Living Life Loud
by: Shannon Mott
The music industry is changing – one click at a time
Change is good. Just ask the millions of unsigned artists worldwide trying to get their music heard. Since the music industry is changing drastically, unsigned musicians are able to make their music available to listeners. Record labels are realizing new techniques need to be created in order to promote music, and find new talent.
The result has been a surge of music-based websites. These sites allow artists to create their own websites, upload MP3s and promote music free of cost. One website which has received much attention is iSOUND.COM.
A musician himself, D.J. Burdick’s purpose has been clear from the beginning: create a website that allows unsigned artists to upload MP3s so they can share their music with the world. Burdick, the founder and creator of the music-based website iSOUND.COM, began his career in 1999, shortly after graduating from high school. At first, the main focus of iSOUND.COM was to give visitors more information about their favorite bands.
“I was looking for information about artists I liked, and I couldn’t find anything comprehensive on the Internet,” says Burdick. “So, I decided to create my own website.”
He then spent one year developing and implementing iSOUND.COM. In 2000, Burdick relocated to Dallas, Texas to attend Southern Methodist University. In Dallas, Burdick realized that it was difficult to find gigs and get his music heard. That is when he had an idea.
“I decided to expand iSOUND.COM. I wanted to make it a music community where artists could share their music with the world,” says Burdick.
While attending university, Burdick continued working on his website. In 2004, he graduated from SMU’s Cox School of Business. Along with a few college friends, he decided to make iSOUND.COM his full-time career.
“Working on my own company has allowed me to work on what I’m truly passionate about. I get to focus on what I believe in,” says Burdick. “I wanted to make iSOUND.COM my full-time job because I had so many ideas. Working for a large, established company may provide more security but that wasn’t dynamic enough for me. I needed something that would allow me to control the vision of the business and let me implement my business ideas. It is very rewarding to see over a million people visiting iSOUND per month who are sharing in this vision and desire to bring great unheard music to the masses.”
The music industry is changing drastically. MP3s are no longer just about illegal pirating and file sharing. In fact, MP3s are becoming imperative to unsigned artists wishing to promote their music on the Internet. There are tons of talented artists out there. Unfortunately, they do not have the money to push into advertising or music promotion. The solution to this problem: level the playing field by promoting on the internet.
“The [music] industry is going through a huge transitional phase. Everything is changing and the [record] labels are realizing this. They are now using many of the same avenues to promote their artists as those available to unsigned artists,” says Burdick.
In fact, a complete industry of music-based websites has developed, allowing musicians to promote their music over the Internet. The way iSOUND.COM works is that artists may sign up and upload their music for free. Staff members then listen to the songs and rate the music. Listeners visit the site, discover new music, and earn points for sharing that music with their friends. The most popular artists on iSOUND.COM receive thousands of plays per month. Musicians can literally gain thousands of new fans just by uploading their music onto popular music websites and networking via those sites.
“There is a growing group of signed bands getting a large share of radio and [music] video play that started entirely by promoting on the Internet and playing small clubs,” says Burdick. “The future of music is on the Internet. Get your music uploaded, spend a few hours a week promoting online, and you’ll be amazed at the results.”
About the author:
Shannon Mott is a freelance writer and employee of iSOUND.COM
maandag 3 december 2007
MP3 Players under fire in US and European courtrooms
MP3 Players under fire in US and European courtrooms
by: Paolo d'Amato
ALEXANDRIA, Va. & TURIN, Italy - Oct., 2005 - Audio MPEG, Inc. and Sisvel, S.p.A. announced that Thomson S.A. and a number of its subsidiaries have been sued in the United States and Europe for infringement of several MPEG Audio patents by its MP3 players and digital set-top boxes. This patented technology was developed and is owned by France Telecom, TDF (Telediffusion De France), Philips, and IRT (Institut fur Rundfunktechnik GmbH). The patents are essential to the MPEG audio compression standard used worldwide in MP3 players, TV set top boxes, digital television broadcasting, and an increasing number of consumer electronics products.
