Yesterday when I downloaded the new version of Winamp (5.03) I noticed that they were offering the full version of the player for free. It came with nice features such as CD ripping, etc. One thing I noticed however, was the new support for AAC format.

The "full" download of Winamp also included a song by Snow Patrol called "Spitting Games." Even though this file was in WMA format, I was greeted with a window entitled "Acquire DRM License". It also said within the window the name of the label, and an interesting 60 day expiration date.

Will labels start forcing services like Apple to issue the "limited usage" DRM to determine on how long you can listen to a song? Only time will tell.

-RocketGib

I'm sorry, I will never "RENT" music. There is no point in paying for it if I can not keep it and listen to it when/where ever I like. Its kinda like, buying food (you own it, and can do most anything you want with it) but having to pay rent on the freezer to keep it from going bad. More and More, it sounds to me like they want us to buy the freezer, keep it, but pay rent on the fact that it makes cold air. Much like the files they're trying to sell us, we can keep the files but must pay rent on the music they make. What is the point of haveing the files(the freezer), paying rent on the music(the cold air), when my life(sybolized by the food in the freezer) is slowing going bad any way(sybolized by the poorly though out changes to the laws we are seeing to day).

"The bottom line of buisness is money", any buisnessmen.

WRONG!

The true bottom line of buisness is to provide a service that people are willing to pay you for. The 'Service' of 'renting for the change to hear' music, is one service I am NOT willing to puy for.

'Why are sells so low?'

Easy. The services that the RIAA are providing are the kind that fewer people are willing to pay for. As for the future of these sells, the changes they say they are going to make are also of the kind that even fewer people will be willing to pay for. I, for one, will not pay for any service I dont like, want, need, or have a use for.

Gee. It's a good thing I kept my old Sharware of Cool Edit 96 & Winamp 1.02.

Along with the Dos programs L3Enc & L3Dec

Yes. It is slow, but I can do a lot more.

Damn! I knew there was reason I kept hitting "no" every time I got prompted to update my WinAmp. I'll stick with my old version. The way I see it, if it's not broke, don't fix it.

I rent movies that are so-so, but I buy movies I really like. Same could be said for music. If I really like it, I'd buy it (but only a CD without DRM).

I still use version 2... no need for 5... and there's a way to disable something so that the new "critical flaw" isn't a possible problem... but perhaps they know that most people won't bother to read the alternate fix?

I just got Winamp 5 some time ago. After hearing this, I don't think that I will be upgrading.

WINAMP 2 forever.

I really hate to tell you guys but version 2.x of Winamp also plays DRM WMAs. If you don't believe me, try it.

I know it does, but it doesn't come with it...

I forgot to mention that Winamp 5 forces you to rip a song to .AAC format. You can no longer rip one through Winamp (with the bundled plugin) as MP3.

The only reason I upgraded to Winamp 5 is because it was more stable on my PC. Winamp 2 had a tendency of crashing when I played songs. I was attacked by the error reporting tool several times a day.

-RocketGib

That sucks... I've been using 2 for a long time, and I usually leave it open and playing on a looped setlist while I sleep. Never once did it shut down on me...

If I play my old music files using winamp, it's not going to try adding DRM to those or anything?

who cares if it PLAYS drm files, just don't buy any of those and ur fine.

My speakers also play DRM files, you don't see me throwing them out

A player is a player. When they put in all the other crap you do not need it. a ripper is all you need. free no crap

http://www.chrismyden.com/nuke/modules.php?op=modload&name=Elite_DAE&file=painless

Supporting it is one thing. Making it mandatory for the file is another.

I recently upgraded to Winamp 3.0. The sound is better, although I am still leery of it. Also, I have not deleted 2.0.

I agree with hawk7771. CDex and OggdropXP (for Ogg Vorbis files) have worked so well that I forgot that players also try to include a ripping function. Still, I'll have to mess around with Winamp just to see how good (or bad) it performs. It's always been just a simple player to me whether it's the 2.x series or 5.0.

This isn't so bad. They support the format. They give away their product for free and have to depend on wide usage to stay in business.

