Digital Music: A Primer
Our Guide to the Basics
Plus Some Little-Known Tips;
The Music Quiz on Your iPod
Over 50 million Apple iPods, and lots of competing digital music players, have been sold by now -- as well as over a billion songs and tens of millions of videos, since legal media sales took off a few years ago.
But many folks -- even some who own iPods and other players -- are still confused over how legal digital music works. So here's a quick-and-dirty guide to the digital music world, in question-and-answer form. We've included the questions we are asked most frequently, plus a few other topics.
Q: What's the difference between the Apple iPod and all the other portable music players? Some of them seem to have more features.
A: The main difference is that Apple has created an entire end-to-end digital media system around the iPod, and it works. In our view, and those of most other reviewers, the combination of the iPod's design, the iTunes music software, and the iTunes Music Store, provides a superior experience to buying a player separately, using software from Microsoft, and buying music from an unaffiliated store.
As a result, the iPod, and the iTunes store, dominate the legal music world, with shares of more than 70% of the market, depending on how you measure it.
Still, players from companies like iRiver and Creative are attractive and have some features the iPod lacks, such as built-in FM radios. And music services from RealNetworks, Yahoo, Napster and others offer an interesting alternative to iTunes.
Q: If I buy an iPod, must I buy music from Apple's iTunes store? Conversely, can I buy music from Apple, and play it, if I don't have an iPod?
A: No, and yes. You don't have to buy a single song from Apple. You can fill an iPod entirely with music you convert from your own CDs, or which you get from unauthorized download services, or from friends. The latter two sources are probably illegal, but they are technically easy to use. In fact, most of the song files on most of the world's iPods weren't purchased from Apple, or anyone else. That's because the iPod, and iTunes, can play back files in the open MP3 format, and in other non-copy-protected formats.
Conversely, you can set up an account with the iTunes Music Store and buy as many songs, videos, and other material as you like, without owning an iPod. You would simply play back your purchased media on Windows or Macintosh computers. You can play any one song on as many as five different computers. All you need is the free iTunes software, which can be downloaded from Apple's Web site in either a Windows or Mac version.
Q: Will songs purchased from iTunes play back on non-iPod portable players? Will songs purchased from competing services play back on iPods?
A: No, and no -- unless you use a workaround (see next answer). At the insistence of the record labels, all songs from major label catalogs that are sold as online downloads must be encrypted to limit copying. There are two encryption formats. One is owned by Apple, and the other is owned by Microsoft. The iTunes Store uses the Apple encryption format, and most other legal download services use the Microsoft format.
Any player from any company can theoretically be enabled to use either format, but Apple refuses to license its encryption format to any competing maker of players. And Apple also refuses to incorporate the Microsoft format on iPods. The result is that songs bought from iTunes only work on iPods, while songs bought from most other legal services only work on non-iPod players.
There is one exception. A service called eMusic sells its songs in the open MP3 format, without encryption or copy-protection. Thus, these songs will play on iPods and all other portable music players. But eMusic doesn't carry the catalogs of the major labels. It has a much smaller selection than iTunes does.
Q: Is there any way around this? Can I legally modify or convert encrypted songs so they will work on portable players for which they weren't intended?
A: Yes, but the method is clumsy, especially if you try to apply it to a large number of converted songs.
To convert songs purchased from iTunes to an open format that will play on, say, a Creative player, or in Windows Media Player software, you first must burn the songs to CD. Then, using iTunes or other music software, you re-import them from CD, turning them into open MP3 files that can be played on any player. This works fine, but it has two big downsides.
First, it can take a long time to convert, say, 500 songs this way. Second, the process strips off all the identifying data from the song files, and home-burned CDs typically aren't recognized by the automatic song-recognition process used by iTunes and other software. So you'll have to manually re-enter info like artist, album and song title.
Independent site iLounge has a free manual on getting the most from your iPod.