The lawsuits were filed by Sisvel S.p.A. and Audio MPEG, Inc., who have the right to license the patents. Litigations for patent infringement against Thomson are now pending and progressing in Alexandria - Virginia, Mannheim - Germany, and Milan - Italy. In this process, thousands of Thomson MP3 products have been detained by the customs authorities in Germany and continue to be detained by customs following a preliminary injunction issued by the Mannheim Court in Germany.
According to the complaints, Thomson markets and sells MP3 players, TV set top boxes, DVD players, and CD players using MPEG audio compression covered by the patents of France Telecom, TDF, Philips, and IRT, without a current license to practice those inventions. Over 250 companies are licensed under these patents and are paying royalties. Until recently, Thomson was also licensed, but failed to renew their license in 2005.
The lawsuits seek royalties for past infringement, punitive damages for willful infringement, attorney’s fees, and injunctions to permanently prohibit Thomson from selling MP3 players, TV set top boxes, DVD players, and CD players using MPEG audio compression.
"By refusing to renew their license under the MPEG Audio patents, Thomson has ignored its duty to respect intellectual property of third parties. This led to the seizure of its products by the Customs Authorities and made lawsuits necessary in both the United States and Europe," said Gen. Richard I. Neal, President of Audio MPEG, Inc. "Thomson's failure to take a license is not only unfair to the owners and the inventors of the patents, whose efforts and research have made this technology possible, but also to the over 250 competitors of Thomson who are meeting their intellectual property obligations as licensees under these patents. Our actions both in the United States and overseas are all about accountability and responsibility."
According to John Paul, a partner in the law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, "The US litigation against Thomson is pending in one of the fastest moving Federal trial courts in the United States, a court known as the "rocket docket." Litigation in the US is focused on getting all of the facts out in the open and that process consumes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and expense. In the rocket docket the consumption of these resources is even more intense because the court requires that the litigation must be completed much faster than in other courts."
Who are Sisvel and Audio MPEG?
Società Italiana per lo Sviluppo dell'Elettronica S.p.A (Sisvel) is a patent management company that has become a leader in its field with offices in Turin, Milan, and Hong Kong. It has the rights to license a number of patent portfolios, including the non-US patents in a portfolio relating to MPEG audio compression. Originally established in 1982 as a joint venture by the Italian television producers, it later acquired the entire patent portfolio of Indesit and conducted a number of successful licensing programs in various fields of consumer electronics.
Audio MPEG, Inc. is a patent management company, located in Alexandria, Virginia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sisvel and has the rights to license the US patents in a portfolio relating to MPEG audio compression.
About the author:
For more information about Sisvel S.p.A and Audio MPEG, Inc. please visit the following websites: http://www.sisvel.itand http://www.audiompeg.com
by: Paolo d'Amato
ALEXANDRIA, Va. & TURIN, Italy - Oct., 2005 - Audio MPEG, Inc. and Sisvel, S.p.A. announced that Thomson S.A. and a number of its subsidiaries have been sued in the United States and Europe for infringement of several MPEG Audio patents by its MP3 players and digital set-top boxes. This patented technology was developed and is owned by France Telecom, TDF (Telediffusion De France), Philips, and IRT (Institut fur Rundfunktechnik GmbH). The patents are essential to the MPEG audio compression standard used worldwide in MP3 players, TV set top boxes, digital television broadcasting, and an increasing number of consumer electronics products.
The lawsuits were filed by Sisvel S.p.A. and Audio MPEG, Inc., who have the right to license the patents. Litigations for patent infringement against Thomson are now pending and progressing in Alexandria - Virginia, Mannheim - Germany, and Milan - Italy. In this process, thousands of Thomson MP3 products have been detained by the customs authorities in Germany and continue to be detained by customs following a preliminary injunction issued by the Mannheim Court in Germany.
