SpiralFrog Music Site Launches Monday

[Azure]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g...K835LsqzAjCT2A

LOS ANGELES (AP) — SpiralFrog.com, an ad-supported Web site that allows visitors to download music and videos free of charge, was scheduled to launch Monday in the U.S. and Canada after months of "beta" testing.


The music service, which has arranged to pay record companies a cut of its advertising revenue, aims to lure music fans who normally flock to online file-swapping networks to share and download music for free. The recording industry has sued thousands of computer users for doing so in recent years.

Anyone going to try it out?

[Knut]

Just signed up... giving it a shot...


Pretty slow moving right now...

[photon]

Yeah, I'll give it a shot.. seems to be a playforsure service so iPods (and the 3 people who own a Zune) are out.

[Knut]

Update:

Meh... nothing special here..

Quick downloading, but not too much in the way of selection. I think i will hang onto it for those times that i want a specific top 40 song or something.

[Azure]

Is it restricted in any way from copying...and stuff like that?

What does ad-support mean?

Site is sloooooooow....

[photon]

The music is all DRMed WMA files, so no copying at all. You have to have a player that supports Playforsure to get these songs onto that device.

Ad supported just means there's ads on the site and that's where they get the money to pay the copyright holders.

[Azure]

Well I won't use it much if I can't copy the songs.

Good idea though with the ad thingy....

[Bobblehead]

If you don't log onto the site within 30 days all your music is deactivated. You cannot burn any of these to CDs, and can transfer them to at most 2 mobile players that support Microsoft's DRM (no iPods for you).

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

If you don't log onto the site within 30 days all your music is deactivated. You cannot burn any of these to CDs, and can transfer them to at most 2 mobile players that support Microsoft's DRM (no iPods for you).

And they wonder why people steal music.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Barnes

And they wonder why people steal music.

Exactly.

I wonder how long its going to take before they figure it out.

[Ford Prefect]

Personally, I'm opposed to the theft of intellectual property. I don't care if others do it, so please don't flame me. It's a personal choice is all.

[arsenal]

Well the issue is, if you purchase music, you should be able to use it on as many players as you wish, on as many computers that you own, etc.
Yes, there are copy write owners, but they get their money from you when you purchase the music.

The whole idea of DRM and locked music files is more detrimental to the record companies. If I purchase a CD, or a music file from some place on-line, I want to be able to play it on my computer, ipod, zune, media center, phone what ever. I purchased it, and I don't think I need to keep paying the record label for each device I put it on.
With the whole DRM / locked music files, they are restricting the use of files you have purchased legally. So you have less freedom than you would if you downloaded the music as an mp3.

It pretty much is a tax on a tax for legally purchasing music. It's just going to push more and more file sharing under ground.

[Flaming Choy]

so if your restricted to pretty much listening on your computer (unless u have a playforsure player) isn't it just easier to listen to music off of youtube or finetunes or something?

[Burninator]

I agree with you arsenal. I bought a CD last year that I couldn't rip onto my computer. I only listen to music that is on my iPod or my computer. I rarely use CD's anymore. Even my iPod hooks up to my car stereo. So since I can't put it on my iPod or computer I never listen to it. I know that band got my money for that CD, but that's the last cent they will be getting from me. They are really just shooting themselves in the foot and punishing the people who legally buy their music.

[arsenal]

it's almost like record companies are turning into what Microsoft was about 10 years ago. Before all the anti-trust law suits came around. I wonder if the same type of thing could happen to the record labels.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

Personally, I'm opposed to the theft of intellectual property. I don't care if others do it, so please don't flame me. It's a personal choice is all.

Well at this point it isn't theft in Canada, the levy on blank media (and soon audio players) goes to the CRIA which they distribute to the copyright holders.

Which is funny, because they're now lobbying against those levies which they lobied so hard for, becuase it's getting in the way of suing downloaders.

They want it both ways, they won't be happy until you pay for every time you listen to a song.

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/15...to-canada.html

[Barnes]

This was posted a few days ago.

Downloading music isn't illegal if you burn it to media which has had a levy paid.

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=13664#more-13664

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Barnes

This was posted a few days ago.

Downloading music isn't illegal if you burn it to media which has had a levy paid.

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=13664#more-13664

Really? Wow, thats interesting. I imagine the record companies arent fans of that at all.

[Juventus3]

lol DRM WMA files? I can use this site for my BROWN Zune!



Crickets.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Juventus3

lol DRM WMA files? I can use this site for my BROWN Zune!



Crickets.

Zune isn't compliant with Playsforsure DRM, so nope, can't use iPod or a Zune for these.