www.spiralfrog.com - Free and legal music downloading!

d8g3jdh · #1 08-29-2006, 08:28 PM

Yes folks, you heard it right. Universal's latest scheme to lessen the pains of illegal downloading. Just caught this on the news, and I must say I think it is a great idea. The download is free and legal. How? Before you get the song you have to watch a commercial. I'm not entirely sure about how much of the sponsorship money will go towards the artists, but it's better than nothing. I'll probably be one of the first to get an account. More info can be found at http://www.spiralfrog.com

I really think this will help get a lot of people to stop using things like Kazaa and bittorrent. I hope so, anyways.

**Josh Ryan** · #2 08-29-2006, 08:30 PM

I'll check it out when theres a way to avoid the commercials.

canopener · #3 08-29-2006, 09:48 PM

I'll sign up when they send you a free CD after downloading...

spudmaster34 · #4 08-30-2006, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blisshead

I'll check it out when theres a way to avoid the commercials.

rotflshipmp

bassmonkeee · #5 08-31-2006, 07:34 AM

I was reading up on this site, and I'm not sure how it'll be viable in its current incarnation.

1. Can't be used with iPods (so much for 70% of the market)

2. Can't be burned to a cd

d8g3jdh · #6 08-31-2006, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmonkeee

I was reading up on this site, and I'm not sure how it'll be viable in its current incarnation.

1. Can't be used with iPods (so much for 70% of the market)

2. Can't be burned to a cd

Where did you read this? It is certainly bad news to me.

is right.

SBassman · #7 08-31-2006, 08:38 PM

I don't know about the iPod part, but not being able to burn to CD? But, you can get it on an MP3 player? Cuz, any MP3 you can get on a generic, non iPod MP3 player can get burned to a CD.

Time to research further ...

Poop-Loops · #8 08-31-2006, 09:01 PM

If you can physically download it on your hard drive, then you can both burn it and stick it on an iPod.

Maybe the encode the file so you can't do it at first, but please, you can just re-encode it easily. Unless they make you stream the song, I can't see how they can stop you.

Actually, if they make you watch a commercial, and then stream the song, that would suck. But then at least you could listen to a song and know whether it's worth it to buy the CD or not (it's not).

bassmonkeee · #9 09-01-2006, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Zoltok

Where did you read this? It is certainly bad news to me.

is right.

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment...-10388,00.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by the article

The drawback of the service, to be launched later this year, is downloaded music will not play on the iPod - which accounts for 70 per cent of digital music player sales - nor will it be burnable to CD.

I'm sure there are workarounds just like how "can't move music from an iPod to a computer," but workarounds are not the way to launch a successful service to keep people from using illegal downloads.

keb · #10 09-01-2006, 06:32 AM

Can't be burned to a CD, eh? If it's a downloadable file, you can bet yer granny there's a way to burn it.

Even if it's streaming, just record it as it's streaming. Kind of clunky, but hey that's how we recorded CDs onto cassette tapes back in the day.

Sonic_Death · #11 09-01-2006, 07:12 AM

If it's streaming, then I honestly don't see what all the hype is about. www.radioblogclub.com has had people streaming tons and tons of music for ages now, without commercials. I guess it still isn't all that 'legal' though.

bassmonkeee · #12 09-01-2006, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keb

Can't be burned to a CD, eh? If it's a downloadable file, you can bet yer granny there's a way to burn it.

Even if it's streaming, just record it as it's streaming. Kind of clunky, but hey that's how we recorded CDs onto cassette tapes back in the day.

Well, of course there's a way. But, it's set up on the legal site in a form that isn't supposed to be recordable.

You can play cracked video games on a PS2, or XBOX, but that's not how it was designed. You can move music files from an iPod to a computer, but that's not in the manual, is it?

The whole point is that it is supposed to be an alternative to illegal free downloads. If you have to start manipulating files, then what's the point?

You're always going to have the people who can change the file format, but that's not your average user. You average user can type "blink 182" into a p2p network and get files that don't require any manipulation that will work on an ipod and can be burned to a cd, so why would the average user take the time to watch a commercial to get a file that has to be altered after the fact?

If you have to do something against the terms of service (that I'm sure you'll have to agree to before you have access to the files), then it's no more legal than going to a p2p, and it sounds like a lot more trouble, so again, what's the point?

Bob Clayton · #13 09-01-2006, 09:51 AM

depends if they have some obscure music that most people on p2p networks don't have

christobass 416 · #14 09-01-2006, 07:20 PM

Eh, it's easy to find software that can crack the protection.

d8g3jdh · #15 09-01-2006, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmonkeee

The whole point is that it is supposed to be an alternative to illegal free downloads. If you have to start manipulating files, then what's the point?

The point is that it gives compensation to the artist, and therefore is ethically sound to me. I would like to hear their reasoning for not wanting it on ipods (CD's I can understand), but until then I'm going to find a way to listen to it on my ipod, whether they want me to or not.

seanm · #16 09-02-2006, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Zoltok

The point is that it gives compensation to the artist, and therefore is ethically sound to me. I would like to hear their reasoning for not wanting it on ipods (CD's I can understand), but until then I'm going to find a way to listen to it on my ipod, whether they want me to or not.

According to the article, iPods use a proprietary format which will not be supported. It sounds like they are going to use a Microsoft format. Which probably means some form of DRM (Digital Restriction Management) to stop you from recording to CD.

Brad Maestas · #17 09-02-2006, 01:40 PM

iPods using a proprietary format? Maybe they're referring to AAC but it's hardly exclusive. Many software and hardware players support that format now.

One way to get around all this, which I think keb was getting at, is to record the song as its playing/streaming. I use Audio Hijack Pro by Rogue Amoeba and although you have to record it in real-time, you can capture it nonetheless. For instance, if a website has some music embedded and it's not available for download, you can snag it with this app. Even if it's one of those pesky flash players that won't let you save the file, you can still get the song you want. Again, like monkeee said, is it worth it? Sometimes.

Mike Money · #18 09-02-2006, 04:47 PM

I know away around everything, even CD's that wont burn...

Set your soundcard to stereo mix, and record your PC with any ol' program, save that file as an MP3... cha ching.