Skip to main content

Amazon expands AutoRip to include 15 years of vinyl purchases

Record player 2April is upon us, and apparently the unusually mild spring weather in the Pacific Northwest has the  folks at Amazon feeling rather charitable. Anyone want free music? Well, you’re in luck because Amazon has decided to expand its recently-launched AutoRip service  to include any records you may have purchased from the site going all the way back to 1998. Vinyl sales have experienced five straight years of growth, so we think its’ pretty cool that Amazon has decided to include those of us who still spin vinyl in the program.

The service, which launched barely four months ago, is remarkably simple. If you purchased a CD from Amazon over the past 15 years, then the company would place an MP3 version of that album in your Amazon Cloud Player. Want to download the MP3 and put it on your portable media player ? No problem. And now the same goes for Vinyl. 

So, why would Amazon do this? Perhaps the better question is: Why not? Amazon already has the MP3 files stockpiled for independent purchase. By giving customers free digital copies of the physical media they intend to buy anyway, Amazon gives consumers a reason to buy from its site instead of a competitor’s. Additionally, it might stoke interest in the use of its Cloud Player, potentially leading to expanded Cloud storage sales. And as we all know, once you start getting into an ecosystem, it’s hard to pull out. Next thing you know, folks are buying Prime memberships and streaming from Amazon’s Instant Video service. Perhaps this move isn’t just a product of Amazon feeling charitable after all. 

Amazon’s Cloud Player works on your Kindle Fire HD tablet, iOS device, Android smartphone or tablet, Roku box or pretty much any other smart device with access to Amazon’s Cloud Player app. Amazon’s MP3 downloads are 256Kbps copies and do not count against your free storage space.

A quick look through Amazon’s library of vinyl reveals that AutoRip will automatically apply to thousands of records, which gives it instant appeal as a shopping destination.

“We’re thrilled to extend this experience to vinyl records,” said Steve Boom, vice president of Digital Music for Amazon in a release this morning. ”Many of our music customers are vinyl fans and it’s traditionally been very difficult to make digital versions of vinyl records—now customers can enjoy the albums they buy wherever they are, not just when they have access to a record player.”

Amazon has not confirmed how many CDs and records AutoRip supports, but with more than 50,000 albums already available, there is plenty of content  to attract consumers for the time being.

image via Dusan Jankovic/Shutterstock

Topics
Ian White
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ian has been a full-time A/V journalist since 1999, covering the world of high-end audio, video, music, and film for Digital…
Home theater receiver sale: Save on Yamaha, Sony, and more
Sony receiver

If you’re looking for more than just soundbar deals to spruce up your home theater setup, you need to check out Best Buy right now. Currently, the retailer has a big sale on many home theater receivers with some Sony models available from just $250. There are 27 AV receivers in all in the sale so the best thing you can do is hit the button below to check things out for yourself. However, if you want some guidance on what to buy, we can help. Keep reading while we take you through what you need to know and what you should buy.

What to shop for in the Best Buy Home Theater Receiver sale
Considered to be the best AV receiver for a budget purchase, the is even more affordable right now as it’s $100 off bringing it down to $250. The AV receiver has support for 4K and is Dolby Vision compatible with HDCP 2.2. With 145W RMS power x 5 channels, it can provide powerful sound with surround sound decoders including Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital, Dolby Vision, Dolby Dual Mono, DTS 96/24, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD and dts HD Enhanced Audio Codecs. There’s also built-in Bluetooth while advanced surround modes mean you can pick different settings for different scenarios. There’s also Hi-Res audio support and even an FM tuner if you want to listen to the radio.

Read more
You can now watch Hulu inside the Disney+ app
Disney+ homescreen featuring Hulu content.

After a limited beta launch in late 2023, Hulu content is now officially available via the Disney+ app for those who subscribe to both services via the Disney Bundle, according to Disney. To mark the occasion, the Disney+ app icon has been given a new Hulu-esque greenish hue that the company calls "Aurora," which replaces the previous blue background.

With the launch, bundle subscribers now have access to Hulu content throughout the Disney+ app, including discovery areas like Continue Watching and recommendations.

Read more
Does Sling TV have ABC?
The ABC News Live channel on Sling TV.

Despite being one of the least expensive options to stream live television, Sling TV can be a bit complicated at times. And one of those complications comes when you consider what local channels Sling TV has. To wit: Ask a simple question, like “Does Sling TV have ABC?”

The answer? Yes. No. It depends.

Read more