Which MP3 vendor should I choose?

[Excelsior]

So there is this pilot program here, where they offer legal downloading of mp3s. The four companies I can pick from are:

Rhapsody
Cdigix
Napster
Ruckus


I figured since so many of you are in college you might know which one is the "best". Thanks.

 

[Excelsior]

*bump

 

[Cerb]

Rhapsody: Realnetworks, evil and devious, but looks to have good sound quality. Not considering SQ, I'd stay away just because it's from Real.
Cdigix: ?
Napster: Roxio, bad but not evil.
Ruckus: ?

 

[desteffy]

real sucks

 

[DaveSimmons]

Napster is decent, I use it to try CDs before I buy, and to keep listening to ones I only mildly like. Their 128 kbps WMA is a couple of steps above radio quality.

 

[Excelsior]

Anyone else?

 

[DeMeo]

Forget the MP3s, they are so yesterday.
Go with MP4 - it's one better.

 

[MrChad]

College pilot program? Can you explain? (sorry, I haven't used any of those services so I can't recommend one over the other)

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: MrChad
College pilot program? Can you explain? (sorry, I haven't used any of those services so I can't recommend one over the other)

A number of colleges are arranging for all students to get music services to supposedly cut down on piracy and to protect the colleges from the RIAA.

Usually it's just the "listen to unlimited music on your PC" version of the service, not the right to burn tracks to CD or download to portables.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: MrChad
College pilot program? Can you explain? (sorry, I haven't used any of those services so I can't recommend one over the other)

A number of colleges are arranging for all students to get music services to supposedly cut down on piracy and to protect the colleges from the RIAA.

Usually it's just the "listen to unlimited music on your PC" version of the service, not the right to burn tracks to CD or download to portables.

Yeah.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: DeMeo
Forget the MP3s, they are so yesterday.
Go with MP4 - it's one better.

mp4 isn't even audio.

 

[tami]

definitely do not use any Real programs. those things suck.

 

[torpid]

I hate real. I don't care how good their products are, I refuse to use any program by a company that likes to create things that are one step away from system hijacking / adware / spyware.

 

[Baked]

Real "Evil"

 

[Slvrtg277]

"Could you please explain the ruckus, sir?"

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: DeMeo
Forget the MP3s, they are so yesterday.
Go with MP4 - it's one better.

mp4 isn't even audio.

Funny, Apple seems to sell a lot of it, and it happens to be audio. It's not the audio itself, but in a high-level discussion like this, saying MP4 isn't audio is like saying Ogg isn't audio. It may be technically true, but you know perfectly well talking about MP4 downloads means Real or Apple AAC.

 

[Excelsior]

Right..so..no real.. Out of the other 3?