This process works the other way as well, with a big "if." You can convert Microsoft-encrypted songs this same way, so they become MP3 files that can be played on an iPod. But the catch is that songs offered by the leading Microsoft-based services often can't be burned to CDs. (See next answer.)
There is some software that claims to efficiently strip the encryption from copy-protected song files, turning them into MP3 files. But these programs are almost certainly illegal under recent copyright laws, and Apple and other companies constantly change the innards of their encryption formats to foil the programs.
Q: What is the difference between Apple's iTunes store, and competing services like Rhapsody and Napster 2.0? Does one carry more music?
A: Apple's iTunes store claims to have more than three million songs licensed from the major labels and from independents. Rhapsody and Napster claim more than two million songs, and Yahoo Music Unlimited claims more than one million. So, iTunes has by far the most music. In addition, iTunes has a strong selection of videos, including 150 television series, plus tens of thousands of audio books and podcasts. Its competitors are much weaker in these non-music categories. Most have nothing at all besides music.
The main difference lies in how the services work. iTunes works like a physical record store: you buy songs or albums, paying separately for each. Songs are 99 cents each, albums are usually $9.99, and videos are typically $1.99. Apple is reportedly negotiating to sell full-length movies as well.
Rhapsody, Napster and Yahoo work on a subscription model: you pay a monthly fee, and can download an unlimited number of songs. For Rhapsody and Napster, the fee is $10 a month if you want only to store and play music on a computer, or $15 a month if you also want to play your music on a portable player. Yahoo charges less -- $6.99 a month for a PC-only plan and $11.99 a month for a portable plan.
The upside of Apple's approach is that, once you buy a song, you own it. It never expires. You can burn it to CD an unlimited number of times, and transfer it to an unlimited number of iPods. The downside is that, to fill an iPod with, say, 5,000 purchased songs, you'd have to spend $5,000.
With the subscription plans, you can fill a portable player for just a monthly fee. But there's a huge downside: you don't own the music, you merely rent it. If you stop making your monthly payments, all the songs you downloaded over the years will suddenly expire and become inert and unplayable on your computer and on your portable player. Also, rental songs usually can't be burned to CD and can only be copied to a limited number of portable players. In order to burn the tunes to CD, you generally must first buy them for an individual price, just as you do on iTunes.
Q: How do I use multiple iPods with one iTunes library on my PC, if I want different music on each iPod?
A: In the Preferences section of iTunes, you can set up each iPod so it synchronizes only with particular playlists, not your whole library. Just set up a playlist for each iPod, and set it up to sync only with that playlist.
Or, you can set up each iPod so it doesn't automatically synchronize with iTunes at all, and simply works in manual mode. Then, you can manually drag different songs into each iPod.
Q: Can I copy the songs on my iPod to my second or third computer?
A: At the insistence of the record labels, Apple was forced to cripple the iPod so it can't copy music to a computer, out of the box. Copying only works from a computer to an iPod, not the other way. But there are many third-party utility programs, for both Windows and Mac, that allow copying from an iPod to a computer. One example is PodUtil, which has versions for both Mac and Windows. It's at:
www.kennettnet.co.uk/software/podutil.php.One thing to bear in mind: you can only play any song you buy from iTunes on up to five computers, Windows or Mac. Songs in the open MP3 format can be played on an unlimited number of computers.
Q: Can I share the music in my iTunes software with others?
A: Yes, within limits. You can set up iTunes on your Windows PC or Mac so that others on your computer network (but not over the Internet) can stream, or listen to, your songs, without actually moving the song file to their computer. The receiving computer must have iTunes installed, and both machines must be enabled for sharing in the Sharing section of the iTunes Preferences panel.
Q: What can I do with an iPod, other than play music on it?
A: Current iPods can play videos, like TV shows. And most iPods can play audio books and podcasts. Recent models also can play back your photos as slide shows, accompanied by music and fancy transitions. And, with a $20 cable, the iPod can display videos and photos on a TV set.
