BOC: the bonus discs content revealed

[Carl Edlund Anderson]

On 08 Oct 2012, at 09:34 , Albert Bouchard <altbouch at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Is bandcamp a higher quality output than iTunes? Our latest single was mastered specifically for iTunes and unlike the old days, they do the converting if you send them an aiff or wav.

As far as I can tell, Bandcamp is more DIY kinda thing than iTunes -- but equally, the artist or re-presentatives or whatever upload WAVs or AIFFs, and the site the site turns into lower bitrate formats as well as lossless FLACs.  The practical upshot is that customers can buy FLACs (if you give them the option), while iTunes does not (yet) offer Apple Lossless files.

My preference for lossless files may, in practical terms, be little more than affectation I suppose :) but, well, I do try to get them when I can.

I have read some talk about the whole "mastered for iTunes" thing, and I am willing to believe that something mastered for a particular medium will sound better in that medium. :)  So, since I listen to everything via the computer/iPhone anyway, perhaps there is even an argument for getting the iTunes AACs over the CD and ripping it!  Still, I can't help but think that something "mastered for iTunes" would also sound good when turned into other digital formats (of which Bandcamp lets one offer a variety: http://bandcamp.com/faq#aiffwavuploadrequirement ).  Presumably Bandcamp skims something for artists selling stuff, along with PayPal, etc.  though of course so does iTunes -- or any label.  I don't know much about that, since I am a hobbyist who just slaps my occasional amateur efforts up there for free (so my revenues and payment processing costs are both zero ;) and actual downloads themselves are ... minimal! ;))

I've also heard some buzz recently about Neil Young wanting to get involved in high-quality digital download action (though the associated "http://www.mypono.com" seems just a place-holder at the moment).  I can believe Young's venture will unseat the likes of iTunes or Amazon's MP3 services, but it might up the ante a little, I suppose.

Doubtless someday iTunes will sell Apple Lossless files, just as they previously moved from 128kbps AACs to 256kbps AACs ... but they probably won't upgrade my existing AAC purchases, at least not for free!

Anyway, I was just wondering if there were higher bit-rate Blue Coupe options that the current iTunes ones.  Just, ya know, to be sure!

Cheers,
Carl

--
Carl Edlund Anderson
http://www.carlaz.com/