iTunes music cracked

[Easy Mac]

hxxp://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/04/20040405064947.shtml

There was a program that would record the stream of a file, but this is easier. This allows you to only copy your music bought legally (and put on more than 3 computers), but theoretically the new files could be shared.

story:


An application called Playfair has been released.

This application takes protected AACs from the iTunes Music Store and decrypts them into unprotected AACs. From the site: It takes one of the iTMS Protected AAC Audio Files, decodes it using a key obtained from your iPod or Microsoft Windows system and then writes the new, decoded version to disk as a regular AAC Audio File. It then optionally copies the metadata tags that describe the song, including the cover art, to the new file.

According to reader feedback, the application does work as described, allowing owners of purchased songs to convert their Protected AACs into UnProtected AACs. Due to the key-based system, users are not able to decode protected AACs from other individuals (only ones they own).

The application is presently only available as source code and requires compilation.

[stevew]

Wow, this is interesting. I wonder, tho, if the tags identifying it as yours will still remain.

[Bosco]

You still have to buy the AAC files in the first place, right? Seems kind of pointless when someone could fire up Soulseek and get them for free.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Bosco

You still have to buy the AAC files in the first place, right? Seems kind of pointless when someone could fire up Soulseek and get them for free.

Well someone has to buy that CD that they put out MP3's with first.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

Well someone has to buy that CD that they put out MP3's with first.

Then explain how music and movies get put up on Kazaa and the like before they are even released.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Then explain how music and movies get put up on Kazaa and the like before they are even released.

Well, you might have a point on newer stuff, but on older stuff, someone had to buy the CD first. I imagine the newer stuff gets up there from people who get advance copies(rougue reviewers, etc,)

[Hurst2112]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Then explain how music and movies get put up on Kazaa and the like before they are even released.

Alot of record companies give out promo cds to radio stations and such. Working in a studio, we used to do radio events for several minneapolis radio stations. As a gift (besides the studio rental of course) we would get a large batch of "promo cds to pick through. These would be marked some way and would be the full cd.

I also remember when linkin park came in for a listening party. I was engineering that day for them. That consisted of being able to play a cd through a pa in our performance area and lobby (where the food was, a lounge area.)

Before the listening party, guys from LPs record company came in and got ready. They came through the control room and made sure that there weren't any recording devices available to copy the cd as it was playing. I had to show them all of our 2 track machines and prove that they werent able to record (if I wanted to, I could have sent the 2 mix to our other studio and recorded it in there...hehe).

Anyway, they also were telling me that each record label guy representing LP had a 7 song cd of the meteora album. These were final mixes and was what we listened to at the party. They were explaining that the cds each of them had had their name encrypted into the cd index. So, if they were to make mp3s out of their disk, their name would come up as the person doing it. Also, the band was not named linkin park...it was something else.

it seemed like a pretty good fale-safe.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

Well, you might have a point on newer stuff, but on older stuff, someone had to buy the CD first. I imagine the newer stuff gets up there from people who get advance copies(rougue reviewers, etc,)

Or they stole it from their local record store.

I thought that a lot of the advance stuff getting leaked was from people working there that stole it or whatnot. Most of the stuff on file-sharing networks is stolen (if not downloaded from someone else, then the source file was from a stolen cd etc)

[Bosco]

If anything I think this will have more of an impact on Apple's agreement with the RIAA than the availability of free music.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

Alot of record companies give out promo cds to radio stations and such. Working in a studio, we used to do radio events for several minneapolis radio stations. As a gift (besides the studio rental of course) we would get a large batch of "promo cds to pick through. These would be marked some way and would be the full cd.

I also remember when linkin park came in for a listening party. I was engineering that day for them. That consisted of being able to play a cd through a pa in our performance area and lobby (where the food was, a lounge area.)

Before the listening party, guys from LPs record company came in and got ready. They came through the control room and made sure that there weren't any recording devices available to copy the cd as it was playing. I had to show them all of our 2 track machines and prove that they werent able to record (if I wanted to, I could have sent the 2 mix to our other studio and recorded it in there...hehe).

