07-25-2009, 06:26 PM
SKYLANE wrote:
Not exactly sure what DRM (Digital Rights Mgmt) meant to me with respect to buying music from iTunes Store. Without researching it, I think I understood it to be a digital tag on the music identifying me as owner? And, it was the tag that limited play to five computers?
Yes, essentially. The DRM is a digital wrapper that imposes certain usage rights and conditions on the usage of the enclosed file. DRM is meant to protect and enforce the rights of content creators.
I usually wanted my music in mp3 format
Why?
I would burn my AAC files to Audio CD and then rip them to mp3 format. I then archived my AAC files for safe keeping. Not sure what that meant to the DRM attributes, I am guessing they didn't carry over to the mp3 files
You are correct. Your process also caused a loss of sound quality.
What is bottom line here, what does DRM free mean to me?
iTunes DRM, known as Fairplay, was quite benign and generous relative to other DRM systems so its existence probably had little to no effect on your enjoyment and use of the protected files. When Apple was allowed to sell un-DRM'd files, they also went to 256 kbps bit rate AAC from 128 kbps AAC. That would provide somewhat better sound quality.