[Laundrew]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200997290

During some of my CD purchases online, I am noticing an "AutoRip" feature from Amazon which includes a free MP3 version of your CD purchase. As I know very little with respect to the music file side of audio - would this feature be beneficial to individuals such as us or is it more directed to smart phone/ iPod users?

 

Be well...

[Phil A]

I got some of the same notices from Amazon.  Yes, you are correct.  Not much value to me as once I have the CD, I can rip it any way I want and it doesn't take that long.  I mainly use the iPod in the car and already have 4,300 320kbs MP3s on it and while I have more songs, the amount of time I spend in the car is not that much and I have not gotten around to rip more.  I also have the option of ripping it lossless too with the disc.

[JeffMO]

The "service" allows you to play a mp3 version of what you purchased through your browser or to download a mp3 version to a device for listening. Is it worthwhile? That depends. It isn't worth much to me, but to others it may have some value.  It is what it is.

[Phil A]

MP3s I guess have become popular as a bonus offering.  I've seen it with record album purchases.  When I bought the deluxe version of Rickie Lee Jones' "The Sermon On Exposition Blvd," which I got for the SACD layer, it had some other bonuses like 256bps MP3s.  I've never listened to them.

[JeffMO]

Then the Auto-rip service will be of no use to you.

[Phil A]

If I did lots of traveling (business and personal), the browser availability might not be a bad feature.  However, since I have just gone through the process of getting most of the hi-rez music digitized (whatever is left can wait a bit), I have so much to listen to that is higher resolution than CD and it is not a long process to rip a particular CD, I don't really have great use for it.  The iPod is plenty easy to carry.

[Stu Pitt]

Maybe the mp3 download is the/an instant gratification part of ordering a CD?  A 'while you wait for it to arrive, here's something to hold you over' kind of thing?

I think all new vinyl should come with an mp3 download voucher.  That'll get more people buying it IMO.  Then again, the only new vinyl I buy anymore is the best of my favorite stuff.

[Phil A]

Maybe the mp3 download is the/an instant gratification part of ordering a CD?  A 'while you wait for it to arrive, here's something to hold you over' kind of thing?

I think all new vinyl should come with an mp3 download voucher.  That'll get more people buying it IMO.  Then again, the only new vinyl I buy anymore is the best of my favorite stuff.

Stu, not sure, but I recall getting the Amazon e-mail after the CD purchase.  Not sure if it was just because they just started the program or it they intend to do it at the time of order.  It makes sense what you are saying if that is how they will do it.  I got an e-mail with the offer of MP3s based on the last few CDs ordered (and lately due to being really busy have not ordered as many things - I have discs I got at the Capital Audiofest last July that are still unopened) and thought it was strange they would offer me MP3s for a couple of reasons.  First it was after the fact.  Also, while I had a couple of things I bought, I bought them as gifts.  So in theory they are giving music that one may not own.

[JeffMO]

I recently purchased a couple of CDs and was surprised to see most of my prior purchases available in the Cloud Player after the purchase. This was the first purchase I had made since the announcement. Ultimately the feature appears designed to encourage the purchase of music through Amazon and also to encourage the use of "Cloud Drive" which provides for 5 GB of free storage with more storage available for purchase. Some may find this a great feature and others won't.

[Phil A]

I recently purchased a couple of CDs and was surprised to see most of my prior purchases available in the Cloud Player after the purchase. This was the first purchase I had made since the announcement. Ultimately the feature appears designed to encourage the purchase of music through Amazon and also to encourage the use of "Cloud Drive" which provides for 5 GB of free storage with more storage available for purchase. Some may find this a great feature and others won't.

I suspect that is the primary intended use.  I have not bought that many CDs via Amazon.  Many of my music purchases are either hi-rez discs (and I expect perhaps in the future more downloads) and discs of artists I see live.  When I reach periods where I catch up on things, then I tend to buy several discs at once from sites like Amazon and then until I catch up, I may not buy for several months in between.