Anyway, they also were telling me that each record label guy representing LP had a 7 song cd of the meteora album. These were final mixes and was what we listened to at the party. They were explaining that the cds each of them had had their name encrypted into the cd index. So, if they were to make mp3s out of their disk, their name would come up as the person doing it. Also, the band was not named linkin park...it was something else.

it seemed like a pretty good fale-safe.

I'm sure there are protections, it sounds like that those are pretty good fail-safes too. Stuff inevitably gets leaked, look at all the movie footage that gets leaked before the movie is even finished! I'm still of the belief that most of the leaked stuff is from someone on the "inside" with access, it has to be IMO.

[cthomer5000]

My guess is most stuff that is found on-line pre-release is coming from advance copies that go to music publications, radio stations, or even coming from record-label employees. They can have that stuff anywhere from months to just a few days in advance.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

My guess is most stuff that is found on-line pre-release is coming from advance copies that go to music publications, radio stations, or even coming from record-label employees. They can have that stuff anywhere from months to just a few days in advance.

I think that's the stuff Hurst was talking about.

Most of the time I'm sure that it is heavily safe guarded (as Hurst described) but of course it's going to get recorded either off the radio or by feeding the audion to another studio as Hurst suggested.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Or they stole it from their local record store.

I thought that a lot of the advance stuff getting leaked was from people working there that stole it or whatnot. Most of the stuff on file-sharing networks is stolen (if not downloaded from someone else, then the source file was from a stolen cd etc)

Man I never knew how badly people rip of Cd's till I worked at a Target. We had something like 25K worth disapear in a year. The main tactic seemed to be to take the disc itself, and leave behind the case(with the magnetic theft divice).

[Bosco]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

My guess is most stuff that is found on-line pre-release is coming from advance copies that go to music publications, radio stations, or even coming from record-label employees. They can have that stuff anywhere from months to just a few days in advance.

That's exactly where its coming from. Take Wilco's new album for example. The release date isn't until June something and the reviewers copies were already sent out. What do you know its all over the web. I've heard of a few bands, Radiohead notably, actually sending out the reviewer CDs in glued shut Discmen with the headphones glued in. I believe Pearl Jam did the samething with their latest.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Chubby

I think that's the stuff Hurst was talking about.

Most of the time I'm sure that it is heavily safe guarded (as Hurst described) but of course it's going to get recorded either off the radio or by feeding the audion to another studio as Hurst suggested.

I work at a radio station (a real, commerical radio staion) and was a music director at a college radio station. I could walk out the door daily with tons of pre-release stuff. It's insanely easy to get your hands on this stuff and get it into distribution.

I know the labels have really gone through a lot more trouble with "big name" releases recently. For instance with the new Norah Jones record, they actually sent it out under a different artists name - to keep it from being snagged by someone before it reached it's intended recipient (who of course still could just rip and upload it if they wanted to).

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Bosco

That's exactly where its coming from. Take Wilco's new album for example. The release date isn't until June something and the reviewers copies were already sent out. What do you know its all over the web. I've heard of a few bands, Radiohead notably, actually sending out the reviewer CDs in glued shut Discmen with the headphones glued in. I believe Pearl Jam did the samething with their latest.

Yeah. I vividly recall my friends and me having Weezers "green album" about 5 weeks before release. To our credit, all 4 of us (who here insalely huge fans) still bought the album on the day of it's release.

My friend had downloaded it off the net. Even our college station didn't receive our promo copy until about 10 days before it went on sale.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

Anyway, they also were telling me that each record label guy representing LP had a 7 song cd of the meteora album. These were final mixes and was what we listened to at the party. They were explaining that the cds each of them had had their name encrypted into the cd index. So, if they were to make mp3s out of their disk, their name would come up as the person doing it. Also, the band was not named linkin park...it was something else.

it seemed like a pretty good fale-safe.

Unless of course they were to rip them to MP3, burn them to CD, and then rip them again off that CD. I could be wrong, but even doing something as simple as that it'd probably be difficult to track.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

Man I never knew how badly people rip of Cd's till I worked at a Target. We had something like 25K worth disapear in a year. The main tactic seemed to be to take the disc itself, and leave behind the case(with the magnetic theft divice).

Yeah, that's a popular tactic. Or take off the security tag (since you work there you obviously know where they are) or disable it by wiping it against the thing at the counter. Or cram like 5 discs into 1 case and buy that one "cd" which is really 5 cds. There's tons of ways.