According to the complaints, Thomson markets and sells MP3 players, TV set top boxes, DVD players, and CD players using MPEG audio compression covered by the patents of France Telecom, TDF, Philips, and IRT, without a current license to practice those inventions. Over 250 companies are licensed under these patents and are paying royalties. Until recently, Thomson was also licensed, but failed to renew their license in 2005.
The lawsuits seek royalties for past infringement, punitive damages for willful infringement, attorney’s fees, and injunctions to permanently prohibit Thomson from selling MP3 players, TV set top boxes, DVD players, and CD players using MPEG audio compression.
"By refusing to renew their license under the MPEG Audio patents, Thomson has ignored its duty to respect intellectual property of third parties. This led to the seizure of its products by the Customs Authorities and made lawsuits necessary in both the United States and Europe," said Gen. Richard I. Neal, President of Audio MPEG, Inc. "Thomson's failure to take a license is not only unfair to the owners and the inventors of the patents, whose efforts and research have made this technology possible, but also to the over 250 competitors of Thomson who are meeting their intellectual property obligations as licensees under these patents. Our actions both in the United States and overseas are all about accountability and responsibility."
According to John Paul, a partner in the law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, "The US litigation against Thomson is pending in one of the fastest moving Federal trial courts in the United States, a court known as the "rocket docket." Litigation in the US is focused on getting all of the facts out in the open and that process consumes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and expense. In the rocket docket the consumption of these resources is even more intense because the court requires that the litigation must be completed much faster than in other courts."
Who are Sisvel and Audio MPEG?
Società Italiana per lo Sviluppo dell'Elettronica S.p.A (Sisvel) is a patent management company that has become a leader in its field with offices in Turin, Milan, and Hong Kong. It has the rights to license a number of patent portfolios, including the non-US patents in a portfolio relating to MPEG audio compression. Originally established in 1982 as a joint venture by the Italian television producers, it later acquired the entire patent portfolio of Indesit and conducted a number of successful licensing programs in various fields of consumer electronics.
Audio MPEG, Inc. is a patent management company, located in Alexandria, Virginia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sisvel and has the rights to license the US patents in a portfolio relating to MPEG audio compression.
About the author:
For more information about Sisvel S.p.A and Audio MPEG, Inc. please visit the following websites: http://www.sisvel.itand http://www.audiompeg.com
Who is behind the iPod
Who is behind the iPod
by: Eddie Miller
Apple Computers came out with their first computer on April 1, 1976. It was AppleI but this one did not go over very well, but when these two Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs, created Apple II, the computer became a success. Over the years they produced quality computers and computer accessories, but began to notice less sales and public demand decreasing.
Then in October 2001, announced a non-computer product that would have them back on the top of charts once again. It was the iPod. The very first one, came with a large price tag but was a designed smart and was a great way to carry around your favorite tunes.
Apple iPod now creates some of the most popular iPod’s you can find all of which would be wonderful gifts for any occasion.
Apple has a variety of unique and original iPods to choose from and finding one that is perfect for you or a friend or even a family member will be as easy as browsing through their selection.
The iPod shuffle is one of the most unique iPods around. This is a flash MP3 player so it is great for anyone who is active and enjoys listening to music while jogging, rock climbing, or exercising. You will be listening to your own favorite tunes, but in a random order which is decided by the iPod. You never know which song will be coming up next. It can hold up to 240 songs and will play up to 3 hours of continuous music. Not only will you enjoy the great music and sound but you will also like the size. This cool iPod does not weigh any more than your car keys. Prices of the iPod Shuffle differ according to how many MB’s you prefer. For the 1GB iPod Shuffle you will find it for £99.00 and the 512MB is only £69.00.
About the author:
UK MP3 are the UK's foremost MP3 player shop and review site. We write accurate, unbiased reviews of all the MP3 players we stock, and have a large number of customer reviews, so you can be confident you know what you are getting when you buy your MP3 player
by: Eddie Miller
Apple Computers came out with their first computer on April 1, 1976. It was AppleI but this one did not go over very well, but when these two Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs, created Apple II, the computer became a success. Over the years they produced quality computers and computer accessories, but began to notice less sales and public demand decreasing.
