iTunes Music Store, or Limewire, which is better?I have to admit it, I'm new to the mp3 game, heck I didn't leave my room for a week when the Xbox 360 came out. I just got an iPod Nano and it came with a 25 dollar itunes card. I downloaded itunes and I haven't used it yet. The problem is that I also decided to download limewire. I haven't downloaded limewire yet ,but I want to know if it is illegal. If it isn't, could you help me decide if I should stick with itunes or get limewire? Thanks Dave. Great question. Limewire isn't illegal, but the peer to peer networks that you then access and get content from, well, that content is just about always illegal. Think about it: if you were a music studio or musician who just produced a music CD, would you want one person to buy it, "rip" it, upload the music onto a server and make the material available for free download? By contrast, the significant thing about the iTunes Music Store is that it is legal and is done with the cooperation and participation of just about every major music label. Frankly, I believe that Apple barely squeezes by with the revenue it generates after splitting the fees from each song sold with the production companies, studios, musicians, etc. The store just fuels their continued sales of the staggeringly popular iPod players (and I should know: I have four!) As a content provider myself, I know that when I write a book or give a speech, the last thing I want to have happen is for someone to scan and upload the book, or surreptitiously record my talk and make the material available for free. Some significant percentage of people who would attempt to read a 300 page business book online probably would never have bought the print edition in the first place, but it's the other group, the people who could have purchased my book and made me a small, but additive, bit of revenue but instead get it free online, they're the ones I worry about. Get enough of them in the picture, and suddenly I have a problem paying my mortgage, which is definitely not good. As with anything else to do with ethical behavior online, each of you who read this article will obviously make your own choice, but I strongly encourage you to choose the legal route with iTunes rather than the most-likely illegal route of Limewire or other peer to peer (p2p) network systems. It's much easier to sleep at night knowing that you are helping support those artists, performers, and "creatives" whose work you are hopefully enjoying.
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Never miss another useful Q&A article again! Subscribe to AskDaveTaylor with Google Reader. My issue is, I have both iTunes and Limewire, but I usually want to hear the song in it's entirety BEFORE actually purchasing it from a store like iTunes. I use Limewire as a way to listen to the whole song, instead of just a 30 sec. clip of it. There isn't anything that I have on Limewire, that I haven't purchased the original to, but I'm worried that authorities will take no perspective on that if they ever start prosecuting the 'small fish' like myself. Thoughts? "My issue is, I have both iTunes and Limewire, but I usually want to hear the song in it's entirety BEFORE actually purchasing it from a store like iTunes. I use Limewire as a way to listen to the whole song, instead of just a 30 sec. clip of it. There isn't anything that I have on Limewire, that I haven't purchased the original to, but I'm worried that authorities will take no perspective on that if they ever start prosecuting the 'small fish' like myself. Thoughts?" Nice guys always finish last "My issue is, I have both iTunes and Limewire, but I usually want to hear the song in it's entirety BEFORE actually purchasing it from a store like iTunes. I use Limewire as a way to listen to the whole song, instead of just a 30 sec. clip of it. There isn't anything that I have on Limewire, that I haven't purchased the original to, but I'm worried that authorities will take no perspective on that if they ever start prosecuting the 'small fish' like myself. Thoughts?"
I have iTunes music store now, but I want to get limewire. Is there really a chance that I'll be in trouble with the police or whoever if I use limewire illegally (like 99% of the other limewire-using people are)? Posted by: Caitlin at March 3, 2007 9:56 PM"My issue is, I have both iTunes and Limewire, but I usually want to hear the song in it's entirety BEFORE actually purchasing it from a store like iTunes. I use Limewire as a way to listen to the whole song, instead of just a 30 sec. clip of it. There isn't anything that I have on Limewire, that I haven't purchased the original to, but I'm worried that authorities will take no perspective on that if they ever start prosecuting the 'small fish' like myself." what a loser! you really suck Posted by: yrtr at March 22, 2007 9:01 PMI wonder which of the millions that use it they will start arresting first haha Posted by: Biggie Rob at March 29, 2007 4:54 AMThe good advantage of limewire is JustMusicStore.com online mp3 store. i use limewire in New Zealand and no1 really cares. every1 at my school uses it Posted by: GOsh at April 26, 2007 2:27 PMI have not got itunes and i wont bother downloading it. What $#$# wants to BUY music when you can get it for FREE. You get my drift? cos obviously lots of other people do. Limewire is the best and when it gets removed from the internet i seriously think i will KILL someone...see thats how important it is to me.
