MP3s and other “lossy” audio codecs work by getting rid of data that is considered unimportant. Basic audio theory: Higher frequency = smaller waveforms. Thus, higher pitches have much more waves, meaning more data, than lower pitches. Human hearing doesn’t go higher than 20kHz, and even then, there aren’t any instruments that go anywhere in that range. So the creators of MPEG-1, Layer 3 encoding had a stroke of genius. If you have a range of frequencies that adds tons of data, but people can’t even hear it, why keep it?

iDFX Audio Enhancer is an add-on to iTunes that serves to, “re-encode your current MP3 and AAC files using a patent-pending method that repairs the damage and lost harmonics that occurred during the original encoding process”. Sounds like doublespeak to me for a $40 EQ and extrapolative guesswork. And the demo of iDFX sounds like just that. if you want good sounding audio, stop buying MP3s. And if you want smaller file sizes, start compressing with FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, or any number of lossless codecs.

For those of you who don’t want your party to be graced with a spontaneous rendition of “Yakety Sax”,  Algoriddim Software has released djay 3. This DJ program integrates with your iTunes library, and automatically adds transitions and other cool DJ things to your mix.

The UI is straightforward for experienced DJs and anyone who has every used a record player. Simply select a song, drag it onto the platter, and hit the large, green play button. Basic functions such as a three-band EQ, crossfader, and stereo panning are all at the bottom of the turntables.

djay 3 does have some basic FX capabilities. The standard echo and reverb, as well as some preset transitions between songs, to give that real, disc scratching feel. You can either control the mix in real time, or select an iTunes playlist, hit “Automix” and let the program do it for you.

If you want to shell out $50 just for some cool transitions between and a GUI that looks like a turntable, go ahead. But if you’re serious about jockeying, get yourself a real turntable.

The whole world was bullish on iTunes LPs when they were announced; I called it a black eye for the majors, whose CMX format has yet to be popularized. But the hype was curbed when it was discovered that there was a $10,000 fee associated with the service, putting it completely out of reach for less affluent artists and small labels who can’t afford that price for promotion.

Luckily for them, Apple was nice enough to make the format rather basic. It turns out anyone versed in a little HTML and Javascript can put together an LP that’s just as good as a “real” one. It’s not as simple as drag-and-drop, and without Apple’s proprietary TuneKit library, some functionality is difficult or impossible to replicate at this point. But iTunesLP.net is trying to collect all the information you need into a few tutorials and demo files.

The site seems kind of hammered now, but I can see from what I’ve read there that really, a day’s work or less is all it would take to put together a serious ITLP. They’ve already released one: Disney’s 1957 Fantasia record, complete with high-quality art and program. Of course, you’ll need to get the album yourself, but if a record was ever deserving of the ITLP treatment, Fantasia is.

At this rate, it won’t be long before music promoters and designers will put “iTunes LP production” on their list of capabilities. The legality of this will be debated, but the demand is such that, like jailbreaking your iPhone, it’ll catch on with Apple’s blessing or not.

The question is, will Apple take positive measures to lock out third party ITLP files? That would be a spiteful move and a fiercely unpopular one, but the RIAA and other media giants have a history of spiteful and unwise actions (in fact, they make them almost exclusively) and Apple might follow in their shoes. The $10,000 fee is proof of that.

One may hope, though without too much expectation, that Apple will open it up and give out an affordable toolset for putting ITLPs together. Perhaps this fee business is just to stick it to the early adopters in big media, and then they’ll rain down love and compassion and SDKs on the faithful. But I doubt it.

[via Hack a Day]

Eminem has a problem with Apple, and it has nothing to do with the company railroading Google with respect to the FCC. Eminem claims Apple sold 93 of his songs on the iTunes Store without the proper distribution rights, and so he wants a couple of dollars he feels he is owed. It comes out to around $2.5 million that Apple improperly made off Eminem.

I’m torn here: Eminem used to be really good, but Relapse was largely junk. Similarly, Apple used to the “the little guy,” and now it’s going around capriciously banning iPhone Apps, and possibly misleading the FCC. So it’s hard to really “like” either party here.

What’s going on is that Eminem alleges that Aftermath Records, which put out his albums, had no right to make digital distribution deals with Apple (or anyone for that matter), and that Apple then had no right to turn around and sell his music on iTunes.

Then it devolves into boring law-talk. Bottom line is, Eminem doesn’t like that Apple has made money off his songs since he feels it never had the right to sell the songs in the first place.

