Amazon Introduces AutoRip, Allows Free Downloads of MP3s from Previously Purchased CDs

Amazon is now offering a service to automatically import your previously purchased CDs into Amazon's Cloud Player.

Purchased a CD off of Amazon recently (or maybe not so recently) and misplaced it?

Provided that it's one of the 50,000 albums that's a part of Amazon's new 'AutoRip' service, you have nothing to worry about. The new service automatically takes a customer's purchased CDs and places the MP3s in their Amazon Cloud Player. Perhaps what's most impressive about AutoRip is that it tracks back to purchases that were made since the music store launched… in 1998. How's that for record keeping?

The collection of 50,000 albums will continue to grow, thanks to the deals that Amazon has worked out with record labels both major and indie and myriad publishers large and small.

AutoRip is a completely free service and kicks in without any user prompting. Purchased CDs are automatically placed into the Cloud Player without even needing to opt into the software.

Even if you don't use Amazon Cloud Player, combined with AutoRip, it's a good backup plan in case your physical CDs get too scratched up, lost, or broken.

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5

sliem , January 11, 2013 10:13 PM

Impressive record keeping.
5

purrcatian , January 11, 2013 11:04 PM

At least the spammers have figured out that Tom's Hardware readers are interested in electronics, not clothes.
0

skine , January 12, 2013 1:43 AM

Probably a long shot, but does this work with vinyl, too?
-1

hydac7 , January 12, 2013 1:59 AM

It was about time
1

TunaSoda , January 12, 2013 2:14 AM

Yeah, I'd hate to rip those CD's myself at home in a better quality for free...
0

anonymous@guest , January 12, 2013 2:20 AM

One problem that I see is if you purchase a CD for someone else, you will get the MP3s for free. You could also end up with a bunch of songs that you don't even like.
1

alidan , January 12, 2013 3:04 AM

whataboutgiftsOne problem that I see is if you purchase a CD for someone else, you will get the MP3s for free. You could also end up with a bunch of songs that you don't even like.

oh well, a minor flaw in the system.
0

blackjackcf , January 12, 2013 3:53 AM

whataboutgiftsOne problem that I see is if you purchase a CD for someone else, you will get the MP3s for free. You could also end up with a bunch of songs that you don't even like.

That's fair. Hey, free songs (sorta...), right? Glass half full, half empty...

- Catherine Cai
0

JOSHSKORN , January 12, 2013 5:37 AM

What? Free for 250 songs and $25/year for the size of my own library? No thanks. Google Music allots for 20,000 songs, and it's free on my DROID RAZR MAXX. I'll stick w/ that. Thanks.
0

blackjackcf , January 12, 2013 6:05 AM

JOSHSKORNWhat? Free for 250 songs and $25/year for the size of my own library? No thanks. Google Music allots for 20,000 songs, and it's free on my DROID RAZR MAXX. I'll stick w/ that. Thanks.

Apparently, the 250 songs don't include the AutoRipped ones...

- Catherine Cai
0

anonymous@guest , January 12, 2013 8:06 AM

So, is buying a CD this way cheaper than buying the MP3-only digital album? Because it's basically the same, except that I'd also have to accept delivery of a physical CD that I no longer have any use for at all, which will just sit around taking up space and collecting dust somewhere. These days the physical CD is a liability you'd have to pay me to take, not a bonus. I haven't loaded a real CD into anything in years.
1

pliskin1 , January 12, 2013 2:03 PM

Seems they have to be CD's bought and shipped from Amazon, and not one of the merchants.
0

agnickolov , January 12, 2013 2:13 PM

@WhoNeedsIt:
Physical CDs are usually slightly more expensive than buying the entire album on MP3s. You should expect to pay around $12 on average for a CD vs $10 for the downloadable MP3 version. However, you do get lossless audio, a backup CD and a booklet. The last bit is very important to fans since it can be brought to a concert to be autographed - try that with your MP3 player...

BTW, when I buy CDs on Amazon I may go to third parties for better prices - sometimes it's cheaper than $10 even with the mandatory shipping. I wonder if third-party purchases on amazon.com would be covered under this AutoRip service...
0

pliskin1 , January 13, 2013 1:17 AM

agnickolov@WhoNeedsIt hysical CDs are usually slightly more expensive than buying the entire album on MP3s. You should expect to pay around $12 on average for a CD vs $10 for the downloadable MP3 version. However, you do get lossless audio, a backup CD and a booklet. The last bit is very important to fans since it can be brought to a concert to be autographed - try that with your MP3 player...BTW, when I buy CDs on Amazon I may go to third parties for better prices - sometimes it's cheaper than $10 even with the mandatory shipping. I wonder if third-party purchases on amazon.com would be covered under this AutoRip service...

I looked at my order history, and none of my third party purchases got the autorip, even though it's available for that given album.

Amazon Introduces AutoRip, Allows Free Downloads of MP3s from Previously Purchased CDs

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