Then in October 2001, announced a non-computer product that would have them back on the top of charts once again. It was the iPod. The very first one, came with a large price tag but was a designed smart and was a great way to carry around your favorite tunes.
Apple iPod now creates some of the most popular iPod’s you can find all of which would be wonderful gifts for any occasion.
Apple has a variety of unique and original iPods to choose from and finding one that is perfect for you or a friend or even a family member will be as easy as browsing through their selection.
The iPod shuffle is one of the most unique iPods around. This is a flash MP3 player so it is great for anyone who is active and enjoys listening to music while jogging, rock climbing, or exercising. You will be listening to your own favorite tunes, but in a random order which is decided by the iPod. You never know which song will be coming up next. It can hold up to 240 songs and will play up to 3 hours of continuous music. Not only will you enjoy the great music and sound but you will also like the size. This cool iPod does not weigh any more than your car keys. Prices of the iPod Shuffle differ according to how many MB’s you prefer. For the 1GB iPod Shuffle you will find it for £99.00 and the 512MB is only £69.00.
About the author:
UK MP3 are the UK's foremost MP3 player shop and review site. We write accurate, unbiased reviews of all the MP3 players we stock, and have a large number of customer reviews, so you can be confident you know what you are getting when you buy your MP3 player
Video capture software for AVI and WMV
Video capture software for AVI and WMV
by: Mansi gupta
In this age of computer technology access and manipulation of information at any point of time and in any form has become absolutely common. With invention of CD, Camcorder, MP3, digital cameras and many more gizmos like them access to audio and video files have become a commonplace affair for most of us. Everyone just expect that if one has any sound track or any video clip they must be able to play and view it every time and at all places. But the problem is that these many diversified instruments each have their own format for storing the various audio and video clips.
It’s not certain that the audio CD that produced excellent sounds in the MP3 would perform equally well on the home theater system at the house. Problems eventually arise when you eagerly switch on the computer to view some of the pictures recorded on the handy cam or when you want to listen to some rare and favorite sound track on the computer. After all the endeavor to attach the cords and devices you find that all the efforts was to only find the computer display a message that it did not support the format in which information was supplied to it and hence could not do anything with the audio or video. Believe me its very frustrating when such incidents happen. Usually one has to just sit back, get frustrated with the technology and miss their very rare favorite sound track. One desperately wishes that if they had some thing in this world that could change the format of the file and make the file work on the device they had.
Blaze media pro is a perfect solution to all these problems and now you don’t have to miss viewing your much-loved pictures and hearing to the best of tracks just because the format in which they were stored was different. Blaze media pro is a blessing for a techno freak. Now none needs to pay a huge ransom to the technical experts for just changing formats of simply editing a little piece of information. All types of changes and inclusion or deletion of any part of the recording is only a click away. Blaze media pro has very exhaustive tutorial and extremely easy steps to perform all manipulations that are desired on video or audio files. It’s easy to follow steps enables even a novice to easily handle all the technicalities involved in the process.
Many software’s promise to provide an easy way to convert audio and video files from one format to another but with most of the services there’s a limit that they can only perform one specific task that they had assured. Now each time one requires a different type of format exchanging they have to rush and mess with another device. Blaze media pro brings an end to all these hurdles in the way to universal access of information. It offers an one stop venue for all the your digital requirements. What better can it get than, that it’s available free for trial for 15 days on net and can be downloaded easily.
About the author:
Mansi gupta writes about video capture. Learn more at http://www.blazemp.com/video_capture_software.htm
by: Mansi gupta
In this age of computer technology access and manipulation of information at any point of time and in any form has become absolutely common. With invention of CD, Camcorder, MP3, digital cameras and many more gizmos like them access to audio and video files have become a commonplace affair for most of us. Everyone just expect that if one has any sound track or any video clip they must be able to play and view it every time and at all places. But the problem is that these many diversified instruments each have their own format for storing the various audio and video clips.
