… not Amazon, not iTunes (ideally a UK business that stumps up its taxes), not DRM, high quality, and legal?
Well, you’re pretty much stuffed, then. About the only choices would be small, non-mainstream sources who specialise in jazz and classical, someone like Linn Records. If you want older records, and you want downloads, then it’s Amazon, eMusic or iTunes. The whole tax thing is only international businesses doing what they’ve done for years, and it’s perfectly legal. It’s significant that generally speaking, Apple get mentioned in passing; it’s Google and Amazon who come out worst, especially Google.
FWIW, the DRM thing is more likely to be a concern with video or ebooks, it certainly hasn’t been an issue with iTunes since 2010.
I’m with teadrinker to an extent; I love having cd’s, but they do take up space, and yes, the instant gratification thing takes some beating, as does price. I’ll sometimes buy a download, but then buy a cd at a gig if there’s a signing afterwards, or, in the case of the Paper Aeroplanes, who I’m seeing tomorrow, buy a pre-order cd, knowing I’ll be able to get it signed afterwards.
It’s amazing the stuff that turns up on iTunes; I was listening to Stuart Mackonie’s Freakier Zone Saturday, a Krautrock special, and remembered a band that I listened to a lot back in the very early 70’s called Mythos. They released one album, with a Rick Griffin-styled cover, and I sold my vinyl copy donkey’s years ago.
Turns out a cd was released back in 1999, costs about £14.99, but it’s available on iTunes for £5.88.
Frankly, there’s no contest, download wins.