All of us here at CrunchGear hope that both parties can come to an agreement, so that we can put this long, national nightmare behind us once and for all.

via 9 to 5 Mac (whose bias is way over the top here, but whatever)

It has come to my attention that the music industry now wants royalties for those 30-second clips of music you hear in iTunes. That, I think you’ll agree, is bullshit. Seeing as how we’re a solution-oriented blog here at CrunchGear, I want to offer a completely fool-proof way to save the music industry and put an end to the years and years of nonsense we’ve seen since Napster was first released: let’s ban music. That’s right, let’s pass a law that says “the creation or performance of music, in any form, is hereby banned. Any violation of this law will be punishable by death.” Problem solved, let’s all play Hungry Hungry Hippos.

It’s clear that there’s at least two sides to this argument: one, people who think music should be free, and that includes bands that give their music away or sell it for mad cheap, and kids who have grown up with Kazaa and BitTorrent; and two, people who demand to be paid for their work, which includes organizations like the RIAA and musicians like Lily Allen.

I say screw all of them. You like being paid for music? Too bad, it’s banned. Go work at the post office. You think you’re being altruistic by releasing a few songs for free? Too bad, it’s banned. Since both you guys can’t agree on whether or not you think it’s a good idea to sue a single mother for more money than she’ll ever see in her life let’s shut the whole damn industry down.

All music radio stations will be scuttled, and we’ll mine the Sirius XM satellites for the useful metals they contain. Instrument stores will be transformed into Chuck E. Cheese’s or Discovery Zones. All music gadgets—iPod, Zune, you name it—will be placed on a boat and sunken halfway into the ocean.

Anyone caught humming a tune or whistling melodically will be thrown into the nearest state prison. (That’s right, state prison, not the country clubs known as federal prison.)

This is the punishment for 10 years of the RIAA, its dunderhead henchmen and mollycoddled musicians. It pains me to do this, but it really does seem like these stupid issues will never go away. So it’s gone. Music is gone. Now nobody has to worry about “piracy” or “marketing” or any of that garbage. We’ll be a society completely devoid of music. No more lawsuits, no more rootkits, no more nothing.

It’s a perfect world. There’s no piracy, there’s no sons-of-bitches illegally listening to unauthorized 30-second sound clips—think of the lost revenue!—and no reason to sue single mothers because their dumb kids downloaded three Britney Spears songs in 2001.

You will all receive letters in the mail detailing our plans to ban music forever. I look forward to your cooperation, and I look forward to huge consultancy check from the RIAA. I literally just solved all its problems; pay me.

Maybe there’s no DRM on iTunes LP after all? I could have sworn that when Apple announced the completely useless new feature last week that it had said there would be measures in place to prevent people from sharing iTunes LP files with one another. Apparently not, since I was able to find the iTunes LP version of the new Muse album online a few minutes ago. Exactly where I found it is irrelevant; what’s newsworthy is that, yeah, it seems that these things can be passed around pretty easily.

The file is one .itlp file that weighs in at around 326MB. (For comparison’s sake, a standard scene rip of the album is 76MB.) By merely dragging that one .itlp file into your iTunes library you now have access to the full iTunes LP album. I checked out a few pictures, but seeing as though I wouldn’t know who Muse is if they’d punch me in the face (I’m more of a house and hip-hop guy; rock, eh…) it didn’t interest me a great deal.

One word of caution to would-be iTunes LP pirates: it seems that your iTunes account info is embedded in the files, so I wouldn’t go around uploading your .itlp of The Blueprint 3 to Rapidshare or whatever.

And yes, that USB drive is named WWE. I’m a dork.

The only problem is that Windows Home Server and the current version of iTunes 9 do not get along. It takes a little hacking to get the program installed right now, but hopefully the next release will install fine. Until then though, I got iTunes 9 to install on my WHS following some of the tips mentioned in this forum thread.

Warning: You will not be able to sync your iPod or iPhone directly to your WHS if you install iTunes 9 with this method because you have to remove the services needed for device control in order for it to install. But with Home Sharing, you can easily manage the content you want on another computer anyway. It will also cause a few pop-up error messages when your WHS starts up but it’s not like you restart your server everyday and, in my eyes, the benefits of Home Sharing outweighs the annoyance of the pop-ups.

Step one: Download iTunes

Head over here and download iTunes 9 to your WHS.

Step two: Download and install Orca

We’re going to use this program to edit the iTunes installer.

Step three: Download and install WinRAR

You probably already have WinRAR installed, but if not, it’s available here. Install it.

