Album only available on Amazon and iTunes. Which one should I buy from?

[JanesJr1]

What does the file extension say?

Anyway, mp3 files (and aac, ogg/vorbis, etc.) all decode to 16/44.1 for playback. The difference is the bit rate. Amazon uses 256kbps vbr last I recall. Flac is 1411kbps after decompression.

Mp3 throws out bits that are "perceptually inaudible" to reduce the bit rate and file size. Flac reduces the file size (and bit rate during transport) using reversable space compression (similar to a zip file) without irretrievably removing any original information.

Don't know why your player would report flac for an mp3 file. What player is it?

I will answer your question in a separate reply. But I still don't understand the practical importance of your comments about flac and mp3. Are you saying Amazon 16/44.1 streaming music is lossless while downloaded flac files are compressed to a lossy level? Or are you saying that after the compression schemes for mp3 and flac that they are equally lossy? or is it un-lossy?

 

[JanesJr1]

I will answer your question in a separate reply. But I still don't understand the practical importance of your comments about flac and mp3. Are you saying Amazon 16/44.1 streaming music is lossless while downloaded flac files are compressed to a lossy level? Or are you saying that after the compression schemes for mp3 and flac that they are equally lossy? or is it un-lossy?

As to music player I use only Amazon Music b/c it plays both streaming and local files. Except for Idagio, which has its own player.

As to the licensing model, downloaded files played offline under a streaming HD license do not have a single file extension that I can locate. (I do know where the downloads are filed.) But Amazon idenitifies it as a flac file playing at at least 16/44.1 during offline playback. "Offline" means no network available and the playback is identified as download playback offline. There are a number of downloaded data files that change when I download something. If the downloaded file is purchased, there is indeed an .mp3.

Does that mean that the purchased .mp3 download is or is not playing at a different resolution from the streaming service download version? Or do we not know?

Thanks!

 

[Jimbob54]

Does that mean that the purchased .mp3 download is or is not playing at a different resolution from the streaming service download version?

Bingo. It's a different product. Amazon sells mp3 files. Subscribers to its hd streaming service can download lossless files for offline playback within the amazon music app (desktop or mobile) . But not copy /move /play on 3rd party apps unlike the purchased mp3 files.

 

[JanesJr1]

Bingo. It's a different product. Amazon sells mp3 files. Subscribers to its hd streaming service can download lossless files for offline playback within the amazon music app (desktop or mobile) . But not copy /move /play on 3rd party apps unlike the purchased mp3 files.

I understand that the licensing model requires a proprietary format for subscription downloads that are temporary. But were the earlier comments about the streaming downloads also confirming that, when downloaded, the "Flac" files are in fact lossy once you look through the compression schemes? Or was is just saying that a lower quality playback is possible but unproven (setting aside for a moment the question of whether the difference is audible or not)?

 

[SKBubba]

I will answer your question in a separate reply. But I still don't understand the practical importance of your comments about flac and mp3. Are you saying Amazon 16/44.1 streaming music is lossless while downloaded flac files are compressed to a lossy level? Or are you saying that after the compression schemes for mp3 and flac that they are equally lossy? or is it un-lossy?

Whether streaming or downloaded, mp3 files are lossy and flac files are lossless (generally speaking).

Here's some further reading...

MP3 vs AAC vs FLAC vs CD | Stereophile.com

As Wes Phillips recently reported on this website, CD sales are down and legal downloads of audio files are up.

www.stereophile.com

 

[JanesJr1]

Whether streaming or downloaded, mp3 files are lossy and flac files are lossless (generally speaking).

Here's some further reading...

MP3 vs AAC vs FLAC vs CD | Stereophile.com

As Wes Phillips recently reported on this website, CD sales are down and legal downloads of audio files are up.

www.stereophile.com

Thanks for the reading! As a general point of knowledge, I know Flac is supposed to be lossless and .mp3 is lossy. However, I thought that the import of comments earlier in this thread were saying that Amazon was packaging lossy files for playback at 16/44.1, in a way that at least confused the issue or at worst is actually deceptive.

In particular:

"Anyway, mp3 files (and aac, ogg/vorbis, etc.) all decode to 16/44.1 for playback. The difference is the bit rate. Amazon uses 256kbps vbr last I recall. Flac is 1411kbps after decompression.

