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Topic: Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow (Read 5350 times) previous topic - next topic
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Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Apple, the US computer maker, is expected to launch its popular internet music store in Europe tomorrow, in an attempt to build on the company's considerable success in the US online music market.

Link to full story

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #1 –
iTunes is launched. http://www.apple.com/uk/

For the french like me who have an iTunes that always starts on the U.S store simply do this :

Close the active session, ask t create a new account, then cancel, the french pages comes.

In the pop-up menu at the bottom chose France (shown as set but doesn't work)

And now open a session and the store will be in french.

I don't know if the germans and british have the same problem of getting the localised start page. But that trick might work for them too.

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #2 –
And the songs only cost 0.99€ (Germany/France) instead of 1.64071€ ( =1.09£ in the UK by Napster). But still $0.99 = 0.818415€. Conversions from xe.com

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #3 –
Quote
And the songs only cost 0.99€ (Germany/France) instead of 1.64071€ ( =1.09£ in the UK by Napster). But still $0.99 = 0.818415€. Conversions from xe.com

what bitrate does napster use? 128 or 192kbps?
I know, that I know nothing (Socrates)

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #4 –
Quote
Quote
And the songs only cost 0.99€ (Germany/France) instead of 1.64071€ ( =1.09£ in the UK by Napster). But still $0.99 = 0.818415€. Conversions from xe.com

what bitrate does napster use? 128 or 192kbps?

128 kbps WMA std AFAIK

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #5 –
hm, if you pay 0.99$ for a song in the us, is the tax included? or will you all in all have to pay more than 0.99$?
I know, that I know nothing (Socrates)

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #6 –
Yes, there is tax here, so for example, 4 songs here in Indiana costs $4.20.

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #7 –
So the european version is cheaper than the US one...

I tried it yesterday and found some old stuff I didn't have (like US versions of singles). But for the most part it's very empty for the kind of music I'm listeing to (electronic of all kinds). So IMO it's good for mainstream (and even for lots of artists you only half of the albums and a 5th of the singles) but for rare of underground music it's shit (and most likely will always will).

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #9 –
Unfortunately, us Danes will have to wait until October

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #10 –
Quote
Apparently there are reasons for why there are so few independant music on iTMS : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/15/apple_itunes_indies/

Quote
This is just another example of a monopolistic American company trying to dictate terms

The independent music selection (as well as more mainstream stuff) will no doubt increase as time goes on. The US store has about 3 times the tracks of the European ones but started out nearly the same.

The UK indie music association is really trying to pressure Apple with their press releases about the negotiations and laying it on thick with the melodrama (including my pet peeve: incorrect usage of 'monopoly').

It's interesting for example to say that "The White Stripes are refusing to license their music to iTunes" when if you go to the US store you'll find exclusive tracks available to download along with the rest of their back catalogue. It sounds much more like a label problem rather than an artist one.

But regardless, it's just a negotiation tactic, so we'll see them soon enough once a deal is struck.

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #11 –
Technical observation.
A french guy had uploaded a short sample of a file bought in french online store.
http://rapha83.free.fr/bazar/extrait_pauljohnson_itunes.wav

Graphical representation is really surprising. First, there's a lowpass at 16 khz. But beyond this value, and up to 20 Khz, informations are available, without any 'hole', but at low energy. This behaviour is totally different from all AAC encoders available. Very different at least from QT 6.0->6.5 (lowpass at 16 Khz) and from QT 6.5.1 (visible 'ringing' beyond 16Khz).

We can't conclude anything about quality, but we are sure that the encoder used by the store (at least for this file) is really different from encoders we tested in the recent past.
Wavpack Hybrid: one encoder for all scenarios
WavPack -c4.5hx6 (44100Hz & 48000Hz) ≈ 390 kbps + correction file
WavPack -c4hx6 (96000Hz) ≈ 768 kbps + correction file
WavPack -h (SACD & DSD) ≈ 2400 kbps at 2.8224 MHz

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #12 –
Quote
Technical observation.
A french guy had uploaded a short sample of a file bought in french online store.
http://rapha83.free.fr/bazar/extrait_pauljohnson_itunes.wav

Graphical representation is really surprising. First, there's a lowpass at 16 khz. But beyond this value, and up to 20 Khz, informations are available, without any 'hole', but at low energy. This behaviour is totally different from all AAC encoders available. Very different at least from QT 6.0->6.5 (lowpass at 16 Khz) and from QT 6.5.1 (visible 'ringing' beyond 16Khz).

We can't conclude anything about quality, but we are sure that the encoder used by the store (at least for this file) is really different from encoders we tested in the recent past.

I wonder if they are using QuickTime AAC at "Best" instead of "Better".

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #13 –
QT “best” looks similar to “better”. It's probably a different encoder.
Wavpack Hybrid: one encoder for all scenarios
WavPack -c4.5hx6 (44100Hz & 48000Hz) ≈ 390 kbps + correction file
WavPack -c4hx6 (96000Hz) ≈ 768 kbps + correction file
WavPack -h (SACD & DSD) ≈ 2400 kbps at 2.8224 MHz
 

Apple to launch iTunes in Europe Tomorrow

Reply #14 –
Quote
Technical observation.
A french guy had uploaded a short sample of a file bought in french online store.
http://rapha83.free.fr/bazar/extrait_pauljohnson_itunes.wav

Graphical representation is really surprising. First, there's a lowpass at 16 khz. But beyond this value, and up to 20 Khz, informations are available, without any 'hole', but at low energy. This behaviour is totally different from all AAC encoders available. Very different at least from QT 6.0->6.5 (lowpass at 16 Khz) and from QT 6.5.1 (visible 'ringing' beyond 16Khz).

We can't conclude anything about quality, but we are sure that the encoder used by the store (at least for this file) is really different from encoders we tested in the recent past.

It's a shame they didn't post the m4a file which may contain info about the encoder used.