Are there any legit download sites that don't suck? (itunes, 2009, song)

[Drover]

I will never get why the music industry refuses to learn the lessons that Russian download sites like allofmp3 and mp3Sparks should have taught them: offer a one-stop place with a solid library, multiple download options (aac or mp3 or wma or even wav, and in multiple compression ratios from 128kbps righ on up to 320kbps) and reasonable prices, and people will show up by the trainload.

Instead we get iTunes with a large yet spotty libary, and only one choice of format (aac) and sound quality: overcompressed, tinny, sucky, and useless --that is, unless you only listen to your music through a pair of $20 computer speakers. But they'll still charge you the same amount per song as if it were CD-quality.

So does anyone out there know of any legitimate (hell, at this point I'll settle for quasi-legitimate) mp3 sites that offer good file quality? I won't settle for anything less than 192kbps, and that's only if I simply can't find it any higher. I really prefer 256kbps or even 320kbps. And I refuse to buy anything with DRM.

So am I asking for something that doesn't exist?

[Drover]

Hmm.... "As of the January 2009 Macworld Expo, Apple has announced that all music in iTunes will be available without DRM, and encoded at the higher-quality rate of 256 kbit/s."

This is starting to look better. Still not sure I'm willing to shell out $1.30 for a single song though unless I really, really like it.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by Drover

This is starting to look better. Still not sure I'm willing to shell out $1.30 for a single song though unless I really, really like it.

Yeah, I saw this too, and similar thoughts crossed my mind.

[VulcanRabbi]

Not surprised why there still is and ever was an Apple crowd to begin with as they are being ripped off by highway robbery and still have the nerve to ***** about it.