But there's a lot of other stuff buried in an iPod. The iPod can display, but not edit, your calendar and contacts and notes, synchronized from your computer. This works with Microsoft Outlook on Windows and with the Address Book and Calendar programs that come with every Mac. Current iPods also have a built-in stop watch and multi-city clock.
You can also use your iPod as a portable hard disk. It can be set up to appear as a regular hard disk on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Any space on the iPod that isn't occupied by your music, videos, photos and so forth can be used to store any type of file you want, for backup, or for transfer among computers. You just have to plug your iPod into your computer, go to the iPod preferences tab, and check "Enable Disk Use."
The iPod also has some built-in games. My favorite, Music Quiz, tests your knowledge of your own music. It plays a short clip of a randomly selected song from your collection, then displays five multiple-choice song titles. Your task is to select the right title in the shortest possible time, while a clock counts down the points you can win. It's addictive.
There's a ton more to know about digital music, and specifically, iPods. Apple has a series of iPod and iTunes tutorials at
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod101/. The independent Web site iLounge (ilounge.com) is packed with tips and tutorials and even offers a free, downloadable 194-page book about the iPod, at:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/download-now-the-free-ipod-book-20. 数字音乐入门指南
现在，全球已售出5,000万台苹果公司(Apple)出品的iPod，以及许多其它品牌的MP3音乐播放器。自从几年前数字音乐的合法销售起步后，全球也已售出10亿多首数字歌曲和几千万部数码视频产品。
不过，许多人──包括iPod等数码音乐播放器的用户──都搞不清楚合法购买的数字音乐该如何使用。在这里，我们以问答方式为大家提供了一份简便快捷的数字音乐使用指南，其中包括一些最常见的问题，以及其它几个话题。
问：苹果iPod和其它便携式数字音乐播放器有何区别？有些播放器好像功能更多一些。
答：最大的区别在于，苹果公司为iPod设计了一整套数字音乐配套系统，非常好用。在我们和大多数评论人士看来，iPod的设计，加上同出一门的iTunes音乐软件以及iTunes在线音乐商店，为用户构建起一个和谐体系，比买一个其它品牌的音乐播放器，然后用微软公司(Microsoft)的软件，再从别的网上商店购买数字音乐更为优越。
