iTunes

[pegkerr]

I have broken down and signed up from an iTunes Apple Store account. I am dead broke and cannot buy anything, but I was suckered in by the possibility of free podcasts, and so I have dipped a toe into the water of the pool I have avoided for so long.

I'm doomed. Aren't I?

Comments

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Some of the podcasts are great. Interviews with writers, New Scientist stories. Political podcasts.

Free music downloads are occasionally offered, usually one song by a new artist.

It doesn't have to break the bank.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

No, not doomed! You can keep yourself very busy downloading (free) podcasts; you don't have to pay any attention to the (not-free) music store! What kind of podcasts are you interested in? I mostly listen to 3 kinds:

1) Stories, radio drama and sketch comedy. This includes both modern stuff and old radio shows from the '40's and '50's.

2) Public radio shows and a few other odds and ends of the sort that you might hear on public radio except that they are just done by individuals.

3) Fan podcasts about TV shows I watch (in other words, podcasts about Lost or Survivor, which is about all I watch).

If you're interested in those categories, I can recommend a few. And let me know if you find any good stuff that I might like, particularly good radio drama.

[sternel.livejournal.com]

You can set the music store so it's a cart, not automatic purchase. (Preferences > Store > Buy Using Shopping Cart) Instead of buying when you click, it just goes to your cart -- so you can load it up with anything nifty and then go ahead and buy as the budget allows, without worrying about forgetting the name of this or that interesting thing in the interim. And sometimes I'll end up deciding I don't really want it anyway, so I can just delete it -- no harm, no foul. I've found it to be very handy.

[laurel]

I've been told the best strategy is to buy an iTunes gift card and only allow yourself to spend what's on it. And definitely have things set so they pile up in a shopping cart, which adds a step to the purchasing process.

There are free downloads of tunes each month and the podcasts are fun and you really can mess around there without doing (much) damage tothe pocketbook.

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

Oh my; I love that Miss Piggy/Apple icon. Wherever did you get that!?

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

I've actually managed to go...gosh, three years now? without ever using it for non-free money. I'm kinda tempted, for the first time ever, but luckily I never put my credit card info into it, so i'd have all that hassle if I wanted to really buy something, and blah blah blah. Apathy saves the day!

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

Doomed entirely. However, iTunes gift certificates are an easy gift for 'net friends. I get all my close internet friends iTunes $$$ for their birthdays.

[pied-piper70.livejournal.com]

Omigohds, you are so doomed....Mwahahahaha!!!!

Now, start searching for all those singles from your teenage years...at 99 cents a pop...It's like comfort snack food for audiophiles!

'searching for all those singles from your teenage years'

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Hardly necessary; she can just listen to KQRS.

K.

[norilana.livejournal.com]

You are doomed indeed!

I just signed up for a similar thing with MusicMatch. :-)

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

No, you're not doomed. You'll have an initial brief flush of enthusiasm, but now I actually try not to use it too much. Once you find out how restrictive its DRM T&Cs are and what it will and won't let you do with music that you bought legally and own legally, the magic of iTunes kind of fades.

[perigee.livejournal.com]

If it helps to remember:
- Indications are (and I'll cite when I have more time) that artsists make more from CD sales than through services like ITMS (per sale).

Also, there are lots of free streaming radio broadcasts on the net: http://www.live-radio.net/info.shtml

And monthly, David Byrne streams a new set that's 2-3 hours long: http://www.radiodavidbyrne.com/

And so on.

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

Not really! There are free songs for download every week, so you get exposed to new kinds of music, and podcasts are EXCELLENT.

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

P.S. Also, all your downloading for free needs can be met in audiography and lunatunes.

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

I've had an iPod for nearly a year, and have yet to spend any money on tunes. It was a birthday present last year and came with a modest gift card to get me started. I used it for the few things I don't have on CD. Everything else I've loaded came from CDs I already own. There are plenty of free downloads, why bother spending money?

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Free podcasts, but also Free Music Tuesdays! The free downloads are what I most often get from the iTunes store. (I've picked up a few other things to be sure, but they were carefully calculated purchases. The lure of downloadable music hasn't been all that strong for me.)

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

There's audiobooks, too, you know.
Seriously, it's a good organizational tool for the music you already own, and like you said, for podcasts. I have a few disney ones I'm a little too into, meep.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Aw, what's a little doom & gloom among friends.

Just So You Know... Our show (Channel Surfing Wipeout is available via iTunes (get'cha own copy of "Godzilla vs. Jane Austen"!!). As is Teknical Diffikulties (Chris's audio comedy show) & Uncomfortable Questions, Sue's interview show.