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Vol. 1, No. 13 This week in Handcrafted, the newsletter from Tripod's Better Builders, we cover the MP3 craze. Find out more about it and how you can be part of the revolution. Be sure to check out past issues in the Handcrafted archives. Suddenly it seems like the world's gone MP3 crazy. And no wonder! MP3 is an algorithm that allows music to be stored in extremely small files — compressing music files up to ten times more than an equivalent uncompressed file — without jeopardizing sound quality. Because the files are so small, it's now possible to download songs from the Internet whenever you feel like it. As you can imagine, the MP3 phenomenon has the potential to radically change the music business, despite the industry's wishes. Instead of shelling out $16.99 to buy the new CD by your favorite band, you can just fire up the old 56K and spend a few minutes downloading an MP3 file. Or if you've already bought the CD (maybe you wanted the booklet inside) you can e-mail a copy of it to your friend with minimal effort and cash. The situation sounds perfect, but there are a few hitches. The major drawback is that it's illegal to redistribute songs that were published by somebody else. Even if it's just between friends, copyright law still calls it pirating. But because it's so widespread, the law is pretty much impossible to enforce. There are efforts underway to replace free-'n'-easy MP3 with a format that can be locked down, permitting, for example, only one copy to be made from each original, and requiring the watermarking of files so that copies can be traced back to their source. It still remains to be seen how much of a foothold these efforts will gain. At present, no one (except record execs) seems eager to leave the MP3 era behind. Still, you don't have to be a criminal if you want to listen to MP3s. Not all MP3 downloads are illegal. There are thousands of musicians (though not too many famous ones — yet) who make their songs freely available for download at sites like MP3.com and Emusic.com. Chances are that the number of musicians doing this will grow as the phenomenon continues to spread. How to Play Them There are an overwhelming number of MP3 players available for download on the Web. Small, free, and popular choices include Winamp and Sonique for PC, MacAMP for the Mac, and XMMS for Linux. They make it a snap to listen to music at your computer while you work or play. You can also create customized playlists for all of your moods: Gangsta rap and digital hardcore for work, early Italian opera while surfing at home, and Neil Sedaka for use on the moisture-proof PC system in the sauna. You can even customize a player's appearance on your desktop with downloadable "skins." MP3 players also carry over into the real world. Pocket-sized devices that carry a few hours of downloaded music are available for purchase. If you look long and hard, you can find car stereos that play MP3s. Online or offline, you'll never have to spend a minute without music! How to Make Them So where do you get MP3s? You can either download them or make your own from CDs. The latter process is called "ripping," which makes it sound a bit more exciting than it actually is. For maximal control (and with maximal software and effort), the process can be done step by step with two separate programs: First, copy the music off the CD; then encode it into MP3 format by compressing the music. If you don't want to deal with multiple programs, the easiest way to create your own MP3 files is with an all-in-one program. Using a tool such as MusicMatch Jukebox or SoundJam MP, you just pop a CD into your computer, and an MP3 is automatically made of each track. These programs take care of naming each file (by looking up the disc on the Internet CD Database) and creating directories to keep albums in order. They also function as full-featured players. You can set the bit rate (higher bit rates sound better but create larger files — 128K is a pretty good compromise) and adjust the preferences. Then all you need to do is select the songs you want (leaving out that annoying novelty intro track and the horrible spoken-word piece) and let 'er rip! How to Find Them Finding MP3s on the Web is pretty easy. If you know what you're looking for, you can use search sites, such as Lycos MP3 Search or Oth.net. You can also download utilities that do the searching for you on a multitude of search engines simultaneously. MP3 Seeker or Abe's MP3 Finder will do the job. Both of these searches will bring up a list of links to downloadable files. The better search engines attempt to filter out links that no longer work, but you're probably going to run across some dead ends anyway. Keep trying. If you don't know what you're looking for, you can browse the vast array of offerings at MP3.com, Emusic.com, and other sites that host MP3s. Many of these are free, and the rest can generally be had for $1 per track or less. The samplers offered on many of these sites are a great place to start. Streaming MP3 If you have a fast connection, you can take advantage of MP3's streaming capability. MP3s are to CDs as streaming is to radio. Streaming basically sends downloaded MP3 files to your sound card instead of your hard drive. This was, you can listen to songs bit-by-bit as they come in, instead of waiting for the whole thing to arrive. The downside, of course, is that you don't get to keep a copy of the songs. The most up-to-date MP3 players support streaming. You can find "MP3 radio stations" with software like MP3Spy, or through such directories as shoutcast.com. HINTS, POINTERS, and TIPS o' the TRADE In the spirit of barter, many FTP sites won't let you download their songs until you've uploaded one of your own files to their site. If you can't access a particular site, that might be the reason. For a party, prepare a few playlists (background, dancing, slow-dancing, everybody-out) and hook your computer up to your stereo with an RCA cable. When you're buying your first house, make sure it has a bathroom on the same floor as your bedroom. Going up and down stairs in the dark is damn near impossible. RESOURCES: |
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