Step four: Extract the iTunes installer

• Right click on iTunesSetup.exe (the first file you download)

• Click “Extract To iTunesSetup\” to make a folder with all the contents of the installer

Step five: Edit iTunes.msi

• Open up Orca
• Open up the newly-created iTunes.msi file within Orca
• Select ServiceControl in the left column

• Select each one of the files within the ServiceControl table and hit the Delete key on the keyboard
• Save and close the file

Step six: Edit AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi

• Open AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi in Orca
• Select LaunchCondition from the left column
• Change the number 501 to 502 in the appropriate condition on the right.
• Save and close that file

Step seven: Install iTunes 9

• Double click on the modified iTunes.msi file. NOT on the original installer
• Click through the prompts to install as normal
• It might give you a Quicktime error, in which case you’ll have to go back and install Quicktime.msi afterwards

That’s it. It’s really not that bad of a hack. But once again, you will get errors relating to the iPod when your Windows Home Server restarts and you will not be able to sync your iDevice with the WHS. Uninstalling iTunes 9 does get rid of these messages so hopefully iTunes 9.0.1 will fix these issues. But until then, enjoy the Home Sharing function. It’s great.

If anyone has a better method, drop it in the comments below.

In most cases, it’s fairly easy to get around this, all you have to do is reinstall Safari and it’ll work. There have been some reported cases where that solution hasn’t worked, and for those unlucky people, there isn’t an answer yet. There’s also a problem with the Genius Mixes. Safari is again at fault, it’s causing the Genius Mix feature not to show up in the iTunes listings. In that situation, the best solution is to go to the iTunes store menu, and update Genius. If it’s still broken, you’ll have to turn off Genius and then turn it on again. Apple seems to have created quite a mess with their lastest software release.

[via Macworld]

~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Automatically Add to iTunes/ in OS X

C:\Users\Your Username\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Automatically Add to iTunes\ in Windows

If you drop an MP3 into there they get sucked into iTunes and disappear immediately, like a magic box. This would allow you to record your own music, for example, and add it to iTunes when you mix down and/or drag all your recently downloaded tunes straight into iTunes.

Apple didn’t quite publicize this feature for obvious reasons. Maybe this is the folder where they stuck the part of the presentation on the iPod touch with camera?

via LifeHacker

Did Apple swerve us, or are we just a bunch of nincompoops? (I vote for the latter.) So, so many people were expecting to see The Beatles finally show up on iTunes, if not the event itself, yesterday. Nearly 24 hours later, you’re still unable to buy “Help!” from Steve Jobs’ little store. Huge deal, or should we all just move on with our lives? And is the band making a mistake in ignoring the largest music store on Planet Earth?

You all know my opinion when it comes to The Beatles and the iTunes Store: it doesn’t matter to me (and I’d imagine to many of you, too) because I could very easily rip Revolver (or download it from What.cd) and put it on my device of choice. That’s what I said in our live podcast yesterday, that the move to the iTunes Store would be done merely to get a mention on NBC Nightly News at 6:30pm. “In other, non-healthcare news, The Beatles are now available on iTunes. Ask your children and grand-children what that means. We’ll be back, after these messages.”

So, personally, The Beatles not being on iTunes doesn’t affect me in the least. Again, I’m not anti-Beatles, it’s just that I’ve known how to rip a CD for at least 10 years now. (And look, if you’re considering buying The Beatles off iTunes, then you’re obviously not too concerned with sound quality, as you listen on your iPhone in the subway or at the gym. So what if the CDs were terribly processed, you’ll be listening on a cheap portable device on cheap headphones. Real audiophiles would have ponied up for the vinyl ages ago.)

What I would be concerned about, though, is: Is the band making a mistake? The Beatles probably are never going to be hotter than they are this week (save some sort of tragedy), what with the release of The Beatles: Rock Band and that super awesome re-mastered collection. Why not score the hat trick, and put your albums up for sale on iTunes to go along with those other two major releases? My guess is that the band didn’t want to cannibalize sales of the physical album by finally going digital. How horribly short sighted.

Picture this: some 15-year-old kid plays The Beatles: Rock Band with his friend. Do you think this kid has $180 (or $260 at retail) to spend on that re-mastered collection? Nope, but I bet he received an iTunes gift card or two for his birthday.

A small, California-based company by the name of Apple had an event today where it unveiled many new things. In case you were AFE (away from Earth) for the past few hours, here’s what you missed.

• The iPod nano now has a digital camera. It also has FM radio capability for the first time ever, finally ushering Apple into the year 2002. Neat: Live Pause lets you utilize a cache of as much as 15 minutes. I wonder if it’ll no longer be cool to like the band Phoenix now, seeing as though they’re so prominently featured in the glossy iPod photos.

• The iPod touch got a storage bump, with 8GG, 32GB, and 64GB models. The 64GB is also marginally “faster” for some inexplicable reason.

• The iPod classic is not dead, and now (again, actually) has a 160GB hard drive.