It’s not certain that the audio CD that produced excellent sounds in the MP3 would perform equally well on the home theater system at the house. Problems eventually arise when you eagerly switch on the computer to view some of the pictures recorded on the handy cam or when you want to listen to some rare and favorite sound track on the computer. After all the endeavor to attach the cords and devices you find that all the efforts was to only find the computer display a message that it did not support the format in which information was supplied to it and hence could not do anything with the audio or video. Believe me its very frustrating when such incidents happen. Usually one has to just sit back, get frustrated with the technology and miss their very rare favorite sound track. One desperately wishes that if they had some thing in this world that could change the format of the file and make the file work on the device they had.
Blaze media pro is a perfect solution to all these problems and now you don’t have to miss viewing your much-loved pictures and hearing to the best of tracks just because the format in which they were stored was different. Blaze media pro is a blessing for a techno freak. Now none needs to pay a huge ransom to the technical experts for just changing formats of simply editing a little piece of information. All types of changes and inclusion or deletion of any part of the recording is only a click away. Blaze media pro has very exhaustive tutorial and extremely easy steps to perform all manipulations that are desired on video or audio files. It’s easy to follow steps enables even a novice to easily handle all the technicalities involved in the process.
Many software’s promise to provide an easy way to convert audio and video files from one format to another but with most of the services there’s a limit that they can only perform one specific task that they had assured. Now each time one requires a different type of format exchanging they have to rush and mess with another device. Blaze media pro brings an end to all these hurdles in the way to universal access of information. It offers an one stop venue for all the your digital requirements. What better can it get than, that it’s available free for trial for 15 days on net and can be downloaded easily.
About the author:
Mansi gupta writes about video capture. Learn more at http://www.blazemp.com/video_capture_software.htm
MP4 players - the next big thing?
MP4 players - the next big thing?
by: Tom
MP4 players, also called personal video players or multimedia players, are portable devices that play MP4 video files. They play movies using the mp4 file format/standard. Could they become the next big consumer gadget?
For a long time now, MP3 players have been one of the hottest selling portable music players on the market. They have changed the way we make, listen to and store music. These players use the mp3 file format (mpeg 1 layer 111).
MP4 has been heralded by some as the next big thing. This is because of the versatility and quality of the MP4 file. MP4 stands for MPEG 4. This format can be used for video and audio and it produces a very high quality sound and picture. It can be used with many wireless devices.
MP4 players play video using this file format. Many can record from a tv or dvd player or even from the internet and then play back the video or movie at the users convenience. Some can store pictures as well. A good mp4 player will come with a decent amount of memory to store the sometimes large mp4 files. They are priced around $200-300.
Though they are gaining popularity, it remains to be seen if they will one day be as well known as the super famous mp3 player.
About the author:
Learn more about the MP4 Player.
by: Tom
MP4 players, also called personal video players or multimedia players, are portable devices that play MP4 video files. They play movies using the mp4 file format/standard. Could they become the next big consumer gadget?
For a long time now, MP3 players have been one of the hottest selling portable music players on the market. They have changed the way we make, listen to and store music. These players use the mp3 file format (mpeg 1 layer 111).
MP4 has been heralded by some as the next big thing. This is because of the versatility and quality of the MP4 file. MP4 stands for MPEG 4. This format can be used for video and audio and it produces a very high quality sound and picture. It can be used with many wireless devices.
MP4 players play video using this file format. Many can record from a tv or dvd player or even from the internet and then play back the video or movie at the users convenience. Some can store pictures as well. A good mp4 player will come with a decent amount of memory to store the sometimes large mp4 files. They are priced around $200-300.
Though they are gaining popularity, it remains to be seen if they will one day be as well known as the super famous mp3 player.
About the author:
Learn more about the MP4 Player.