Miss Hannah "do not[EVER]call me Maggie" Gray Posted by: Hannah_Gray at May 12, 2007 8:53 AMhey i have both limewire pro which ps u can download from the regular one for free:). I recently got a 15 gift card for itunes and i couldnt figure out what i wanted to buy. i get lots of cds but i like getting the cases that i can hold not payin for a file that could be deleted. Limewire i c as great for one hit wonders aka no offense to all you ghetto people out there but rap is all on hit wonder. overall i say get limewire. u wont get caought unless ur an idiot. i have over 2500 songs not all limewire but some do. if your shareing id say over 200 then ur at risk of gettin in trouble. i say share 30 at a time and add them to itunes then delete them its a sure way to stay away from the white stripes Posted by: Tyler at May 21, 2007 8:17 PMim trying to download some files onto ipod from limewire but, when i get them onto itunes the go into the shared heading and then i cant get them onto my ipod nano please help me transfer them on!!! Posted by: HELP! at June 10, 2007 1:24 AMWell, thanks to the RIAA, most of the money from itunes goes to massive corporations, not the artists themselves. Posted by: someone at October 10, 2007 3:28 PMI HAVE I-TUNES AND MY LIMEWIRE MUSIC WIIL NOT IMPORT TO MY LIBARY I MEAN LIMEWIRE HAS THERE OWN PLAYLIST ON I-TUNES BUT I JUST CANNOT IMPORT THE MUSIC!!!.MY CUT PASTE COPY WILL NOT HI-LITE MY IMPORT WILL NOT IMPORT I-TUNES WIIL NOT HELP!!. I NOT A COMPUTER WHIZARD CAN ANY ONE HELP ME IN LAYMENS TERM?? THANK YOU Posted by: BRANNIXX at November 28, 2007 9:40 AMI used to have Limewire but when I found out it was illegal I quit using it! What you have to do to get them into iTunes is: 1. Open Your Limewire library and iTunes. I hoped this helped everyone! Posted by: h at December 8, 2007 7:54 PMLimeWire is a well good program, definetely better than the iTunes Music Store. With LimeWire: It's free! It's not in that shitty M4A format (you can download MP3s on LimeWire). You can get full-length films and tv shows on there aswell. Who cares that it's illegal, millions of us do it. Posted by: Private at January 19, 2008 4:04 PM"My issue is, I have both iTunes and Limewire, but I usually want to hear the song in it's entirety BEFORE actually purchasing it from a store like iTunes. I use Limewire as a way to listen to the whole song, instead of just a 30 sec. clip of it. There isn't anything that I have on Limewire, that I haven't purchased the original to, but I'm worried that authorities will take no perspective on that if they ever start prosecuting the 'small fish' like myself. Thoughts?"
all you have to do is do a little research on the net (ask google/jeeves), you will find out that limewire is 100% legal, its just the technicalities that could gget you into trouble. Limewire does not download or upload to or from any server. With a P2P (peer 2 peer) network all files are sent to and from personal pc's only, granted the files do go through your service provider's servers but the actual files are stored on your personal computer. If you use limewire for personal use and do not sell burnt cd's you wont get into trouble. But say you downloaded limewire onto a administrative computer/server and it helped to distribute files to others you could get into trouble. Dont complain, its the laws :) Posted by: sam at March 4, 2008 1:23 AMI have a lot to say, but ...
I do have a comment, now that you mention it!
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