Amazon MP3 Store Experience
The Being Lead Down a Path Feeling
I don't like when I feel like things are out of control. While Amazon seemingly takes every step to explain what is happening, I still felt the setup was invasive. When you click "Buy MP3," you are urged to download their Downloader Application. It auto-detected that I was on a Mac (nice touch), and forced me to close Safari (not so nice because I had other tabs open). Installation of the app requires double-clicking an icon which is not so mac-like. I prefer the Mac way of dragging my applications into the Applications folder. Amazon's installer does add it to the folder though.
You then choose a credit card, which automatically becomes your default payment method and default one-click payment method (whether you use one-click or not). The only way to change your payment method in the future is to edit your one-click settings. This is not clearly displayed or identified, with no readily accessible options to change your default payment method. It took some digging on their page to find an explanation, although I assumed this was the way they were doing it from the start. You have to login to your normal Amazon account to change your one-click settings.
Free Song?
I noticed in Amazon's help files that there was a mention of a free song during the setup process. At this point, I haven't confirmed it, but I believe that the first purchase is free in exchange for downloading the Amazon MP3 Downloader. My receipt says I was charged for the song though. By the way, the song was Billy Idol's Cradle of Love.
Auto-Imports
By default, my purchased music was added to my iTunes Library with Coverart.
New Discoveries
I actually discovered some music that I was previously unaware existed. Slash, Duff, and Izzy are featured on a CD entitled, Anxious Disease. Amazon's search feature works quite well in this regard.
Impact on iTunes
This service and every other music download service are the indirect result of the decisions Steve Jobs has made over the years with iTunes and the iPod. Amazon's service is the only one that seemingly does everything perfect...DRM free...~256k VBR MP3s...all starting at $.89. This is too good to be true. It won't harm Apple though. Apple lives in an inverse world where it makes money selling razors (iPods), not the blades (songs).
Overall
Aside from the "being lead down a path feeling" of the initial setup, the experience was quite good. In fact, Amazon MP3 will become the first place I look for new tracks. iTunes will remain my jukebox and will probably service the bulk of my purchases due to its sheer volume of songs.
I don't like when I feel like things are out of control. While Amazon seemingly takes every step to explain what is happening, I still felt the setup was invasive. When you click "Buy MP3," you are urged to download their Downloader Application. It auto-detected that I was on a Mac (nice touch), and forced me to close Safari (not so nice because I had other tabs open). Installation of the app requires double-clicking an icon which is not so mac-like. I prefer the Mac way of dragging my applications into the Applications folder. Amazon's installer does add it to the folder though.
You then choose a credit card, which automatically becomes your default payment method and default one-click payment method (whether you use one-click or not). The only way to change your payment method in the future is to edit your one-click settings. This is not clearly displayed or identified, with no readily accessible options to change your default payment method. It took some digging on their page to find an explanation, although I assumed this was the way they were doing it from the start. You have to login to your normal Amazon account to change your one-click settings.
Free Song?
I noticed in Amazon's help files that there was a mention of a free song during the setup process. At this point, I haven't confirmed it, but I believe that the first purchase is free in exchange for downloading the Amazon MP3 Downloader. My receipt says I was charged for the song though. By the way, the song was Billy Idol's Cradle of Love.
Auto-Imports
By default, my purchased music was added to my iTunes Library with Coverart.
New Discoveries
I actually discovered some music that I was previously unaware existed. Slash, Duff, and Izzy are featured on a CD entitled, Anxious Disease. Amazon's search feature works quite well in this regard.
Impact on iTunes
This service and every other music download service are the indirect result of the decisions Steve Jobs has made over the years with iTunes and the iPod. Amazon's service is the only one that seemingly does everything perfect...DRM free...~256k VBR MP3s...all starting at $.89. This is too good to be true. It won't harm Apple though. Apple lives in an inverse world where it makes money selling razors (iPods), not the blades (songs).
Overall
Aside from the "being lead down a path feeling" of the initial setup, the experience was quite good. In fact, Amazon MP3 will become the first place I look for new tracks. iTunes will remain my jukebox and will probably service the bulk of my purchases due to its sheer volume of songs.
posted by The Voice at 8:16 AM
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