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iTunes or Beatport

Hey everyone, I am new to the forums and am starting to collect massive amounts of music so I may begin DJing.

I understand Beatport is the recognized standard for downloading music, but if I can find the EXACT same TRACK and MIX on iTunes can I buy it from there?

I know Beatport has 320 MP3 but iTunes is 128 AAC which is also good. Is one better than the other? Does it really matter? Im going to start out DJing in my room with a hometheater soundsystem but once i get a bigger place (after dorm room) i will buy some big speakers so sound quality may then matter.

Im ranting now, any help would be great!

Use whatever works for you.

There are loads of other on line stores to choose from, use these when you cannot find the track you're after at Beatport or iTunes.

Jarv

Alright, now I am looking at the CDJ200s so can I just burn CDs and pop them in and thats it? I know burning reduces sound quality but thats the only way I think.

Oh yeah, and in iTunes would i burn as a Audio or MP3 Disc?

quote:

Originally posted by mtaylor459 Alright, now I am looking at the CDJ200s so can I just burn CDs and pop them in and thats it? I know burning reduces sound quality but thats the only way I think. Oh yeah, and in iTunes would i burn as a Audio or MP3 Disc?

Burn as audio disc, less compatibility issues. And burning won't really have a noticable effect on sound quality if you're doing it from an mp3. That's only true if your source file is of higher quality than CD format (like .wav).

okay there is still one HUGE difference between the two stores (i have over 4,000 downloads from the two combined). for the most part (music label EMI aside) itunes still has digital rights management (DRM) on their files... so if you want to eventually use a program like serato scratch live or equivalent you will be unable to use itunes files. if you can get around that (burning CD is one way) then you have the advantage of paying $0.99/song. beatport files have no DRM but are anywhere from $1.49 and up.

if you are just playing out CDs then i don't think either will make a huge difference... sup. the itunes files at 128 kbps in their .m4p format are close to, if not equal, to 320 kbps .mp3s.

like mentioned above... use many different stores to find what you need. there are other big stores like audiojelly.com and trackitdown.net just to name two.

Perfect. Thanks alot for the quick help.

DO NOT USE ITUNES!!!!!!!!!!!!

the mp3's encrypted and cannot be burnt onto CD

just go beatport anyways!!!

quote:

Originally posted by theognis1002 DO NOT USE ITUNES!!!!!!!!!!!! the mp3's encrypted and cannot be burnt onto CD just go beatport anyways!!!

not true, unless they changed it since the last time i used it... you could just burn the files onto a cd through itunes. and you can later rip them into regular mp3 files after that, if you want.

quote:

Originally posted by JD8180 not true, unless they changed it since the last time i used it... you could just burn the files onto a cd through itunes. and you can later rip them into regular mp3 files after that, if you want.

correct... believe you are allowed to burn the files 5 times to CD. and yes, you must use itunes to do the burning.

quote:

Originally posted by keithos27 correct... believe you are allowed to burn the files 5 times to CD. and yes, you must use itunes to do the burning.

but i believe if you were to burn them to a cd via itunes, and later rip the tracks off the newly burnt cd, then they don't have any of those security features... w/e they're called.

quote:

Originally posted by JD8180 but i believe if you were to burn them to a cd via itunes, and later rip the tracks off the newly burnt cd, then they don't have any of those security features... w/e they're called.

that is correct... but you really have to wonder about taking a mastered audio file... converting it to a .m4p file (what itunes music store sells), then converting that to cd-audio, then converting to .mp3... i assume there is some audio degredation going on in that process (taking a lossy format, converting to cd, then converting again to a lossy format).

Yeah you do lose soem quality by doing what was just stated. But I will not be ripping them from the CD again after I burn a CD. The CD will play fine in my CDJ and thats all I need.

I will, however, run into problems if i decided to do Ableton Live or Traktor Scratch and what not because they dont play the iTunes AAC format. And then for each track I bought from iTunes I would have to burn to CD, import back into iTunes from CD into a 320kbps MP3 format which can be chosen from iTunes options and customize the import style to 320 MP3.

Its all do able but could turn into a small hassle if I got software.

iTunes is going to be a much better deal once iTunes Plus rolls out beyond the EMI catalogue. iTunes Plus tracks are DRM-free and at a much higher bitrate than the normal songs, and will cost $1.29 per song. That's still cheaper than Beatport's "back catalog" tracks!

As for normal iTunes songs' quality, I haven't noticed a difference. I have played iTunes songs right next to Beatport songs & CDs and I haven't heard anything that would make the iTunes sound different.