Free Music Video Downloads
Free Music Video Downloads
by: Jeff Schuman
Listening to all of your favorite songs whenever you want is
always exciting. No more having to wait for it to be played on
the radio or have to go out and buy the whole CD for just one
particular song. When you can download all of your favorite
songs for free it just makes it that much better. What if you
could download the music videos to all of your favorite songs
for free and add to the excitement every time you listen to the
song? In this article I’ll discuss some of the best places to
find free music video downloads and why some free music video
download sites are better than others.
As mentioned in a previous article I wrote, Music Video
Downloads, not all sites are going to be capable of good quality
free music video downloads. Some are going to allow you to
preview the first 30 seconds of a song, while other sites allow
you to watch only one song, then you must become a member to
view more. However, there are sites out there that allow you to
download good quality videos for free.
One of the bigger downsides to free video downloads, though, is
that most places only allow you to watch the video and not save
it to a file to view later. Yes, you can view it anytime you
want by simply clicking on the video and having it load in about
15 seconds. However, if there is a certain list of songs you
would like to observe, then you’ll have to search through the
site to find them as oppose to having them all saved in a
library.
Another downside to free music video downloads is the fact that
most sites contain only popular artists and songs, so the
unknown bands may be harder to find videos for. This is not to
say that the selection is small, but it is limited to more of
the current hot hits.
One of the better sites that I have found for downloading music
videos for free is www.artistdirect.com. Once you get to the
home page at the top is a button for movies and videos, this is
where you will find all of the free music video downloads. On
this page you will find the top music videos for various
categories such as hip-hop, pop, rock, and so on. Plus they
have the top 5 music videos currently, with a button away from
getting the top 600 music videos. I have found this site to be
very quick and efficient with downloading videos, but as
mentioned earlier you are only capable of viewing the videos and
can not save them to a library or folder.
One of the more common and well known sites to find free music
video downloads is at www.mtv.com. For this site they have it
set up with six different categories that you can click on. As
you click on one of the categories it brings up the top six
videos under that category currently, then you are able to
browse all the videos for that category if you please. Or to
make things easier, they have a place where you can simply
search for a specific video.
I have listed two of the more popular sites to find free music
video downloads, and two of the easier sites to search through.
If you were to conduct a search for free music video download
sites on google, there are about 131 million different sites or
pages connected to this phrase. So as you can see there are
several different places to look for the videos, it’s just up to
you to find them. The two I have provided would be good ones to
start at, but feel free to broaden your horizon and begin
searching for the sites to find your favorite music videos for
free.
About the author:
Best MP3 Music Downloads is a site that contains information, articles, and resources on all genres and styles of music. You can download music and videos, and find links to the best places to download music here:
http://www.best-mp3-music-downloads.com
by: Jeff Schuman
Listening to all of your favorite songs whenever you want is
always exciting. No more having to wait for it to be played on
the radio or have to go out and buy the whole CD for just one
particular song. When you can download all of your favorite
songs for free it just makes it that much better. What if you
could download the music videos to all of your favorite songs
for free and add to the excitement every time you listen to the
song? In this article I’ll discuss some of the best places to
find free music video downloads and why some free music video
download sites are better than others.
As mentioned in a previous article I wrote, Music Video
Downloads, not all sites are going to be capable of good quality
free music video downloads. Some are going to allow you to
preview the first 30 seconds of a song, while other sites allow
you to watch only one song, then you must become a member to
view more. However, there are sites out there that allow you to
download good quality videos for free.
One of the bigger downsides to free video downloads, though, is
that most places only allow you to watch the video and not save
it to a file to view later. Yes, you can view it anytime you
want by simply clicking on the video and having it load in about
15 seconds. However, if there is a certain list of songs you
would like to observe, then you’ll have to search through the
site to find them as oppose to having them all saved in a
library.
Another downside to free music video downloads is the fact that
most sites contain only popular artists and songs, so the
unknown bands may be harder to find videos for. This is not to
say that the selection is small, but it is limited to more of
the current hot hits.
