Source: xkcd.com/488
this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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Small note: iTunes doesn’t have DRM anymore (since 2009)
Apple Music (the subscription) has DRM though, but you should never have a collection on a subscription service, because it can go away at any time
Buy CDs.
Last time I bought audiobooks I got them from Downpour which included DRM-free downloads as either MP3 or M4B files, in addition to listening through the website or app. I believe Libro.fm may also offer this. Most of my ebooks are through Kobo and are DRM free as well.
Does depend in some cases on the publisher.
Support creators though. Especially if the thing you pirate isn’t from a soulless corporation. This is why creators should always have something like a ko-fi or Patreon page. So I can pay them directly if I enjoyed their work.
Dox them and send an envelope with cash.
I buy most of my music from Qobuz or Bandcamp. Perfectly DRM-free with lossless compression, and it's mine forever.
I buy CDs and rip them into lossless myself unless it's not available and then I'll sail
Always knew xkcd is a bro
I have to download pirated video games otherwise I can't play them offline on my handheld. They also launch 10x faster. I learnt that you can't use everything you own a copy of offline!
I use a mix of Goldberg emulator and GOG i prefer Steam though. Mostly for valves Proton compatibility layer and all that valve does for linux gaming. So if a game is drm free on steam i get it there.
Fuck denuvo tho that shit needs to die in a fire.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought everybody was making a big deal over Civ 7 getting an official release because denuvo doesn't work on linux?
I read people saying the lack of denuvo made the linux version the best version just for the fact that it's the PC release without denuvo?
Did I misunderstand?
And that's why Bandcamp exists. No DRM, whatever format you like and you support the artist.
Oh man. One time, at band camp…🐈⬛ 🪈
Yes? Did something happen at band camp?
Let's hope the new owners won't destroy it.
I saw someone on YouTube pissed that they bought 700 ebooks from Amazon and now that they enforce a harder DRM he can't read them anymore.
Bruh, you voted with your wallet to get DRM in your ebooks. You can't complain if one day they change the encryption
The vast majority of the public hsve no idea what you just said.
Their brain goes "I like book. I buy book! No more book? But I buy book!"
With Amazons pending change to not allow ebook downloads, I downloaded all mine. I then tried to convert them to epub format and a little over half converted. I only have 80 though, I can't imagine doing that for 700.
But I didn't think the leopards would eat MY face?!
I think we have to thank people like this for demonstrating that losing your collection isn't just a theoretical risk.
PSA: Download all your kindle books. Even if you don't plan on cracking their DRM, you'll have the option to in the future should you want to.
Based xkcd
I have all of his books in physical format. Would recommend.
Been stealing all my media for 25+ years. Get on my level.
But enough about you robbing the local blockbuster at gun point!
I'd pay for it once to support the creators. Once and once only.
But think of the shareholders? How can they afford that 8th yacht?? 🛥️🛥️🛥️🛥️🛥️🛥️🛥️
After I paid Metallica for their music, more than once in some cases, and then they went to war on us fans, been stealing since.
Libation is your friend.
Feel like it's too arduous to pirate music these days
Qobuz and Bandcamp exist. You can buy drm free music from there. Head over to [email protected] for free options. It's not that hard.
Try Soulseek, it has just about everything.
Arduous?! Why you little...
In the AOL days, I got on newsgroups and hunted songs. Good luck finding what you wanted. Then I'd download 6-12 pieces and use software to tack those pieces into a single MP3. At 56K. (Really 53K, at best, and that was with tweaking modem strings and whatnot.)
I repeat: Why you little...
I think part of it has to do with how a lot of people listen to music now. I don't listen to albums I find one or two songs I like from an artist and and them to a playlist. I am lucky to find an artist where I like more than 50% of their music.
I just rip my songs from Spotify. It's not the highest quality, but it's easy to find stuff and I wrote a little script to quickly download lists of tracks and albums so it's pretty convenient.
You can rip them from tidal too. not going to link the service because I'm unsure of .worlds feelings on it but it is not hard to find.
I rip them from youtube, that way I don't have to log into anything first.
Should I swap Audible for Steam and start another flame war? Is there a poll widget on this thing?
The most recent book I pirated was What If? 2.
I have DRM-free versions of How To and What If?.
They're made of trees.
I really like physical media. Thing is, I don't have the space for shelves upon shelves of physical media.
Same. I have a lot of books. I just can not really buy more books in the space that I have. They take up so much space. I have all of the books in my physical library plus more on my ereader.
For me the bulk would be music CDs. Those aren't even that nice as physical items ...
CD collections seem like a pain to manage.
I know someone with a vinyl collection, that's even worse. Though at least vinyl sleeves don't feel as cheap as those plastic CD cases. And noisy vinyl is probably nicer than skipping CDs, though they both suck in their own way.
Completely fair. That was mostly for the joke, but I do have a lot of digital media, at some point you don't have much choice in the matter. Most of mine is games though.
Got my first e-reader because someone was getting rid of theirs... And well, that's a kindle, a very old one. I never bought any digital book from amazon, only used it with calibre and stuff found elsewhere. Some public domain, some bought through bundles and stuff, some... "found" elsewhere. i've not had amazon wipe it yet as some say it happened to them, not even sure it could happen on mine, they haven't even supported it forever. But it's a tiny minority of my books anyway.