正因如此，iPod播放器和iTunes在线音乐商店在数字音乐市场占据主导地位，无论以何种尺度来看，市场份额都在70%以上。
不过，iRiver 和Creative出品的音乐播放器也很有吸引力，它们具备一些iPod所没有的功能，如内置调频收音机等。RealNetworks、Yahoo、Napster等数字音乐服务也为用户提供了iTunes以外的其它选择。
问：如果我买iPod的话，必须从苹果的iTunes商店购买音乐吗？反之，我可以从iTunes商店购买音乐，而不用iPod来播放吗？
答：第一个问题的答案是否定的，第二个问题的答案是肯定的。你不一定非要从苹果公司的在线商店购买数字音乐，你也可以在iPod里全部装上自购CD转录的数字音乐，或从网上下载的未授权音乐，或是从朋友那里得到的音乐。后两种情况可能是非法的，但从技术角度来说很容易操作。事实上，全球绝大多数iPod机播放的绝大多数音乐都不是从iTunes或其它在线音乐商店买来的。这是因为iPod和iTunes软件既可以播放普通的MP3音乐格式，又可以播放其它没有拷贝限制的音乐格式。
反之，你也可以通过iTunes商店购买自己喜欢的歌曲、视频等资源，而不一定非得拥有iPod。买到的音乐能直接在Windows或Macintosh操作系统的个人电脑上播放，最多可以在五台不同的电脑上播放，只需安装上iTunes软件即可，该软件在苹果公司网站可以免费下载，适合Windows和Macintosh的版本都有。
问：从iTunes商店买来的音乐可以在iPod以外的播放器上播放吗？从别的在线音乐商店购买的音乐可以在iPod上播放吗？
答：都不可以，除非你采用迂回方式（参照下一项问答）。在唱片公司的要求下，所有大唱片公司在线销售的数字歌曲都做了加密处理以限制复制行为。加密格式有两种，一种是苹果公司的，另一种是微软公司的。iTunes使用的是苹果公司的加密格式，而其它大多数合法的在线音乐商店使用微软加密格式。
从理论上讲，任何公司生产的数字音乐播放器都能识别任意一种加密格式，但苹果公司拒绝将其加密格式授权给其它生产播放器的竞争对手，同时也拒绝让iPod识别微软加密格式。因此，从iTunes商店购买的音乐只能在iPod上播放，而从其它合法在线商店购买的音乐只能在非iPod机上播放。
只有一个例外：一个名叫eMusic的服务商销售普通MP3格式的数字音乐，未采用加密或限制拷贝技术。因此，这些歌曲能在iPod等所有播放器上欣赏。然而，eMusic并不销售大唱片公司的音乐，比iTunes商店提供的选择少得多。
问：有没有迂回方式，使我能以合法途径修改或转换加密过的歌曲，使其能在其它播放器上播放？
答：有，但这种方法很麻烦，特别是你想转换很多歌曲的话。
要把从iTunes商店购买的音乐转换成Creative等音乐播放器或微软媒体播放器(Windows Media Player)软件能识别的格式，必须先将数字歌曲刻录成CD，然后使用iTunes等其它音乐软件，从CD上将歌曲以普通MP3格式重新复制下来。这种方式能够达到目的，但有两大缺点。
首先，大量歌曲（如500首）的转换时间很长。其次，这一过程会清除歌曲所有的存档信息，而且自己刻录在CD上的歌曲通常无法被iTunes等软件自动识别，因此用户必须手工重新输入歌手、专辑和曲名等信息。
这种方法按理说也能反向操作，但“假设”的成份很高。你能用同样方法转换采用微软加密格式的音乐，使其成为能被iPod识别的MP3格式；但问题是，基于微软技术平台的主要音乐服务商所提供的数字歌曲常常不能刻录成CD。（详见下一项问答）
有些软件声称可以有效去除数字音乐上的加密成份，将歌曲快速转换为MP3格式，但这些程序按目前的知识产权法来说几乎肯定是非法的，而且苹果和其它公司经常改变加密格式的内核，让这些软件无法奏效。
问：苹果的iTunes商店与Rhapsody、Napster 2.0等竞争对手相比有何不同？哪家出售的音乐更多一些？
答：iTunes商店声称拥有来自各大唱片公司以及独立制作人的300多万首合法歌曲供下载，而雅虎音乐无限(Yahoo Music Unlimited)声称有100多万首歌曲。因此，目前iTunes商店的歌曲最多。此外，iTunes商店还有大量的视频产品，包括150部电视剧，数万有声读物和播客节目(podcast)等。iTunes的竞争对手在非音乐类产品上要弱得多，绝大多数都不提供音乐以外的下载。
最大的区别在于这些服务商的运营模式。iTunes就像一家实体唱片店一样：用户购买歌曲或专辑，分别为其付款。每首歌曲99美分，专辑一般是9.99美元，视频产品一般是1.99美元。苹果公司据说正在商谈整部电影的下载服务。
