The fight against piracy agenda.

This is a piece that I have just stumbled upon just barely last week.

And I have had quite a ride so far down this alley of anti piracy code of conduct, technological advancement, and customer service.

Just recently I wanted to use Google Play music to purchase a few albums that I have lost. Upon doing so I happily downloaded all of my content. But then something happened. I went to my favorite music app Poweramp, and hit scan new files.... Nothing showed up....

I spent three hours searching for the music files I just downloaded until I came to an obvious conclusion....

Anti piracy measures... Or Digital Rights Management.

So. I have gotten to the bottom of this agenda without even googling for it.

Goggles play music files are heavily encrypted.

I can't even find them with my computer. And hey, I purchased the music. I just want to be able to play it in a much more robust app than Google Play musics cassette tape player layout. Which is one with simple buttons and a very clunky and annoying user interface that requires extra button presses to access the songs you want to hear. In other words an ad holder music app.

Their annoying ad based music app is the only one that appropriately shows up artist information and track names... On Poweramp? They show up as number files.... So now I have to create a new method of remembering what song I want to listen to that I bought from Googles music store by creating a new codex.

Hell no. I will not stand for that. I deleted that #ing app and submitted paperwork for a full refund. # that noise.

I stopped pirating music back a long time ago. I buy songs that I enjoy. I know what artists I like and will blindly buy their entire next album when it releases. Because I learned that if you stop buying it... You stop getting good content from that artist. Or they quit. They give up and no new music comes from them.

Now I have already tried several things because I love the direction google is moving towards to keep music purchases only on the devices attached to a Google account. I love the idea and have no problem with the idea. But the execution of it? It is atrocious.

The problem is not the DRM. I have bought a lot of digital copies and a lot of people have been trying to steal my content or logins for a long time. I am used to it.

But it is those little things. Those little tiny things that just kill it for me.

Let's go back to the files... Poweramp says there is no id3 tags on the files. But in the stupid dumped down music player from Google it shows up just fine.

Hey google... Why can't the id3 tag information be read on another app? It is just simple tag information.

My efforts to bridge Poweramp and google together failed. Google wants to create a piracy free environment. But they still have that audio Jack problem.

So they want to do away with it. How else do you get rid of an audio Jack? Make it obsolete.

So the wireless headset being touted by apple just launched its aids today....

They are trying to say mp3 audio quality through a headphone Jack is horrendous....

If that isn't enough I wanted to set one of the songs I purchased as a ringtone for a friend. Guess what? I can't find the song.

I guess I will be forced to buy the stupid version of the ringtone from the Google store. D3ifdjeriwgeucoqjev3oruxiwieugiwj3 IP 59r8u3uw8r82ye up f92ye
3tv83y

# this world.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Yeah, sucks; I feel ya mate.

D3ifdjeriwgeucoqjev3oruxiwieugiwj3 IP 59r8u3uw8r82ye up f92ye
3tv83y

I think you accidentally hit a key or two?

Do you remember those S##tty pieces of sticky tape they used to seal DVDs with? Have you noticed 'they' stopped doing it?

All it took was a little campaigning in the right forums. I'm sure if you wanted to, you could get your issues resolved.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Buy physical albums , you can do what you want with them.

a reply to: gortex

True. Most computers even let you convert songs from a CD into mp3 files which can be read on virtually anything.

a reply to: gortex

I don't have a CD player anymore. Walmart doesn't have them in stock where I live. Neither does Best Buy. They already phased those out. Now all of the media entertainment stores like Hastings and fye are dying.

So that is no longer and option. I still have my computer, but it died as well. And soon enough CD DVD and blu ray drives will become obsolete.

I wish I could just hit fast forward and skip a few thousand years to see what new problems arise with technology.

Well since you've already paid for them, Just download them from a torrent site, you have a digital receipt, what can they say....

a reply to: ColaTesla

Hahahahaha. I know... The problem is... Digital content will not be so easily..... Editable.

The whole point of digital downloads is convenience right?

The way google is going about it is creating an inconvenience in an important area.

