general question about Google Play Music

[Jeffrey Knox]

So I just recently found Google Play Music, and I'm in the process of ripping and uploading hundreds of CD's. Now, I did just recently find Google Play Music, but my initial thought is that putting all of my music in the Google Cloud would open the door to just donating the CD's to my church's thrift shop. WHOA, maybe not. I could swear when I looked before, it would allow me to download my music back out of the cloud (except the only option I remember seeing was to download my ENTIRE library), and now I do not see that option. It would be handy to be able to get these back into MP3 format if I ever wanted to someday. Basically, all I need to hear (and verify) is that once I upload it all to the cloud, I can get it back just like it was when I sent it-- i.e. there is no downside to giving away all these CD's... Can anyone weigh in on that?

Thanks much,
Jeff

 

[B. Diddy]

You can download any of your uploaded songs a maximum of twice. So yes, you can get those MP3's back, but what I suggest is that when you do download them, you store them somewhere safe, because you'll only be able to download them one more time.

To download them from the Google Play Music website on your desktop, go to the Albums display for My Library, and click on the 3 vertical dot menu icon at the upper right of the album you want to download. Then select Download Album.

 

[Jeffrey Knox]

Only twice?!? Oh junkbutter. Then I guess I should hang on to the CD's... Thanks!

 

[B. Diddy]

You could consider getting an external hard drive and just saving all of the ripped mp3s there. External drives are pretty cheap these days. Or if you have an old desktop, you could remove the hard drive, put it in an external drive enclosure (about $20 at your local computer store), and you have yourself an external drive.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Jeffrey Knox]

<harumph> Well said. Food for thought. Many thanks!

 

[Jeffrey Knox]

Aha, wait, I found it! Clicking the three-stacked-dots menu next to a track then on Download leads to a popup with this: "Are you sure you want to download the selected song to your computer?
Each song can be downloaded 2 times on the web. This limit does not apply when you use the Music Manager desktop application to download files to your computer." (emphasis added for clarity) Awesome, Google is right back where they should always have been in my esteem. So what I upload to Google Music will always stay mine, and I can do what I want with it (I'm kicking myself for doubting that, LSE, I will not doubt again), but in the interest of being smart about it, Google limited the download activity over the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) since that was obviously designed for moving text, not music files. But with Google's own app, they can make their own (faster) protocol or piggyback on another like FTP. So then I believe that's the green light I was looking for for allowing me to donate my CD's to a thrift store...

 

[B. Diddy]

Yes, but as you pointed out before, when you use Music Manager, you have to download the entire library​ all at once. You can't select specific tracks using Music Manager. So it's a little clunky that way. If you want to download a specific track or tracks only, then the easiest way is to use the website.

 

[Jeffrey Knox]

Yes you are correct. I can live with that. Thanks!