The Digital Music Thread

[HoyaSaxa03]

we might as well keep a running conversation somewhere other than smackie's vanity thread  
 
 Qtrax Debut on Hold Amid Licensing Snag
 
   

 
 CANNES, France -- A distributor of Internet file-swapping software abruptly postponed the launch of its free online music service until it can finalize music licensing deals _ a detail the company omitted when it threw a star-studded coming-out party over the weekend.
 
 Qtrax's ambitious, ad-supported music service promised unlimited, advertising-supported music downloads with the blessing of the major recording companies. That claim began to unravel just hours before Qtrax's scheduled debut Monday when Warner Music Group Corp. issued a statement that it had not authorized the firm to distribute its artists' music.
 
 Other major record labels soon followed.

[kosmo vinyl]

this one sounds like a real winner, licensing problems aside
 
 "Qtrax does indeed purport to be a free legal music downloading service, with 30 million high quality tracks from all the majors. You download its special client, which in turn downloads the music from the not-notably-legal Gnutella P2P network. The client filters out bad and unlicensed tracks, bungs on some DRM, adds adverts and the stuff's yours."
 
 http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10007187o-2000331777b,00.htm

[kosmo vinyl]

even more fun stuff on Qtrax
 
 
 I was finally able to get the Qtrax 0.2 beta client from a German site (thanks to commenter HellBoyTom), and it's clearly based on Songbird.
 
 To register with Qtrax, download the client, follow a download link from the front page, and follow the "Register" link from the upper-right hand corner. But once you've done that, you'll still be waiting for downloads to be enabled.
 
 Songbird defies easy summarization: it's an open-source project, based on the Mozilla platform, that intends to ease the creation of digital media apps. The basic app is a straightforward music library organizer and player (some of Songbird's founders worked on Winamp), and Songbird offers resources for developers to create customized versions of this basic player (think APIs, documentation, sample code, a loose license, and so on.) It's an intriguing project, but I hadn't seen any compelling reason to download it.
 
 The experience is akin to using a skinned version of Firefox: the "browser" appears in the middle of the screen, and defaults to a Qtrax page that offers featured artists, such as Foo Fighters and Amy Winehouse. Surrounding this screen are various other UI elements, including the all-important advertisements. From the home page, you can register via a link on the upper right hand side of the page, and once you've confirmed your registration via e-mail, you're ready to use Qtrax's search engine to find songs. This music's obviously not in a Qtrax-owned database. If I had to guess how it works, it seems to scan pages from all over the Web, looking for audio file extensions--sort of like JimmyR's Mp3 Music Search page, which is basically a modified Google search.
 
 Qtrax found my test case, UFO's "Love to Love"--about ten different versions, in fact--but the download button gave me an disappointing but not surprising message that downloads are coming soon. Apparently until the licensing deals are worked out, there's no there there.
 
 http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13526_1-9859840-27.html
 
 
 The open source folks will have a fit over this one...

[kosmo vinyl]

qtrax have at least gotten Songbird licensed correctly...

[Bombay Chutney]

U2's manager on controlling filesharing
 
 (found via  Coolfer )

[kosmo vinyl]

You know the more I think about Qtrax, the move I'm inclined to stay the hell away..
 
 Presumably, the Qtrax P2P client is interacting with other Gnutella users, other wise it would take some time to build up the catalog of 20 to 30 Million songs.  Which means they have no control on whats actually available, how files are encoded, if the files are named correctly, etc.  
 
 The part that concerns me is that if I'm sharing files via Qtrax and it's typically the file sharer that the RIAA goes after.  If they go to another Qtrax user it's considered "legal"... Will it be considered illegal if it goes to a non-Qtrax user?  Quite frankly that alone doesn't make it worth the hassle and risk to use the product.
 
 Not to mention will it still be illegal to download material not released in the US. What happens is the current Gnutella users decide they don't want a bunch of freeloaders clogging up their sharing and stop.

[sweetcell]

awesome link, BC.  thoughts/comments:
     

Radiohead's honesty box principle showed that if not constrained, the customer will steal music.

while true - you can't deny the facts - that statements needs to be qualified.  some stole b/c they didn't want to pay anything, not even the .99 transaction charge.  but i truly believe that many used P2P to download In Rainbows because it was easier - less steps, less hassle, and faster DL for the most part.  compare the p2p route (search for "in rainbows" and click on result) to the hoops one had to go through to order legitimately (go through multi-step shopping basket, open up account and type in address, enter CC number, confirm order, wait for e-mail, go to new website with code... and then hope that the download was fast).  until buying online become easier, natural laziness will ensure that people will choose the path of least resistance.  to say that music consumers are evil looking to steal is wrong.  we're mostly lazy.
 