"Mp3 throws out bits that are "perceptually inaudible" to reduce the bit rate and file size. Flac reduces the file size (and bit rate during transport) using reversable space compression (similar to a zip file) without irretrievably removing any original information.

Sorry for my lack of technical understanding, I appreciate your parsing this out for me. I will read what you sent.

 

[SKBubba]

Thanks for the reading! As a general point of knowledge, I know Flac is supposed to be lossless and .mp3 is lossy. However, I thought that the import of comments earlier in this thread were saying that Amazon was packaging lossy files for playback at 16/44.1, in a way that at least confused the issue or at worst is actually deceptive.

In particular:

"Anyway, mp3 files (and aac, ogg/vorbis, etc.) all decode to 16/44.1 for playback. The difference is the bit rate. Amazon uses 256kbps vbr last I recall. Flac is 1411kbps after decompression.

"Mp3 throws out bits that are "perceptually inaudible" to reduce the bit rate and file size. Flac reduces the file size (and bit rate during transport) using reversable space compression (similar to a zip file) without irretrievably removing any original information.

Sorry for my lack of technical understanding, I appreciate your parsing this out for me. I will read what you sent.

Yes, sorry, I was referring to Amazon purchased downloads being mp3, not their streaming, which is flac.

 

[Jimbob54]

Can't you download flac files on Amazon? Many of their streaming Flac's sound absolutely better to me than the same AAC selections on my iTunes account.

Apologies, I missed this post and replied only to your one subsequent , this increasing the confusion.

If you select the right options in amazon music (streaming) you can download lossless flacs for playback on that device through their apps.

But you can't buy lossless flacs from amazon . Only lossy mp3

Your 16/44.1 download is lossless.

 

[JanesJr1]

Yes, sorry, I was referring to Amazon purchased downloads being mp3, not their streaming, which is flac.

One last kick at the dying horse. When Amazon plays streaming subscription downloaded files identified as FLAC at 16/44.1 offline, the source music is identical to the lossless files that are also streamed online, or so we believe? And when anybody plays back an Amazon purchased .mp3, the source music is at a lower, lossy level of resolution (even if the mp3 is played back at 16/44.1, or however that works)?

 

[SKBubba]

One last kick at the dying horse. When Amazon plays streaming subscription downloaded files identified as FLAC at 16/44.1 offline, the source music is identical to the lossless files that are also streamed online, or so we believe? And when anybody plays back an Amazon purchased .mp3, the source music is at a lower, lossy level of resolution (even if the mp3 is played back at 16/44.1, or however that works)?

Correct.

Edit to add: The flac files you download from Amazon streaming for offline playback are DRM protected, so you can only play them back via the app and only for as long as you have an active subscription.

 

[JanesJr1]

Correct.

Edit to add: The flac files you download from Amazon streaming for offline playback are DRM protected, so you can only play them back via the app and only for as long as you have an active subscription.

Yes, I figured that would be why I wouldn't find a distinct .flac file in the Amazon download folder, since it would have to be some proprietary format. And when I looked, so it is.

 

[JanesJr1]

Apologies, I missed this post and replied only to your one subsequent , this increasing the confusion.

If you select the right options in amazon music (streaming) you can download lossless flacs for playback on that device through their apps.

But you can't buy lossless flacs from amazon . Only lossy mp3

Your 16/44.1 download is lossless.

Yes, kicking this can down the road (in this thread) has clarified this for me. I have moved so far to the subscription model that I haven't tried to actually purchase a download on Amazon, and relied on my subscription-model download experience. Thanks.

 

[Katji]

One last kick at the dying horse. [...]

There's more, but i've saved it as draft for later - can't do it now. / Enough of the tech side of it for now.

Edit to add: The flac files you download from Amazon streaming for offline playback are DRM protected, so you can only play them back via the app and only for as long as you have an active subscription.

Horrible.
[ I won't do digressive rant about me versus corporate record companies. - Re-imagined as online department stores - mega. ]
Fortunately it doesn't apply to me. Too busy with free 128 bits mp3 from soundcloud. Just a few odd occasions where I thought i needed the original record, and got involved, wasted time.

Yes, I figured that would be why I wouldn't find a distinct .flac file in the Amazon download folder, since it would have to be some proprietary format. And when I looked, so it is.

Good. Need to know. And to have that option switched on in Windows Explorer - show all filename .ext.