how does iTunes work?

[nmskalmn]

Some questions:

1. Do you need to have an ipod or their player to listen to bought songs?

2.

To import songs into iTunes, just insert a CD into your computer and click Import CD

Does it recognize Ayu and other Japanese CDs?

[CREA]

1. You don't need an ipod to use it, but I do believe you need itunes to play the songs bought off the itunes music store. Not 100%. I'm sure there are ways of breaking the protection.

2. Yes, the CDDB does recognize and usually gives correct information for japanese CDs.

[MsMiyabi]

Also it convert at different formats. You need to select the mp3 format.

[nmskalmn]

Originally Posted by CREA

1. You don't need an ipod to use it, but I do believe you need itunes to play the songs bought off the itunes music store. Not 100%. I'm sure there are ways of breaking the protection..

hmm... I don't think it's worth it if I can only use their player to listen to the songs.
Thanks for answering my question.

[Echoed_Memories]

Well, you'd need the iTunes software to install it, but you don't need an iPod to use iTunes, cuz iTunes allows you to burn the songs you download onto a CD

[sexysaucestar]

You can use iTunes to play any songs you may download off the internet--doesn't have to be songs bought from the iTunes store. But, if you do buy songs from the iTunes store, you can listen to those bought songs only on iTunes--not on any other media player on your computer [as far as I know].

I personally like iTunes a lot =) It's the only player I've used that allows Japanese characters and such. ^_^

[Kirshwasser]

i never buy songs from iTunes store..it's ripped off !!!
i ussualy/usualy download from LimeWire then export to iTunes

[alterna♥]

iTunes is the best, it's free, it's worth it!
As well as play CDs and make playlists, etc. There's internet radio, Japan-a-radio is how I got into Ayu!
Podcasts...and the music store is fun to browse, you can listen to preveiws as much as you like!

(iTunes experience is probably better of you use a iMac)

[Delirium-Zer0]

I use iTunes on my Windows machine and I've been using it on my dad's Mac and to be honest it's EXACTLY the same. It's a good enough player for my taste that it's just what I use, even though I'm not an iTunes Music Store shopper. I like how it handles playlists better than any other program, but its Random setting isn't very good, and the Party Shuffle option just complicates things in my opinion. But aside from that, the files are easily organized (especially since I'm a NUT for having accurate id3 tags) and easy to find, all your music ends up in one place so it's easy to find on the hard drive too (it organizes the files for you if you have it set to). Just a good program.

skal, the short & sweet is that iTunes is first & foremost an mp3 player, ripper, & burner. That's it really. The rest is really just bonus extras.

The Store part of the program is kinda secondary, you don't need to use it really. Any Audio CD you put in there can either just be played or you can rip it as an mp3 or mac m4a file, and iTunes gets its data from CDDB like any other audio player. iTunes store files do require that you play them in iTunes or burn them to CD or play them in your iPod; you can't play them in wmp or winamp or anything, but iTunes is a good enough program that if you migrate to it completely, that's not much of an issue anyway. Even if you never use the store, iTunes is great for playing & organizing all your mp3s in one feld swoop, on top of ripping & burning cds.

But if you're running Linux, use amaroK.

[nmskalmn]

I already have what I consider to be the best media player: J. River Media Center. If I can't play the iTunes mp3s with that player then the iTunes service isn't for me.