One of the better sites that I have found for downloading music
videos for free is www.artistdirect.com. Once you get to the
home page at the top is a button for movies and videos, this is
where you will find all of the free music video downloads. On
this page you will find the top music videos for various
categories such as hip-hop, pop, rock, and so on. Plus they
have the top 5 music videos currently, with a button away from
getting the top 600 music videos. I have found this site to be
very quick and efficient with downloading videos, but as
mentioned earlier you are only capable of viewing the videos and
can not save them to a library or folder.
One of the more common and well known sites to find free music
video downloads is at www.mtv.com. For this site they have it
set up with six different categories that you can click on. As
you click on one of the categories it brings up the top six
videos under that category currently, then you are able to
browse all the videos for that category if you please. Or to
make things easier, they have a place where you can simply
search for a specific video.
I have listed two of the more popular sites to find free music
video downloads, and two of the easier sites to search through.
If you were to conduct a search for free music video download
sites on google, there are about 131 million different sites or
pages connected to this phrase. So as you can see there are
several different places to look for the videos, it’s just up to
you to find them. The two I have provided would be good ones to
start at, but feel free to broaden your horizon and begin
searching for the sites to find your favorite music videos for
free.
About the author:
Best MP3 Music Downloads is a site that contains information, articles, and resources on all genres and styles of music. You can download music and videos, and find links to the best places to download music here:
http://www.best-mp3-music-downloads.com
Free, Legal Music Online !
Free, Legal Music Online
by: Daniel Punch
Almost everyone has heard about the massive crack down on Internet music piracy that has been occurring over the past few years. Napster was taken down (although it has now returned as a pay service), other file sharing programs now require users to pay for a license and the RIAA and other similar organizations are doing their best to hunt down copyright offenders and put an end to their crime sprees. The consumers on the other hand argue that their actions hurt nobody, that there is no damage done to anyone by their not buying an album. Furthermore, they claim, MP3s allow them to sample a CD before purchasing it, thus actually helping sales.
I'm not here to argue the pros and cons. Basically it's not worth it, as neither side of the argument will ever see the opposition's point of view. What I'd like to do is take a look at the completely free and legal alternative to 'stealing' music. Those wonderfully talented musicians who are willing to put their creations online to download for free, solely for the joy of spreading their creations to the masses.
Free music is surprisingly easy to come by, even music by famous bands. Sometimes it needs to be 'streamed' from the Internet, meaning that you can only listen to a song while you're online, but with the ever-growing popularity of broadband Internet this is really no longer a problem. Sites such as MP3.com and purevolume.com provide free music by almost any band you can think of, although there is a large amount of it that has to be streamed and not downloaded. A search for 'free legal MP3 downloads' will reveal a huge number of pages to visit.
For something specific, try visiting the artist's website, or the site of their record label. These will often offer a few sample tracks to download for free. It's not quite as convenient as having access to every song that you want, but it's not a bad alternative.
But how about we forget about the mainstream for just a while and move towards the alternative? Towards the hopefuls, the talented bands that have yet been 'noticed'. There are a huge number of these smaller bands out there that are sticking their stuff online for any and all to listen to, just so that they can be heard. These can be easier to find, because most MP3 sites will be filled with these smaller acts. A great place to start is http://www.garageband.com/ or the aforementioned http://purevolume.com
The great thing about smaller bands is that you can often find bands that come from your local area and then go and see them play live. Being able to see a favourite band live more than once a year (or lifetime) without expending huge amounts of money and time is pretty cool. Many music search engines will let you search for bands of a particular genre in a particular area, which makes it all quite easy.
