"This item is no longer available at Zune Marketplace" !!!

 ZJ AJ wrote:

 LandonAB wrote:

Is there a way to know which are DRM free in the Marketplace?

Yes, the album covers are marked with MP3 icons in the Artist view, and the MP3 icon also shows on each album page (next to the cover under the price). Finally, if you try to buy an individual song, you'll see the MP3 icon on the confirmation screen.

Anything with an MP3 icon is DRM-free.

Ah, the blatantly obvious :)  Thanks for the help!

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 LandonAB wrote:

Is there a way to know which are DRM free in the Marketplace?

Yes, the album covers are marked with MP3 icons in the Artist view, and the MP3 icon also shows on each album page (next to the cover under the price). Finally, if you try to buy an individual song, you'll see the MP3 icon on the confirmation screen.

Anything with an MP3 icon is DRM-free.

 NSILMike wrote:

 LandonAB wrote:

I am a little confused and about to purchase a Zune so clarification would be good.  So are you saying that if I purchase music outright through the Zune Marketplace that it could be "stolen" later or not work if I reformat/buy a new computer?  Also, the Zune Pass is a big reason why I am going to buy a Zune but if I will lose what I download...I don't see the point.

Landon

There is currently a bug that is affecting some DRM-protected purchased tracks...and yes, causing some folks (not all) to lose some tracks (not all.)  But you should always read the terms and conditions for purchased music carefully, no matter where you buy it.  You can generally re-download it a limited number of times only, and you are always at some risk if the provider decides not to support that DRM system at some point....an example is Walmart- they turned off their DRM license server when they went 100% DRM-free (MP3.)  That potentially leaves everyone with the prior DRM'd files in the lurch when they upgrade their PCs.  (I think Walmart finally relented and did some form of a discounted MP3 upgrade plan...or similar.)  Zune Marketplace is going DRM free for purchased music, but isn't 100% there yet.

Zune Pass music will always be DRM protected.  You will probably always lose some and gain some, as different music labels decide they don't like that business model, and others release new albums...  But, if you lose the 'pass' version of a track, you could always use one of the credits to buy the track from Zune...or go somewhere like Amazon and buy it there.

I am trying the 14 day trial.  Seems pretty cool, have found some albums not available (ex. The Smiths) but have found some surprisingly available albums (ex. The Descendents).

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@ ZJ AJ
Yeah, I always back-up to an external hdd and cloud storage.  I doubt I will purchase much from the marketplace until it's 100% DRM free as I currently purchase off Amazon.  Is there a way to know which are DRM free in the Marketplace?

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Regardless this is not legal.  My Zune collection is dead.  Keep in mind I have NEVER used a Zune pass (all solid purchases with american dollars). I cannot listen to anything in any way shape or form.  My patience with this is at end (32+ hours useless,  frustrating, insulting phone support).  This has been a pending issue for me for a year now and I cannot wait another.  I have been financially sodomized enough with these issues.  I WILL get my value.  There are no plausable loop-holes or excuses for this.  This is robbery and abusive to customers.  Its time for somebody in Content Managment to get a cup of coffee and "get the lead out".  I cannot think of a worse cutomer experience, Zune is worse than dealing with the DMV or having to fight your cell phone carrier.  I would rather go to a Federal building to get a passport or go thru root canal therapy (easier that dealing with Microsoft/Zune bureacracy let alone the cutomer support.

 

Do or do not.....there is no try

 LandonAB wrote:

I am a little confused and about to purchase a Zune so clarification would be good.  So are you saying that if I purchase music outright through the Zune Marketplace that it could be "stolen" later or not work if I reformat/buy a new computer?  Also, the Zune Pass is a big reason why I am going to buy a Zune but if I will lose what I download...I don't see the point.

