Hello,
what music stores allow downloading files in AAC format? I know there is iTunes, but is there anything else? I checked amazon, beatport and google play music so far, they only offer MP3.
Apple is the only major distributor I know of that sells AAC.
If you really want to avoid iTunes or iTunes doesn't have what you want, your best bet is probably to buy the CD and rip to the format(s) of your choice. And if you can't find the CD either, you may have to just take whatever you can get.
CD Universe sells MP3s, I think Rhapsody still sells MP3s, Wal-Mart used to sell MP3s, but apparently they no longer sell downloads at all.
Thank you. That's bad news. Is there any reason why nobody offers AAC? Less demand, of course, but are there any licensing issues that make AAC less attractive?
Thank you. That's bad news. Is there any reason why nobody offers AAC?
Apple has 99% of the market for AAC music players, so it doesn't make sense to offer AAC files.
In Japan, there was a large market of music ringtone (chaku uta) @ 80 billion yen per year or so, typically selling DRMed AAC packed in 3gpp container or something (that was before smartphone appeared). There might have been MP3s, but certainly not in the bare elementary stream format.
It seems that Japan local music store named "Mora" of Sony Music Online Japan still sells AAC, now without DRM.
Personally I have never been interested in them, and don't know about the details.
Is there any reason why nobody offers AAC?
MP3 is more compatible, and since both formats can achieve transparency on most music, it makes more business sense to sell the format that more people can use. Apple's staunch support of AAC is perhaps the main reason for the market share it has managed to acquire.
Bandcamp also offers AAC among other lossy and lossless formats.
what music stores allow downloading files in AAC format?
Not every album, but for some you have the choice: 7digital (http://www.7digital.com)
Qobuz (http://www.qobuz.com/) as well, it also offers lossless downloads. It's French but it's one of the best I've ever used.
Hello,
what music stores allow downloading files in AAC format? I know there is iTunes, but is there anything else? I checked amazon, beatport and google play music so far, they only offer MP3.
i think www.producertool.com you can if i remember correctly
There seem to be several German streaming sites using the "Dolby Pulse" format, which is simply (HE-)AAC with some ReplayGain-like metadata IIRC.
(See www.ampya.com (http://www.ampya.com)e.g.) I don't know which of these sites allow song downloading or are available outside of Germany/Austria/Switzerland, though.
Chris
There seem to be several German streaming sites using the "Dolby Pulse" format, which is simply (HE-)AAC with some ReplayGain-like metadata IIRC.
I have seen such a file.
- includes "dby1" in compatible brands
- contains some XML metadata in uuid box
- stores replaygain in ilst, but under "org.hydrogenaudio.replaygain" (not com.apple.iTunes)
- only album/track gain, no peak related information
The following seems to be a patch for it:
http://patches.libav.org/patch/49320/ (http://patches.libav.org/patch/49320/)