A fairly major contributor to the online music scene is the remixer. These people take other tunes and redo them, usually in a techno style because one person can do this competently. Chief among the tunes selected to be remixed are those old ditties that used to play through the simplest of sound chips on aging consoles: the video game theme songs. People now go and grab the main tune line from an old favourite and fill it out, making real the work our imaginations used to do for us to turn the single tone melodies into orchestral masterpieces. A few good places to start are http://remix.kwed.org and http://remix.overclocked.org as well as a personal favourite band http://machinaesupremacy.com
I hope this has given you something to think about. It's not hard to come across illegal MP3 rips, in fact it's often hard to avoid them, but if you give the free music scene a look you may find something completely different and new that will really do it for you. With web hosts already being penalized hugely for illegal content being stored on their servers (having an entire server taken down because of one inconsiderate user is damaging and irritating beyond belief) and moves being made to charge ISPs for the content being accessed by their users, it makes more sense than ever to get out there and grab yourself an awesomely original and completely legal music collection.
About the author:
Daniel Punch
M6.Net Web Hosting
http://www.m6.net
by: Daniel Punch
Almost everyone has heard about the massive crack down on Internet music piracy that has been occurring over the past few years. Napster was taken down (although it has now returned as a pay service), other file sharing programs now require users to pay for a license and the RIAA and other similar organizations are doing their best to hunt down copyright offenders and put an end to their crime sprees. The consumers on the other hand argue that their actions hurt nobody, that there is no damage done to anyone by their not buying an album. Furthermore, they claim, MP3s allow them to sample a CD before purchasing it, thus actually helping sales.
I'm not here to argue the pros and cons. Basically it's not worth it, as neither side of the argument will ever see the opposition's point of view. What I'd like to do is take a look at the completely free and legal alternative to 'stealing' music. Those wonderfully talented musicians who are willing to put their creations online to download for free, solely for the joy of spreading their creations to the masses.
Free music is surprisingly easy to come by, even music by famous bands. Sometimes it needs to be 'streamed' from the Internet, meaning that you can only listen to a song while you're online, but with the ever-growing popularity of broadband Internet this is really no longer a problem. Sites such as MP3.com and purevolume.com provide free music by almost any band you can think of, although there is a large amount of it that has to be streamed and not downloaded. A search for 'free legal MP3 downloads' will reveal a huge number of pages to visit.
For something specific, try visiting the artist's website, or the site of their record label. These will often offer a few sample tracks to download for free. It's not quite as convenient as having access to every song that you want, but it's not a bad alternative.
But how about we forget about the mainstream for just a while and move towards the alternative? Towards the hopefuls, the talented bands that have yet been 'noticed'. There are a huge number of these smaller bands out there that are sticking their stuff online for any and all to listen to, just so that they can be heard. These can be easier to find, because most MP3 sites will be filled with these smaller acts. A great place to start is http://www.garageband.com/ or the aforementioned http://purevolume.com
The great thing about smaller bands is that you can often find bands that come from your local area and then go and see them play live. Being able to see a favourite band live more than once a year (or lifetime) without expending huge amounts of money and time is pretty cool. Many music search engines will let you search for bands of a particular genre in a particular area, which makes it all quite easy.
A fairly major contributor to the online music scene is the remixer. These people take other tunes and redo them, usually in a techno style because one person can do this competently. Chief among the tunes selected to be remixed are those old ditties that used to play through the simplest of sound chips on aging consoles: the video game theme songs. People now go and grab the main tune line from an old favourite and fill it out, making real the work our imaginations used to do for us to turn the single tone melodies into orchestral masterpieces. A few good places to start are http://remix.kwed.org and http://remix.overclocked.org as well as a personal favourite band http://machinaesupremacy.com
I hope this has given you something to think about. It's not hard to come across illegal MP3 rips, in fact it's often hard to avoid them, but if you give the free music scene a look you may find something completely different and new that will really do it for you. With web hosts already being penalized hugely for illegal content being stored on their servers (having an entire server taken down because of one inconsiderate user is damaging and irritating beyond belief) and moves being made to charge ISPs for the content being accessed by their users, it makes more sense than ever to get out there and grab yourself an awesomely original and completely legal music collection.
About the author:
Daniel Punch
M6.Net Web Hosting
http://www.m6.net
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