Landon

There is currently a bug that is affecting some DRM-protected purchased tracks...and yes, causing some folks (not all) to lose some tracks (not all.)  But you should always read the terms and conditions for purchased music carefully, no matter where you buy it.  You can generally re-download it a limited number of times only, and you are always at some risk if the provider decides not to support that DRM system at some point....an example is Walmart- they turned off their DRM license server when they went 100% DRM-free (MP3.)  That potentially leaves everyone with the prior DRM'd files in the lurch when they upgrade their PCs.  (I think Walmart finally relented and did some form of a discounted MP3 upgrade plan...or similar.)  Zune Marketplace is going DRM free for purchased music, but isn't 100% there yet.

 LandonAB wrote:

So are you saying that if I purchase music outright through the Zune Marketplace that it could be "stolen" later or not work if I reformat/buy a new computer?

If you reformat or buy a new computer, and the songs you bought were in WMA (which have DRM on them), then unless you've burned those songs to CD as a backup, you might not be able to download them again from the Marketplace, in which case, yes, they would be lost.

The bigger issue, though, is that even if you don't do those things, you might still lose the ability to play your WMA-with-DRM files, due to a long-standing bug in the Zune system. They've been working on this bug for a very long time, but they haven't fixed it yet.

Burn your WMA-with-DRM songs to a CD for backup purposes, and back up your MP3s onto a backup drive, and you'll never lose the music.

 LandonAB wrote:

Also, the Zune Pass is a big reason why I am going to buy a Zune but if I will lose what I download...I don't see the point.

That's a different problem. The labels have the right to revoke music from the Zune Pass program at any time, which will remove your right to play it. Remember, you're only renting it for as long as you pay and as long as Zune can license it. There's plenty that's available, but also plenty that's not. I find that it's worth it anyways, especially when you factor in the ten free monthly downloads.

I'd give the 14-day Zune Pass trial a whirl (even if you don't have the player yet, you can still use it to download/stream the music on your computer) and see what's there and what's not, and then decide.

I am a little confused and about to purchase a Zune so clarification would be good.  So are you saying that if I purchase music outright through the Zune Marketplace that it could be "stolen" later or not work if I reformat/buy a new computer?  Also, the Zune Pass is a big reason why I am going to buy a Zune but if I will lose what I download...I don't see the point.

Landon

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Completely maddening.  Every few syncs I seem to "lose" a few more Zune pass songs as the current license expires and the new one either doesn't allow syncing to a device OR the song is no longer available on the Zune Marketplace.  It's not a large percentage of my collection being impacted (1-3%, tops) but it's frustrating when it hits a song you really listen to a lot.

Attention record labels: when you make it difficult for consumers to purchase your product legitimately (via Zune pass) those users will likely turn to other methods of getting the music.  And those methods will almost certainly NOT involve a purchase of physical media (CD or record album).

Sad.  The Zune pass is (was?) the most streamlined and user-friendly way yet for folks to get digital music without piracy.  Record label stubbornness is slowly but surely crippling the Zune Pass to the point where it's not worth using.  I (heart) AllTunes.

 

 TheCthulhian wrote:

Any purchased WMA contennt should never be lost.

I agree 100%, but unfortunately it DOES get lost.  If a publisher decides to re-post an album (such as Tower of Power's self-titled album), then all the songs are still available on the Marketplace .... *you just have to buy them all again*.  If other albums are simply REMOVED by the publisher, you are not allowed to listen to that music anymore.  There are no refunds.  You've just lost the music.

In either case, the DRM policy we're dealing with here is just awful, and it's the reason I jumped ship months ago.

Again .... *NOT* speaking about Zune Pass here.

 TheCthulhian wrote:

Unfortunately Chris, this falls to the labels. Zune tries hard to give bonuses, promotions and other incentives for labels to go with the Zune Pass option. But not all labels want to go with this option. I love it as well, and download tons of music I would never buy simply because I can. Typically you will find most of the downloadable content that is consistent is the major labels, while the smaller labels can fluctuate.

David-  that is interesting and not unexpected.  I think it can be pretty scary for the labels...as they probably equate the zune pass with low or declining revenue... (but I don't know how MS compensates the labels for zune pass downloads...)  You might want to share this with the zune pass contract managers as it might help them in their negotiations.  Note the Corey Smith example...