'russian' music download sites, has anyone used one and can trust them?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › "russian" music download sites, has anyone used one and can trust them?

paradoxsm

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#10486 25-Nov-2006 10:22

We have all heard of DRM and the nasty implications, they are all terrible sounding (128kbps) locked up WMA files.

The Russian "Legal" sites generally encode at much more acceptable rates and have a much nicer sound (192kbps mp3 usually)

I am wary at giving them my creditcard details, Has anyone here used one and could trust/recomment one?

I'd just download illegally (and am often forced to as the CD selection at all but Real-Groovy is sh1te) but I'd rather download these "legal" tracks and sed the artist the other $1.50 directly.. and I wish to keep some consistency to the collection,.

freitasm

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#53594 25-Nov-2006 10:50

You could use a prepaid Visa card, such as the Prezzy card.

alasta

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#53595 25-Nov-2006 10:56

paradoxsm: The Russian "Legal" sites generally encode at much more acceptable rates and have a much nicer sound (192kbps mp3 usually)

I am wary at giving them my creditcard details, Has anyone here used one and could trust/recomment one?

I'd just download illegally (and am often forced to as the CD selection at all but Real-Groovy is sh1te) but I'd rather download these "legal" tracks and sed the artist the other $1.50 directly.. and I wish to keep some consistency to the collection,.

I've used allofmp3.com and I'd consider them to be trustworthy. Their credit card transactions go through a third party which uses the 'Verified by Visa' fraud prevention facility so it all appears to be legit.

Strangely, I did have problems getting the charge to process when I attempted to top up my account with $5, but when I attempted $10 it worked fine because apparently these different denominations use different processing facilities. Wierd...

paradoxsm

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#53613 25-Nov-2006 14:23

Looks like "allofmp3.com" does not take creditcards, I tried the "add creditcard with alltunes.com" but it only takes "Dinesclub" which aint much use!

Prezzy card might be the idea. :( or should I download limewire? Nothing legal is easy!

freitasm

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#53614 25-Nov-2006 14:33

Visa and Mastercard closed the agreement with allofmp3.com a few months ago - still in the courts. They did that on request of the RIAA apparently. Not sure about what's going on now, try news.google.com...

alasta

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#53621 25-Nov-2006 15:52

paradoxsm: Looks like "allofmp3.com" does not take creditcards, I tried the "add creditcard with alltunes.com" but it only takes "Dinesclub" which aint much use!

Prezzy card might be the idea. :( or should I download limewire? Nothing legal is easy!

I think the prezzy card is a Visa, so it'll be of no use to you if Visa cards can't be accepted.

Last time I topped up my account with allofmp3.com was a few months ago and I wasn't aware that this had happened. Still, it's not surprising considering how hard the recording industry have been fighting to have them shut down.

geekiegeek

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#53642 25-Nov-2006 20:39

And you really think that the money goes to the artist? I bet you have helped a few Nigerians move some cash between countress after they asked to in an email as well.

As I remember allofmp3 is faching legal action from the music industry. You might as well keep your money and use torrents.

paradoxsm

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#53645 25-Nov-2006 22:23

No of course the royalyties don't go to the artists, but i'd rather pay the artist directly the other $1.50 instead of the RI4A giveing them their $0.08c cut.

Time to find a more "dodgy" russian download service and use the "prezzy card"
www.allofmp3.com is FANTASTIC anfd if the RI4A followed this model, The illegal downloaders would sign up in droves, I certainly would.

or I could find someone with a diners card? Hmmm.....

For now I went on a shopping spree of CD's at Real Groovy and also downloaded Limewire... uses java of all things, how weird.

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geekiegeek

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#53646 25-Nov-2006 22:31

Doesnt Limewire come with some added "features" ie. spyware?

paradoxsm

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#53674 26-Nov-2006 13:06

Nope. Limewire is fine, They do push "super" limwire a lot which must be their business model.

I have also installed a uTorrent and "Soulseek" and something called DC++

If anyone finds a working way of removing DRM from the legitimate files, I'm keen to know. I think i have every tool known to man but the "kid" keys thing does not work... how complicated. for now, I am forced to Download legally with amplifier.net.nz and "illegally" from peer to peer then frequent Real Groovy for the "legal" copy!

If ONLY i could fill my ipod legally! hey... even rippin that CD is ILLEGAL!

paradoxsm

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#53675 26-Nov-2006 13:11

though, it does look like I can buy an Xrostv "prepaid" pin card from them using visa then "use" that card on www.allofmp3.com! Time to try it. :)

alasta

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#53676 26-Nov-2006 13:15

paradoxsm: If anyone finds a working way of removing DRM from the legitimate files, I'm keen to know. I think i have every tool known to man but the "kid" keys thing does not work... how complicated.

There are tools available which play the DRM restricted music, capture the audio signal, and convert it back to a DRM-free audio file. In principle, this is the same as burning the music to CD and then ripping it back. Unfortunately, this involves a digital-analogue-digital conversion, which significantly degrades the audio quality.

I gather that Digirama are intending to provide the option of downloading music in lossless format, and this may make DRM removal more feasible because having a lossless audio file to start with means that you can afford to degrade the quality a bit and still end up with a perfectly tolerable result.

paradoxsm

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#53680 26-Nov-2006 14:26

I have used that system before using something called "total recorder" (LEGIT registered version) which records it digitally from the sound drivers, but it's very time consuming and annoying.

If the digirama thing goes ahead, the hassle would be worth the quality, as the main gripe with the legit stiff is the fact it's WMA for starters (poor quality encoder) and then at only 128Kbps!

for the meantime, Time to try the Xrost thing.

freitasm

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#54221 29-Nov-2006 22:02

And soon no more Russian download sites.