actually, we sort of like being tied in... I have iPods of course, being a fully paid-up Apple Cultist (and how), though I don't use Apple's headphones with them.
AAC is an open format, of course, unlike WMA, but if you buy from the ITMS, it's tied down with a DRM layer on top. I just bought my first ever iTunes songs yesterday (Lemon Jelly EP) because I got a £10 iTunes voucher free with a recent purchase. I haven't yet decided what to get with the other £7 or so though.
Have you looked at eMusic? eMu sells actual MP3s, none of this DRM stuff, and it sells a great deal more of the sort of music I like than any of the other download services. That might be because I have weird tastes. It's subscription; the cheapest sub is $10 a month for 40 tracks.
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AAC is an open format, of course, unlike WMA, but if you buy from the ITMS, it's tied down with a DRM layer on top. I just bought my first ever iTunes songs yesterday (Lemon Jelly EP) because I got a £10 iTunes voucher free with a recent purchase. I haven't yet decided what to get with the other £7 or so though.
Have you looked at eMusic? eMu sells actual MP3s, none of this DRM stuff, and it sells a great deal more of the sort of music I like than any of the other download services. That might be because I have weird tastes. It's subscription; the cheapest sub is $10 a month for 40 tracks.