Personally I wouldn't choose one store over the other, but use multiple stores like other posters have said. iTunes has some tracks that Beatport does not, and vice versa, and still I have to use eBay on tracks that neither have

quote:

Originally posted by Dojomaster26 and will cost $1.29 per song. That's still cheaper than Beatport's "back catalog" tracks!

thats the same price as beatport

quote:

Originally posted by sleepydragon thats the same price as beatport

beatport for the most part is $1.49 per track... and that's the "back catalogue" as was said. i've been finding a lot more somewhat recent tracks still marked up at $1.99 and $2.49

quote:

Originally posted by JD8180 beatport for the most part is $1.49 per track...

i very rarely find any tracks in my crate that are more than �1.29.

quote:

Originally posted by sleepydragon i very rarely find any tracks in my crate that are more than �1.29.

i think u r missing the fact that $1.29 is very different to �1.29

Yeah good call.
$1.49 is what Beatport charges for older stuff and its $1.99 and $2.49 for new stuff.

And as was just pointed out $1.29 =/= �1.29

Im suprised smaller record companies that have the Techno/Trance/House and what not have not joined iTunes Plus. EMI has big name artists like Pink Floyd but soon other large Record Labels will follow suit I bet.

Once the electronic music record labels join iTunes Plus, things will be great.

For EDM Tracks/Remixes used for DJing, use Beatport.

For non-EDM albums, singles and EDM tracks/remixes and mixed CDs for casual listening, use ITunes.

Even though Beatport tracks are fine for just casual listening, however at the price they are, they can be expensive. But they are one of the cheapest next to Dance-Tunes.com, which only sells 192 kbps MP3s for like $.99 - 1.25 each. AudioJelly and DJDownload..with the exchange rate, it's like $2.50 - 3.50 each track with a $1.00 foreign transaction fee.

But if I can get the exact same Single/EP on iTunes as i can on Beatport for less money, then I will get the cheaper from iTunes though.

You bring up a good point. I listen to VNV Nation and Assemblage 23 and they are not available on Beatport and they are just listening music that can be played at a certain kind of club, and I buy them from iTunes.

Also other "listening music" artists such as Trentem�ller and Booka Shade can be found at both places.

quote:

Originally posted by mtaylor459 But if I can get the exact same Single/EP on iTunes as i can on Beatport for less money, then I will get the cheaper from iTunes though. You bring up a good point. I listen to VNV Nation and Assemblage 23 and they are not available on Beatport and they are just listening music that can be played at a certain kind of club, and I buy them from iTunes. Also other "listening music" artists such as Trentem�ller and Booka Shade can be found at both places.

Yes you can get them on ITunes for less money, but some people will pay more for better quality sound. 320 kbps are better actually than 128 kbps MP4s. Whoever said they are the same is wrong...a 128 kbps MP4 is almost as good as a 192 kbps MP3, but not 320 kbps. The new ones on ITunes Plus will be as good as a 320 kbps MP3 as far as quality goes.

Actually, iTunes is a 128 kbps AAC. And from what I understand 128 AAC = 320 MP3 roughly. Im sure the AAC may be a little less quality though.

quote:

Originally posted by mtaylor459 Actually, iTunes is a 128 kbps AAC. And from what I understand 128 AAC = 320 MP3 roughly. Im sure the AAC may be a little less quality though.

Doesn't make sense cause the files on Beatport..the 192 and the 320 are the same quality. I've bought both..no difference, they are the same price. And i've read online before that 128 kbps AAC = 192 kbps MP3, and 192 kbps AAC = 320 kbps MP3. If 128 kbps AACs were the same quality as 320 kbps MP3s, then they most likely wouldn't be $0.99 a piece.

Yeah, I dont know. On iTunes you can usually get the whole album cheaper than buying each song individually. But on Beatport a 12 track album costs $17.88 (1.49 x 12) compared to iTunes may sell the same album for $9.99.
Im not sure how iTunes manages to only charge $.99 per song for that quality if what you said was true with those equalities.

quote:

Originally posted by mtaylor459 Yeah, I dont know. On iTunes you can usually get the whole album cheaper than buying each song individually. But on Beatport a 12 track album costs $17.88 (1.49 x 12) compared to iTunes may sell the same album for $9.99. Im not sure how iTunes manages to only charge $.99 per song for that quality if what you said was true with those equalities.

Yeah I don't think that a 128 Kbps AAC = 320 kbps MP3 like I said. There would be a noticeable difference in quality between a 192 kbps AAC and a 320 kbps MP3, like what was found on Beatport. AAC (MP4) is really just a newer and better compression technique that makes files smaller, and I don't think they make 320 kbps MP4s, the most i've seen is 192 kbps MP4s, though I think the new files on ITunes Plus will be 256 kbps.

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