I worked at Media Play part time and know customers and employees that ripped em off left and right. It was never worth it to me to risk my job over a friggin $15 cd, or many cds or games for that matter.

[Bosco]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Yeah. I vividly recall my friends and me having Weezers "green album" about 5 weeks before release. To our credit, all 4 of us (who here insalely huge fans) still bought the album on the day of it's release.

My friend had downloaded it off the net. Even our college station didn't receive our promo copy until about 10 days before it went on sale.

Well the great part of the Wilco early release is the fans have started a site www.justafan.org collecting donations to be sent to Wilco's favorite charity in return for downloading it early. I'm sure most of these people will buy the album on release also, I know I will. So far they've collected $7,322.

The band also responded to the leak by releasing the official tracklist, the leak was a little messed up, and the official album art.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Yeah, that's a popular tactic. Or take off the security tag (since you work there you obviously know where they are) or disable it by wiping it against the thing at the counter. Or cram like 5 discs into 1 case and buy that one "cd" which is really 5 cds. There's tons of ways.

I worked at Media Play part time and know customers and employees that ripped em off left and right. It was never worth it to me to risk my job over a friggin $15 cd, or many cds or games for that matter.

You know, I would never steal from a store, but essentially by downloading music I was doing the same thing. I've deleted the Mp3's of stuff I havent ever bought, but if I ever bought it on cassette, or CD(that got scratched or stolen) I kept it. I know that Im still illegal, but I suppose not as illegal.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

You know, I would never steal from a store, but essentially by downloading music I was doing the same thing. I've deleted the Mp3's of stuff I havent ever bought, but if I ever bought it on cassette, or CD(that got scratched or stolen) I kept it. I know that Im still illegal, but I suppose not as illegal.

To me, the whole downloading music thing is extremely complicated so I won't go into my thoughts on it. It's just a huge gray area.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Chubby

To me, the whole downloading music thing is extremely complicated so I won't go into my thoughts on it. It's just a huge gray area.

I agree its pretty gray. If I were getting Mp3's from a friend I wouldnt consider it illegal downloading. But the Kazaa, now that I think back on it, was shady as hell. Trading between people you know is one thing, trading anonymously is another.

[Hurst2112]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Unless of course they were to rip them to MP3, burn them to CD, and then rip them again off that CD. I could be wrong, but even doing something as simple as that it'd probably be difficult to track.

I don't know, possible. I don't like LP so I wouldn't go through all of that trouble, even if it was possible.

Making copies of copies of copies. It's a sad time in our musical tastes when people accept 3rd generation mp3s, much less mp3s in general. I can't seem to figure out the public when it comes to spending 99 cents per song for an inferior product.

[Bosco]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

I don't know, possible. I don't like LP so I wouldn't go through all of that trouble, even if it was possible.

Making copies of copies of copies. It's a sad time in our musical tastes when people accept 3rd generation mp3s, much less mp3s in general. I can't seem to figure out the public when it comes to spending 99 cents per song for an inferior product.

The majority of the public doesn't spend 99 cents on mp3s. And for just about everyone VBR high quality mp3s are just as good as anything you can buy.

[Hurst2112]

Originally Posted by Bosco

The majority of the public doesn't spend 99 cents on mp3s. And for just about everyone VBR high quality mp3s are just as good as anything you can buy.

Sorry to be a dick but I would like to see some proof on both instances you gave.


I didn't mention anything about the majority of the public. What I did say was that I can't understand why the public spends money on an inferior product.

As far as the quality of the MP3s, I feel that you are wrong here as well. If you look at a frequency analyzer and compare the spectrum of an analog source, a digital source, and an mp3 source, you will see that the mp3 is the inferior of the 3.

Although I can not speak about VBR and what it does to 'enhance' mp3s, I would defend my experience and say that you can't pollish a turd. You can't make a compressed, digitally altered piece of audio sound as good as the parent file. There are changes in the sonic field in mp3s that alter the audio waves of even a digital source (cd). There are frequencies and harmonics of frequencies that are in music, and reside in the upper and lower frequency ranges of music that our bodies sense but don't hear. These help accentuate tones and frequencies that we do recognize. These 'phantom' harmonics and things get shaved off in the mp3 conversion process.