Like I said I'm not against the idea... It is just poor execution.

a reply to: GiulXainx
Funny how Google will encrypt your music for their player only, but somehow just forget that the same album is on their YouTube, free for download, and working in all apps. That's the thing with Google- They want the info on your phone, the ad revenue, and couldn't care less about the music, the musicians, or your troubles. Mark it.

originally posted by: TunedAgent
a reply to: GiulXainx
Funny how Google will encrypt your music for their player only, but somehow just forget that the same album is on their YouTube, free for download, and working in all apps. That's the thing with Google- They want the info on your phone, the ad revenue, and couldn't care less about the music, the musicians, or your troubles. Mark it.

i dont get it either.

to the OP.
im sure all your # is on youtube. get the downloader extension for firefox and save the audio.

a reply to: GiulXainx

When you downloaded them...you SAVED AS-MP3's right? And not just DOWNLOADS?

MS
Copyrighted Musician rec'ving royalties quarterly
Sony and Universal Music
I Tunes and Amazon and a few others worldwide

*PS You CAN locate a Youtube video of your selections, and use a Youtube converter to MP3...its FREE..it will play and be in your files

a reply to: mysterioustranger

This was done through my android phone and purchased from their play music app. I checked everywhere for any option that would lead me in a new direction.

But the app just says download. It doesnt give me a choice to download as a certain file, it just automatically begins to download what ever file it is defaulted to.

but when it showed up in poweramp.... it lists them like this.
1.mp3
2.mp3
3.mp3
...
1106.mp3
1107.mp3

So they are mp3 files... and poweramp can in fact pick them up and play them... but they are missing all id3 tag info. And you can't edit them.

If you try to search for the files they will not show up. I tried a few file managers to scan the file and folder location which is com.google.android.music/files/music/1070.mp3 and when it is placed in external stprage it creates a file structure with a certain 8 digit hyphenated number. And when i try to view anything in the folder both on my computer and on my phone nothing shows up.

Even had the option checked for "view hidden files."

They really don't want you to have immediate access to their music you downloaded. At least i had to point poweramp directly at the folder and hit rescan. Only to find out it unchecks everything for com.google.android.music. i had to force scan it just to bring up the files.

It is just poor integration but i can already tell what this is all going to lead to.

But it doesnt matter now. i already bought the albums through another music store.

And for the youtube music?

I pay the artists directly to have access to their music without an annoying ad being thrown up in my face every time i change a track. But.... i deleted the app. It wants to setup a 14 day ticking time bomb for youtube red.

And i am not interested in short changing the artists i enjoy listening to any further.

I still use youtube at my job to listen to music because it doesnt allow me to upload any music onto the hard drive. And it screws with my phone when ever i connect it so. I still use youtube for music, just not on my phone.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Yeah sometimes they want to take your money and offer no concession to the needs of a consumer. Once upon a time we'd get beautiful LP covers with the potential 'Easter egg' of lyrics insert or a secret message written on the inner rings. They really added to that magical 'inner circle' of the true die-hards.

Now they're bringing out mp3s with no track information and yet expect the consumer to value such a commodity? I'm not saying it justifies wholesale piracy, but it hardly favours the media producers who've equally devalued their own products.

Amazon do something similar. Some CDs come with the mp3s downloaded to your Amazon and I've never known where that is. It's not a problem because these have been presents and not my taste at all. The ones for myself I obviously don't need mp3s. Turns out I can play on the Firestick and what use is that?

The history of the music industry is one of the bully crying victim. They made billions screwing over youngsters in pop groups and tying artists into exploitative contracts. Since MP3s, they've done nothing but yowl in aggrievement at the miseries and unfairness of their lot. They're still making billions and hate losing a few dollars. I've almost zero sympathy for them although I do worry about the future for music artists.

You've given me a chuckle at 'Poweramp!' Jeez, I haven't used it since about 2002. Didn't know it still existed. VLC plays everything for me; even on the phone.

a reply to: GiulXainx

Holy cow! You have been through the ringer with this! All I can guess is its encription due to going to a phone.

On laptop, PC at home or work...or tablet? I've not experienced this.

May be all wrapped up because its to phone and not a different device.

Continued good well wishes and luck to you!

MS