Rhapsody、Napster和Yahoo音乐商店采用订阅的经营模式：用户每月支付会费，就能无限量地下载歌曲。Rhapsody和Napster的每月会费为10美元（只能在一台电脑上储存和播放）或15美元（还能在一台便携式播放器上播放）。雅虎的收费较低，两种使用方式分别收费6.99美元和11.99美元。
苹果公司经营模式的好处在于，用户购买歌曲后即拥有其使用权，永不过期。你能无限次地将歌曲刻录到CD上，并复制到任意一台iPod上；缺点在于，要把iPod装满5000首歌，你得花上5000美元。
采用订阅模式的话，用户只要支付月费就能将一台播放器上装满歌曲，但缺点也很大：你不拥有这些歌曲，只是租赁它们。如果用户停缴月费，则多年下载的所有歌曲将突然过期，无法在电脑和便携式播放器上播放。此外，租赁的歌曲通常不能刻录成CD，只能有限次地复制到便携式播放器上。如果想把歌曲刻录成CD，则必须支付单曲的价格将其买下，这和iTunes商店的方式差不多。
问：我的电脑有一个iTunes音乐库，怎么把不同的音乐复制到不同的iPod上去？
答：在iTunes软件的“选项”(Preferences)菜单中，你可以为几台iPod分别设置播放列表，而不用同步整个音乐库。只要为每台iPod设置一个播放列表，然后选择“只同步该播放列表”。
或者，你可以将每台iPod设置成“不自动与Tunes音乐库同步”，而采取手工同步，只要自己把不同的歌曲复制到每台iPod即可。
问：我能把iPod上的歌曲复制到自己的第二台或第三台电脑上去吗？
答：在唱片公司的坚持下，苹果公司不得不禁止iPod将文件复制到电脑上去，文件只能从电脑复制到iPod上。不过有很多基于Windows和Mac操作系统的第三方软件能实现将文件从iPod复制到电脑的功能，比如PodUtil软件，针对两种操作系统都推出不同版本，下载地址为：
www.kennettnet.co.uk/software/podutil.php。
有一点需要记住：你只能在不超过五台使用Windows或Mac操作系统的电脑上播放从iTunes商店买来的音乐。普通 ３格式的音乐则可以无限次地在电脑上播放。
问：我能和别人共享iTunes软件中的音乐库吗？
答：可以，但有次数限制。你能在电脑上设置iTunes软件，使自建网络（非互联网）上的其他用户能在线播放你的歌曲，而无须将歌曲文件复制到他们的电脑上。听歌的那台电脑必须安装好iTunes软件，而且两台电脑iTunes软件“选项”菜单中的“共享”功能都要打开。
问：除了播放音乐外，我还能用iPod干什么？
答：目前iPod还能播放视频文件，如电视剧等。绝大多数iPod都能播放有声读物和播客节目，几种新款iPod还能以幻灯片模式查看照片，同时播放背景音乐，并以华丽的方式切换照片。购买２０美元的连接线后，iPod还能在电视上显示视频和照片。
不过，iPod还有很多不为人知的功能，比如它能显示（但不能编辑）用户的日程表、通讯簿和记事本，通过Windows电脑上的微软Outlook软件和苹果电脑自带的Address Book软件就能实现同步传输。现在几款iPod还有内置的秒表和多时区时钟。
你还能把iPod当作移动硬盘使用，它在Windows和Macintosh操作系统的电脑上都能被识别成常规的移动硬盘。在储存音乐、视频、照片等文件后，iPod上剩余的空间都可用来存储任何格式的文件，作为数据备份或用于在电脑间传输文件。你只需将iPod连接到电脑上，在iPod的“选项”菜单中选择“允许使用硬盘”即可。
iPod还有内置游戏，我最喜欢的是“音乐测试”游戏(Music Quiz)。它会随机播放一段音乐库中的歌曲，并给五个曲名供选择，测试用户对自己听的音乐有多了解。你的任务是在倒计时的压力下，于最短时间内选出正确的曲名。这个游戏很容易让人上瘾。
关于数字音乐，特别是iPod，的知识还有很多，苹果公司在
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod101/提供了一系列iPod和iTunes的教程。独立网站iLounge (ilounge.com)上也有很多使用窍门和教程，甚至还提供一份免费下载的１９４页的iPod使用指南，地址是：
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/download-now-the-free-ipod-book-20。
Walter S. Mossberg / Katherine Boehret
（编者按：本文作者Walter S. Mossberg和Katherine Boehret是《华尔街日报》科技栏目The Mossberg Solution的专栏作家。该栏目主要介绍一些最新的科技产品，为读者提供购买指南。）