Again, I can't speak about VBR, but I can guess that the process is similar. Maybe VBR doesn't shave off as much. Who knows.

[Bosco]

I guess I phrased what I meant wrong. Its not that they are as good as anything you can buy, but unless you have a trained ear or are a serious audiophile then you probably can't tell the difference between a CD and a properly ripped mp3.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by stevew

Man I never knew how badly people rip of Cd's till I worked at a Target. We had something like 25K worth disapear in a year. The main tactic seemed to be to take the disc itself, and leave behind the case(with the magnetic theft divice).

Yeah, I knew a kid who was a chronic thief. Like, this fool would go in stores like crazy and had worked out a system with a friend where they'd go distract employees while he would get the music. It was nuts and I couldn't believe he got away with it for as long as he did.

So, I can only imagine how bad things are now, b/c that was like 10 years ago.

[Hurst2112]

Originally Posted by Bosco

I guess I phrased what I meant wrong. Its not that they are as good as anything you can buy, but unless you have a trained ear or are a serious audiophile then you probably can't tell the difference between a CD and a properly ripped mp3.

I understand what you are saying.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

Again, I can't speak about VBR, but I can guess that the process is similar. Maybe VBR doesn't shave off as much. Who knows.

According to this study VBR was only significantly better with WMA Lossless codec.

We are able to prove that this codec, which only achieves a compression ratio of about 2:1 on most musical tracks, is indeed mathematically lossless. It sounds exactly like the source material and produces an identical spectrum analysis graph, without fail

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Yeah, I knew a kid who was a chronic thief. Like, this fool would go in stores like crazy and had worked out a system with a friend where they'd go distract employees while he would get the music. It was nuts and I couldn't believe he got away with it for as long as he did.

So, I can only imagine how bad things are now, b/c that was like 10 years ago.

I believe the rationale for leaving Cd's in the bins whithout the protective hard plastic was that it would cost more in labor fo the distribution center to place them in that plastic than the theft shrinkage that would occur. And my initial figure of 25K might have been high now that I think about it. 25K may have been CD's and DVD's(which also get stolen like crazy).

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

I believe the rationale for leaving Cd's in the bins whithout the protective hard plastic was that it would cost more in labor fo the distribution center to place them in that plastic than the theft shrinkage that would occur. And my initial figure of 25K might have been high now that I think about it. 25K may have been CD's and DVD's(which also get stolen like crazy).

distribution center? pffffffft, we had to put them in those "cases" ourselves. that was one of the "busywork" chores.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Chubby

distribution center? pffffffft, we had to put them in those "cases" ourselves. that was one of the "busywork" chores.

Damn, sucks to be you then.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

Damn, sucks to be you then.

Yup, nothing like mindlessly snapping the new releases into those hard plastic cases (is there even a word for them?) for a couple of hours. Especially when something "big" would come out, so you had to stare at N'Suck cds for 1/2 your shift.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Hurst2112

Making copies of copies of copies. It's a sad time in our musical tastes when people accept 3rd generation mp3s, much less mp3s in general.

Well, in that kind of case I'd think people would be happy with anything they could get in advance if that were to be the goal. Mainly what I was trying to say is that all the copy protection measures they come up with like that won't actually stop things from getting out early. If you're going to give things like pre release demos early to people and someone who wants to distribute it pre release for free on the internet, all you're likely to be doing it to make it harder for them to do it, not completely preventing them.

[Hurst2112]

The forum was a better source of information than the actual article on the test.

This article and test wasn't performed very well. Unless I missed it, we don't know what the source was or what the numbers are based on.

With only 6 people, those results are not so reliable. Should have at least 15 people for those averages to mean something. Also should have had original source on there as well for control, or report the lossless compression as control. We need a number for the best case scenario, instead of just assuming that it would be a 5. Nice article though

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Yup, nothing like mindlessly snapping the new releases into those hard plastic cases (is there even a word for them?) for a couple of hours. Especially when something "big" would come out, so you had to stare at N'Suck cds for 1/2 your shift.

Now I could stare at that Aguilera CD cover all day tho(Stripped).