AmazonMP3

Decided to try Amazon.com's mp3 sales site today. I have been frustrated with iTunes, since it delivers songs in the Apple format and I have to go through a burn-then-rip process to get those songs into an mp3 format that I can use on my mp3 player.

Amazon requires a download tool be installed on the PC, but that's no real issue -- iTunes does the same thing, it's just built into the iTunes library/player. Amazon assumes your Windows PC is going to use Windows Media Player, so it installs the music there. I don't use WMP, but that's no problem, either - the mp3 files end up in subdirectories of "My Music" anyway -- just indirectly through an Amazon MP3 folder.

I can't say it's as easy to find and discover music through Amazon's site as it was through iTunes. I can't search by artist, for example. But I was able to find a bunch of stuff I've been thinking of buying, including some songs I heard in Nashville. I wasn't able to find three of the songs I wanted most, but I don't know if iTunes would have them either. I may check there, but since I don't ever want to go through that burn-then-rip process again, I doubt it.

And, while I was there, I was finally able to get the "Jesus Christ Superstar" movie soundtrack. In Best Buy it's always been over $30, and when I checked on Amazon.com, the CD would cost me $30.99. Ordering from Amazon's mp3 service, it cost under $20.

Oh, and the cost of mp3s? Most were 99-cents, some were 89-cents. And most were available for 5 Pepsi points, so I will have to start paying attention to how I can acquire Pepsi points.