If they implemented it into their player of it that was all they supported, then I'd be extremely pissed.

But if .aac is just one more added file type they support in addition to the rest, that is ok. I'll certainly be keeping an eye on them now though...ugh.

winamp 2.91 with a madd puggin sound great on my putter. i'll try to locate the url for it. what out there are some sites with it that will hi-jack your browser.

If you purchase winamp pro, you can still convert to mp3. As with everything else, they just want your money. ~pepe~

As winamp moves to embrace DRM (how the mighty hath fallen), I just wanted to mention that allofmp3.com is now offering lossless audio files at the same .01 per megabyte rate.

Also, I did a search of allofmp3 here and stumbled across this gem of a flame war: (http://news.dmusic.com/article/10290), where logic was twisted to prove that just because the Beatles haven't authorized their music to be put online doesn't mean that they haven't NOT authorized it to be put online.

Mroop, I disagreed with your attack of the site, but I don't know WHAT those other guys were smoking.

Sorry -- this is a basically an edit. If we assume 650 MB for an album, then purchasing lossless may add a little bit of legitimacy to the site (on both sides):

With a compression ration of 53.6S% (Monkey's Audio)

650 * .536 = 348.4 MB

384.4 * .01 = $3.48 for the full album

So, there's still the issue of who that money actually goes to, but $3.50 is more in line for the $5 that some people (arbitrarily, I feel) support for a digital only copy of an album (no case, no disc, no liner notes, etc).

I've mentioned my distaste for the apparent hypocritical nature of some posters on these boards (support the artist, but I'll never pay more than $2 for a box set). Maybe allofmp3's success, however illegitimate, will convince artists to provide similar services (lossless) directly to their fans.

here winamp mad plugin

http://www.mars.org/home/rob/proj/mpeg/mad-plugin/#install

Here's my take on all this. Winamp is just trying to keep up with the various formats out there. It was originally an MP3 player, but, over the years, they've added support for newer formats, such as the horrible WMA and even OGG Vorbis. They've only added support for DRM WMA files. They haven't made it so your files are turned into DRM files. They haven't made it so that when you rip, it becomes a DRM file. They don't even force you to rip with Winamp. I use dBpoweramp, which is a totally free ripper that supports a wide range of formats. The only time I use Winamp to rip is when dBpoweramp can't read my disk (which is it's only real flaw) and then I only use Winamp to rip a track into a WAV file, then convert that to MP3 or Ogg with dBpoweramp.

People, if Winamp didn't add support for the files the uneducated acquire, then they'd lose customers. Yes, the file they include is a WMA file with DRM, but that's only because WMA files are smaller and because if they gave the file away in Ogg, then the RIAA would pitch a fit. Then they'd go under and we'd be left with Windows Media Player and that would be horrible. The uneducated would go over to WMA and all would be lost.

We need to educate these folks NOT to download or own DRM files. Winamp and all the other media players merely supporting DRM formats is merely the first step in a trend twords the day when DRM format is ALL that will be available.

We MUST educate the sheep and keep them away from DRM. The more and more DRM becomes the standard for content, the more we loose.

Shmoo, of Electric Gypsy
Support Local and Independent Music!

once again.. WMA? with WINAMP?! WMA SUCKS! PLAIN AND SIMPLE! Winamp was made for MP3.. why the hell does it come with WMA now? I'm so glad i switched to apple.. you people in the pc world are now going down with the ship and I pity you.

As for me, I can run linux apps on this thing.

Three words: Radical Social Engineering.

"I forgot to mention that Winamp 5 forces you to rip a song to .AAC format. You can no longer rip one through Winamp (with the bundled plugin) as MP3."

Actually, you can. Thing is, you have to pay for it. I got around that, too...

"once again.. WMA? with WINAMP?! WMA SUCKS! PLAIN AND SIMPLE! Winamp was made for MP3.. why the hell does it come with WMA now?"

It's always been able to play WMA files. it's just that now, if WinAMP wants to continue offerng support for this particular file type, they have to allow DRM on it. Not really a big deal since almost no one uses WMA anyway (hear that, Rhapsody?).