Paying for downloads - kiss my butt...

[zetec]

I just have something to get off my chest here :evil3:

I am putting together a windows Movie Maker video (I LOVE that program) on a trip I had to Sydney Motorshow with some guys from work, showing all our happy moments and big nights out, the cars, the lot. I have a perfect selection of songs for it but had to track down one of the songs of the trip, Lionel Ritchie's "Dancing on the Ceiling". (long story)

After scouring the CD collection and not finding it, then wanting to do the right thing, I decided to try the old pay-per-download that I've been hearing about all these years. Gave my Kazaa and Napster and Imesh days away years ago.

So I pay my $1.69 for the track on I-Tunes after downloading the program, pain free, quick as the Minginator when an EPA truck appears down the street. I play it, it works, loving life.

I then import it into Windows movie maker, only to discover of course that the file I've paid for I can only use in I-tunes and is a .m4p or some bull. Not Happy Jan out: A google search turns up that it's hard to convert it so I give up.

I then try Bigpond thinking (stupidly) that they'd have .mp3's. I download their version, pay $1.89 (bloody Telstra they even have to overprice their music downloads!!!) only to discover it's in .wma format and whilst I can convert it, that's still not super easy and more hassle than it's worth.

I'm now $3.58 poorer, frustrated, ****ed off and I swear never to give a cent to these ripoff merchants ever again. Where's the logic in doiong the right thing only to get shafted?!! They seem to have such an intense distrust that evn the small portion of people stupid/honest enough to pay still can't use the tracks freely.

Well Telstra and Apple, kiss my blue-blooded butt, stick your proprietary rubbish up you nostrils and I vow never to pay for a download again when I can easily source .mp3's anytime anywhere (at least from known sources) for free. : If you genuinely wanted to support the artists you'd make it attractive and easier for us to use somehow, I don't care how. There HAS to be enough nerds sitting in offices somewhere getting paid $1.50 comission per download to work out a better way. Until then I'll spend my hard earned money on better things like buying fuel, beer and other such beneficial things.