MusicMatch: Emperor with no clothes?

**tpierzina**[$] · #1 01-25-2002, 02:52 PM

I've been downloading from AG like crazy the last few weeks. I firmly believed that doing this is stealing and at least unethical. Until, of course, I started doing it.

I was using MusicMatch and even paid for it, but couldn't stand the way it did or didn't do certain things. It's "super-tagging" or whatever, while having a super-duper name, was anything but. It didn't seem to store ID3 properties in the MP3 file itself, which made using WinAmp or other players a bit tough. I thought it's auto-mix-playlist features were weak.

I tried MediaJukebox; it's much less popular but I like it 300% more. It's categorizing and tagging do everything I want, it's smartlists and playlists are fine, it burns and rips while normalizing, and comes with a media editor, CD labeller, etc.

After registering MJ, I asked for, and received, a full refund from MM.

Anybody else have similar observations? Anything out there better then either of these?

kurt_messick · #2 01-25-2002, 03:06 PM

I've never used Napster or any such sites. Not that I'm not interested, but I simply haven't had the time. So, here is stupid question no. 1:

Can you make a standard CD that plays on standard CD players from downloads from these sites?

magenta321 · #3 01-25-2002, 03:15 PM

Yes, if you have a CD burner. You need that, and some software such as Music Match to transfer the mp3s to files that can be put onto a CD-R (blank, writeable cd) that can be read by standard players. The speed in which you make the cd changes the quality, and some people have a problem where if they burn it at too quick of a speed it won't play in car cd players.

kurt_messick · #4 01-25-2002, 03:20 PM

Does one download this Music Match software (or some equivalent) or is it something that must be purchased separately.

I have CD-RW drives on both my Dell in the office and my Mac at home.

magenta321 · #5 01-25-2002, 03:23 PM

Um... usually computers with the drives already have the software on them. Mine had CD wizard. Musicmatch was a free download that I d/led as well. I've had Easy CD creator as well, and that came with the computer I believe. We always have our computers custom built, however, so I am not sure what software is more or less standard issue on regular PCs or Macs. They are all relatively easy to use.

kurt_messick · #6 01-25-2002, 03:32 PM

I have EasyCD creator on my Dell. I have an Iomega programme on my Mac that came with the drive.

Maybe someday I'll be able to play around on it.

**tpierzina**[$] · #7 01-25-2002, 07:03 PM

MusicMatch, MediaJukeBox, RealJukebox, Nero, etc. are all programs that will rip from (i.e., copy to your hard disk from a CD) and burn CDs (Nero burns for sure, not sure about ripping). Most of these will also download music to portable MP3 devices, although I've had mixed success.

All of those programs can be downloaded for free. I believe they can all be used indefinitely that way. Registration ($15-25) enables additional features, at least in MediaJukeBox (e.g., faster burning, more categorization features).

Plus, Windows Media Player rips but only to "WMA" format, which is supposed to be more efficient than MP3 but not as widely supported.

I've found that downloading from AudioGalaxy is actually less hassle than ripping my own CDs, although you're at the mercy quality-wise of whoever ripped it initially. Still, almost everything I've gotten is ripped at high quality (128-192 whatevers-per-whatever).

My wife and I have an older CD player that won't play any of the CDs I've burned, with MM, MJ or HP's own program. All of our other players play everything beautifully. And we just got a Philips bare-bones CD/MP3 boombox for about $100 that plays MP3 CDs (basically, data CD's full of MP3 songs); those hold upwards of 200 songs.

It's a great time to be alive, I never would have made it as a 19th century farmer.

quasar · #8 01-26-2002, 05:50 PM

I intensely dislike MusicMatch Jukebox as a player - but it's an awesome ripper with repect to quality of the recordings, especially on Macs (of course sound in general is much better on Macs). I've never used upload to player options - I use a CF reader to transfer files to my MP3 player.

Janice

kurt_messick · #9 01-26-2002, 06:53 PM

Well, I guess I'll have to experiment. I don't want something I can only play on the computer. I want something I can play in the 'real' CD player.

GohanDZ · #10 01-31-2002, 08:38 PM

Just for the record, Nero can rip...

phoenixx · #11 02-01-2002, 10:14 AM

I use Adaptec's Easy CD Creator on my PC and have no trouble burning CDs for our local pub jukebox and copies of our stuff for my honey's car (he isn't allowed to take the real CDs anymore, horrible things happen to them through no fault of his own).

When on the Mac I use what came with the Mac, I believe it's called iTunes (or something like that). Mainly I use that one to play music though, not to burn music.

When listening to tunes on my PC I use RioPort Audio Manager, but that is good for listening only. It will burn CDs but the quality is much better with Adaptec.

If I am deciding whether to buy a CD or not (I hate spending $20 bucks if I only like one song) I download songs with bearshare, lime wire and morpheus. Napster sucks (now, anyway).

MusicMatch came with a keyboard I bought recently to replace my old one, victim of an unfortunate kitty cat vs. rottweiler adventure (they didn't eat it, but two cats chasing two rottweilers around the house occasionally knocks things over and tramples them). I tried it, and I hated it.

WinAmp is also a program I use frequently when listening to net radio, it beats Real Jukebox hands down - many less "buffering...buffering...buffering..." issues. I have been told that WinAmp has other features, such as burning CDs, and a host of PlugIns for other features, but have not had time to explore this further.

Leslie