Get Bent Store FAQ

Why buy downloads from us?
Can I download individual songs, or only full albums?
What is an MP3 exactly?
What is lossless audio?
What is FLAC?
How do I listen to FLAC files?
How do you create FLAC?
Who else is using FLAC?
What is Apple Lossless?
How do I convert file format in iTunes?

I still want MP3's

Are there any MP3's avaiable on this site?


Do you have more information on lossless audio?

 

Why buy downloads from us?

Two reasons:

1. When you buy a song on iTunes or any other downloading     website you should be getting the same sound you get when you     buy a CD, but unfortunately your not.
    We want our listeners to enjoy our music just the way we made it,     and this is why we only sell lossless audio, which is equal to     buying the actual CD. We also don't agree with charging $1.00 per     song, especially not for a poor quality file. So we sell a higher     quality file at a lower cost - how can you go wrong with that?

2. There is no middle man here, no division of sales to other     pockets. When you buy from us you are directly supporting the     artists that worked hard to make this music. That is our DIY motto.

 

Can I get individual songs, or only full albums?

At this store you can only buy the full album, which includes the artwork from the CD. However you can listen to all the music first for free on each album page, and if you browse this site you will find a few songs available as free downloads from each artist.

 

What is an MP3 exactly?

MP3 is a "lossy" audio format, which means that the quality of the sound is sacrificed to make the file smaller. The advantage is that you can store a lot more music in a smaller space. The disadvantage is that when the file is compressed, some frequencies are lost. It boils down to quantity over quality.

 

What is lossless audio?

Lossless audio is a song that is compressed without any loss in quality. The files remains larger than MP3's, however you are hearing all the details of high-fidelity sound.

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What is FLAC?

FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is the fastest and most widely supported lossless audio codec (it is also open-source). It works similar to Zip, except with FLAC you get much better compression because it is designed specifically for audio. To learn more about FLAC and see a list of supported devices, go to http://flac.sourceforge.net/

 

How do I listen to FLAC files?

You can listen to FLAC files in one of two ways: use a music player that supports FLAC audio, such as Winamp with the FLAC pluggin (get plugin here) . Or you can convert the file into a format you prefer using a music converter, we suggest dBpowermp, or FLAC frontend.

 

How do you create FLAC?

We use a program called FLAC Frontend (click here for link)

 

Who else is using / supporting FLAC?

FLAC is now becoming a widely supported format.
For a list of hardware supporting FLAC click here
For a list of software supporting FLAC click here
For a list of other artists, labels and stores using lossless audio, click here

 

What is Apple lossless?

Apple lossless is similar to FLAC in that It compresses the original audio file without any loss in sound quality. It was created by Apple for direct use with iTunes software, and the i-pod. If you are using your i-pod in a docking unit, or connecting it to any exterior stereo or speakers, this is the format you will want for high-quality sound.

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Converting Files in iTunes

If you are using iTunes 9 (latest version), and would like to convert the file format, simply go to your Edit tab, then go to Preferences. When this is open in the General tab, click on the Import Settings... button. Now look for the drop-down menu titled Import Using: these are the file format options for importing and converting music files. Select your format, then go back to your music library and right click on the song(s) you wish to convert. There will be an option to Create (your selected format here) version... whichever format you've selected in the import settings menu. Converting a file will create a second file in the new format, so you will still have your original file intact. Remember that you can only convert down in quality, for example from WAV or lossless audio to MP3, not vice versa.

 

You still want MP3's

1.  If you still prefer to listen to the music in MP3 format, you can      simply convert the lossless files using a music converter such as      dBpowermp  Some music players (like iTunes) have converters      built right into them.
     * Starting in 2011, our new releases will be available in
        high-quality mp3's (320 kbps)

2.  We have partnered with zunior.com, Canada's leading      independent digital retailer. If you still want to download MP3's      directly, our music catalouge is available here


Are there any MP3's available on this site?

Yes. If you visit the album pages on this website, each band has a select number of free MP3's that you can download in each album track listing.

 

More links on lossless and lossy audio formats

More info on lossless and lossy audio formats for music
www.bobulous.org.uk/misc/audioFormats.html

Performance comparison of lossless audio compressors
http://members.home.nl/w.speek/comparison.htm

 

Did we answer all of your questions?

If not, please feel free to contact us at support@getbentrecords.com and we'll be more than happy to help you out as soon as we can.

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