Hip To Be Downloaded
Okay, boys and girls. As promised, I will now revisit the now-revived Muse-Wrapped Records download store.
As mentioned before, HipSolve Media is the company providing technology. JamGate is the website listing the artists and labels with a download store using HipSolve technology. HipSolve clients in addition to Muse-Wrapped Records include Robert Berry (Magellan collaborator & Producer Of many Magna Carta artists), Steven Imbler (guest pianist on Magellan's two InsideOut releases), The Steve Miller Band, and HipTone Music (label for R & B cover band The Time Bandits featuring Trent Gardner on trombone).
The account you create will be used for all HipSolve Media stores. Before you actually buy any music, you have to buy "points." Yeah, I don't like it either! The points you buy are good only for the specific store for which you bought them. Fortunately there doesn't seem to be a minimum purchase. I purchased $8 in points. I purchased two tracks at $0.99 and three tracks at $1.50. I'm left with $1.52. The artists and labels have full discretion with pricing. Most tracks are $0.99, but Magellan prices tracks from their new album at $1.50, but tracks from older albums are only $0.75.
To download your purchased tracks, you have to download and install an application called HipTunes Plus. Hmmm, I wonder where they got the idea for that name? The tracks are un-DRMed MP3s at 192k. There doesn't seem to be method for re-downloading purchased tracks.
Well it looks good so far, but the catalog is small for now.
© 2007 Ronnie “The Cruiser” Cruz
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
