and base64'd. The unobfuscated result is a simple XML file that describes metadata about the song as well as the download URL.

By: AC

AC — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 04:56:32 +0000

Agreed. I like the non-DRM stance that Amazon is taking and this is a good step to challenging the iTunes monolith.

By: Simone Manganelli

Simone Manganelli — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 02:26:27 +0000

@Charles: Perhaps it's a setting à la iTunes Plus, where if you want to purchase albums, you must use the Amazon Downloader for individual songs as well?

@Chuck: I think it *is* transparent that the labels trying to topple Apple, but I'm not sure if they'll be able to raise the prices afterward. If everyone migrates to Amazon MP3, it's because of the great prices, no DRM, and high quality of the files. If Amazon becomes number one, and iTunes number two, and then the labels jack up the prices for Amazon again, everyone will stop downloading from Amazon precisely because the advantages that it offerred evaporated.

By: Charles O'Rourke

Charles O'Rourke — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 13:09:03 +0000

There is a link to download a MP3, not an .amz file, for individual songs. I've bought individual songs from the Amazon MP3 store and didn't download or install the Amazon Downloader. It just downloaded the MP3 to my regular browser downloads folder.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:27:36 +0000

Apple doesn't have the option of getting the labels to let them lower prices -- they can't even get the labels to let them put most songs in iTunes Plus (even tracks that are somehow sold DRM-free at Amazon).

What's happening here is pretty transparent: The labels want to beat Apple. They don't like Apple because Apple generally doesn't agree with their screw-over-the-customer tactics. They know that Amazon is an absolute whore that will sell anything you let it (and I say this with love -- Amazon is my favorite Web store). So the labels want to give Amazon every advantage possible and try to help it topple Apple. Then later, the labels can change the terms, knowing full well that Amazon won't put up a fight and hopefully Apple will be too weakened.

It's a shame, because the Amazon MP3 Store is something I would really like to see, but I can't imagine it's anything but a Trojan Horse.

By: Simone Manganelli

Simone Manganelli — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 08:36:29 +0000

Ah, that sucks. Then I guess it's not as open as I thought it was -- it's pretty much limited to Mac and Windows, then, which is kinda lame, given that being available to Linux users would be the principal benefit of delivering MP3 downloads via a website rather than custom software à la iTunes.

Another thing that I didn't realize that will seriously hamper my buying from Amazon: the unavailability of a "Complete My Album" feature. I really like being able to purchase just one track off an album from iTunes, and then being able to go back and purchase a few more tracks, and then finally purchasing the entire album using Complete My Album. I'll have to be absolutely sure I want a whole album (without having downloaded any other tracks) before I download it off Amazon.

By: Peter Hosey

Peter Hosey — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 08:29:08 +0000

Nope, you get a .amz file for individual songs, too. I haven't bought an album yet.

By: Simone Manganelli

Simone Manganelli — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 06:51:11 +0000

If I remember correctly, the .amz files are only if you want to download an entire album at a time. You get a regular MP3 file when you purchase and download individual tracks, as far as I know. (Haven't tried it yet, though, so not 100% sure.)