     

the collapse of the old financial model for recorded music will also mean the end of the songwriter

no, it'll mean that the songwriter - and heaven forbid, the labels - will have to innovate and find a new financial model.  sure is easier to prop up the old one using threats (blanketed under a "moral imperative" by the speaker).
     

Their snouts have been at our trough feeding free for too long.

hum, sounds familiar...
 
 i think i'm going to fire up my p2p client and see if i can DL an MP3 of this speech.  lots of good samples to be had in there.

[kosmo vinyl]

Well I did wonder about some this...
 
 http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9860263-7.html?tag=tb
 
 After labels, Qtrax must satisfy Prince, Van Morrison
 
 Should troubled file-sharing site Qtrax, eventually strike licensing deals with the major music companies, it still may face a significant hurdle.
 
 Web Sheriff, a company representing music acts such as Prince, Van Morrison, and The Black Crowes, has notified Qtrax that it shouldn't think about offering their music, photographs, or other intellectual property until it has secured the artists' OK.
 
 "Whilst Qtrax is an interesting model, many major label and indie artists will not be happy about their music being given away free (to consumers) in return for a currently opaque return from advertising revenues," said John Giacobbi, Web Sheriff's president, in an e-mail.
 
 While Qtrax doesn't appear to have begun offering music downloads, there are photos posted to the site of artists such as the Foo Fighters, Daft Punk, and Wyclef Jean.
 
 Daft Punk is on the EMI label while Jean and the Foo Fighters are represented by Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Representatives from Qtrax and the labels could not be reached for comment late Monday evening. It's unclear whether Qtrax has permission to use the photos.
 
 "Any unauthorized use of copyright photos and/or copyright artwork is in violation of (the law)," Giacobbi said.

[beetsnotbeats]

Anyone here subscribe to KCRW's podcasts? They post occasional live sets and a daily song. Today's song is a cover of "Creep" by Damien Rice. For me, the podcasts have been a good no-fuss source of new stuff.

[vansmack]

It's funny to see the industry come all the back around to where they were day one with Napster - albeit nearly ten years later.  And they still can't do the right thing.  Amazing.
 
 I'd imagine this is fairly frustrating for Fanning to read.

[kosmo vinyl]

So is Qtrax.com the most clueless company ever?
 
 BAM Racing gets sponsor for Shootout
 
 BAM Racing  officials announced Tuesday that Qtrax.com will sponsor the team's No. 49 Dodge driven by Ken Schrader in Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
 
 that and the brilliant  press release touting hits, ad impressions, number of users online, and the just the hint of music file availability.  They are now merely touting the software as a media player for now. Of course it is just a rebranded Songbird, software it's self still under development.

[sweetcell]

from the "justice bites off more than it can chew" thread:
   

Originally posted by kosmo:
  a bunch of those are available on eMusic...

alright already, i give up - i'll join eMusic.  two questions for you regular eMusic'ers:
 1) what bitrate are most songs?
 2) if i sign up for 30 tracks a month and only DL 20, what happens to the other 10 - roll over, or lose them?
 
 if anyone wants to invite me and get the referral bonus, go for it (PM me for e-mail address).  as long as i still get my 50 track sign-up bonus.
 
 edit: #2 isn't as important anymore, as i see that they have a download manager... i'm assuming i can queue up a bunch of DLs, and use that to ensure that i grab my monthly allotment.

[chaz]

Originally posted by sweetcell:
  1) what bitrate are most songs?
 

ditto on this question

[beetsnotbeats]

Originally posted by chaz:
   

Originally posted by sweetcell:
  1) what bitrate are most songs?
 

ditto on this question [/b]

VBR, from mid-100s to low-200s.

[kosmo vinyl]

not only VBR but LAME encoded as well..
 
 invite sent to sweetcell hoping i'm not to late...
 
 the download manager is only used for one time downloading, doesn't really create a queue for use at a late date... need to use the save for later or create playlists to do remind ones self of what to download.  downloads do not rollover and by all means do not sign up for the audiobook subscription,   it's a bit ugly...