• iTunes 9.0 was released. Manage your iPhone Apps right from iTunes! Watch videos and consume all sorts of bonus content from the music and movies you buy with iTunes LP! Transfer music and movies throughout your house with Home Sharing. And Genius Mixes creates up to 12 Genius playlists automatically.

• iPhone OS 3.1. Genius for all your Apps (which means that it’ll recommend new Apps for you to try based on your current collection). And you can now buy ringtones from the four big record labels for $1.99 a pop. (Note: you’re a darn fool if you actually buy ringtones.)

Once upon a time you dressed so fine, went out to the record store, and bought your albums. Those days are no more, although iTunes wants you to think otherwise. That’s why they added a few new features to add a little bit of that old record store attitude to the boring process of downloading tunes. Introducing iTunes 9.0 – it’s bright, it’s shiny, and it’s kind-of-sort-of new.

The first thing you’ll notice about the new iTunes is the clarity of the new user interface. First, everything is white. The backgrounds are bright and clear and the new iTunes Store carries this UI aesthetic into the shopping experience. The icons are cheery and a little more “open” and friendly.

As for functionality, we’re not looking at much. I haven’t found the Facebook integration yet but I did try the new LPs and was impressed. The LP I bought, Highway 61 Revisted by a young man named Robert Dylan (I think he’s opening for MGMT this year) included three videos and a number of alternate takes of the album material. Was it worth $16.99? Sure. You got the liner notes, written by Mr. Dylan, and a sense that you’re buying something more. Does it replace the LP experience? No. It’s a value add and may not be worth it for some.

Home Sharing essentially turns any computer into an Apple TV with full cross-syncing capabilities, a nice way to share your music with other computers.

Otherwise, we’re looking at a facelift and an a bit more media content in albums. It’s free, it’s available now, and it’s just like Snow Leopard: a few pieces of steak but not much sizzle.

Still, that’s no reason not to rejoice. I like the idea, but since I can’t stand iTunes, I’m a bit out of luck. Good news for you guys, though.

Record label EMI, which holds the rights to the Beatles catalogue, says the band’s music will not be on iTunes starting tomorrow. (Not that that matters, of course.) It seems EMI is concerned about piracy. I wish I were joking. But then Sky News in the UK supposedly ran a story that said, yes, the Beatles will be available on iTunes starting tomorrow. Our take: chill out. After all, tomorrow is only a day away. We’ll all get the answer then.

And here’s a short clip of Homer Simpson completely no-selling George Harrison:

The end.

If we assume that next week’s Apple event will have something to do with The Beatles—and we have to assume that, otherwise this post has no value (not to say that it does, mind you)—then I have to ask: what’s the big deal? Obviously, being the first (and only?) online music store that has The Beatles will be something of a coup, for at least the first day. You can picture the articles and posts now: “Apple meets Apple: Beatles on iTunes,” “iTunes just won my $9.99: Beatles on iTunes,” etc.

But that publicity won’t last. And even if it does, who cares? It’s not as if it’s exceedingly difficult to rip a CD these days. (If I recall correctly, as soon as you insert a music CD into your computer, iTunes will ask if you want to import it into your Music Library.) And once the CD has been ripped, you can put it on your iPod and/or iPhone. The point is, if you want to listen to The Beatles on your iPod while you’re out and about, it’s already terribly easy to do so.

It also goes without saying that you can find The Beatles “elsewhere” online. In fact, you can find it in a quality that you’ll never find on iTunes. How much sense it makes to download a 24bit lossless rip, from the original vinyl, when you’ve got $20 earbuds, I don’t know. But it’s there if you want it.

So, if The Beatles on iTunes isn’t a big deal for you guys, people who know how to rip a CD, or who know how to use BitTorrent ;-), then who will give a damn? Who’s going to be interested in adding a couple of Beatles songs to their iTunes Library—suggesting, of course, that they’re competent enough to use iTunes—because now they can get them from the iTunes Store?

Now, keep in mind that I have no doubt people will buy The Beatles from iTunes like it’s their job (and that people will buy The Beatles Rock Band like it’s also their job), but I just don’t understand why.

The authenticity of these screenshots is questionable, but we wouldn’t really be doing our jobs if we didn’t share them with you. So, what does iTunes 9 have to do with Facebook? According to the screenshots shared by BGR, the next iteration of iTunes will allow users to share playlists via Facebook. And then there’s something about third-party hardware support. It’s hard to see, but the second screenshot shows a Samsung YH-J70 popping up in iTunes. What’s strange about this is that iTunes says it has 27.86GB of memory, but the J70 MP3 player ships as a 20GB device. We’ll find out next month for sure.

via BGR