Missed this live event? No worries! Each Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon PT, we'll give you the chance to chat live with a CNET editor. We'll cover a new topic each week, from cell phones to TVs. Get those burning tech questions ready! Click here for the Ask the Editors Live event calendar.
Well, that wraps up today's live chat. Thanks for all the great questions. I hope I helped you find new music!
If you haven't checked out Download Music yet here's the link - http://music.download.com
Next week, join CNET editor Kent German on Thursday 2/21 to discuss international phones, 3GSM. http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12548_102-0.html?forumID=136&threadID=283585
www.mp3search.ru. I first came upon this website about a year ago. Since then I have not bought any music from there because it almost sounds like a scam. Is this for real? And if so, how does it even work?
Hehe, yeah I used to be skeptical of Russian servers too, but I actually bought some stuff from allofmp3.com once and didn't have any problems. I wouldn't encourage it but I also wouldn't be scared to use this site. They, however, should be scared of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)!
The music download service I first used was Musicmatch. I loved the software they used to download songs in wma format, burn, rip, and print out cd liners etc. I'm still using it today, for organizing my music files and using the print cd liner jackets. I was using SonicStage, but now they too are closing down. Most music downloads use proprietary software. Even my cell phone V Cast has its own software.
Is there a music download service as good as Musicmatch was?????
Yeah I used use Musicmatch too, back in the day (which by the way, that day was a Wednesday, if you didn't know 
. I'd say Rhapsody is the closest you'll get to an all-star service for managing your MP3 player, ripping, and discovering new music. Most of Rhapsody's catalog is DRM protected but they recently started selling MP3s - hopefully we'll see more of that.
Just wondering how it can be free. Does the advertiser pay for the music rights when the music is free to download??
I stayed away from sites like this because I know musicians who complain about it. What is your feelings on this hot topic.
Download Music pays licensing fees. So if an artist is a member of ASCAP (for example), they'll get paid.
Can you point me in the right direction to begin ripping a large LP collection to MP3s or digital? Is there a guide or tutorial on CNET or somewhere? I have over 400 LPs dated from 1963 through 1984. Many of them are not (easily) available on CD, I will buy a USB turntable if necessary, although I have a good turntable connected to my Sony ES receiver.
Is there any program, free or otherwise, which would add the Artist, Album and Track info to each song after it is ripped? I am willing to help it find the album from a list or website, but I really do not want to have to edit each and every song and type in the information manually.
I'm not an expert on this, but perhaps try asking your question on our forum pages http://forums.cnet.com/?tag=dir.forum or search Google for "convert vinyl to MP3." Hey, look at that - there's even a website called convertfromvinyl.com!
I love using iTunes for my iPod, but I wish it had a subscription service to stream entire songs and not just 30 second clips. What site do you recommend for streaming?
Glad you asked! My second favorite site (after Download Music) is Rhapsody http://www.rhapsody.com - they have pretty much every album ever made (hundreds of thousands of songs). But it cost $10 (or maybe it's $12 now?) a month. Download Music http://music.download.com is all free, btw. We have tons of downloads and full album streams such as the Grammy's Album of the Year - Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters" http://music.download.com/herbiehancockriverthejoniletters/3600-8480_32-101075880.html
I just started using the Amazon MP3 service last week because I refuse to use a service with DRM.
I am very happy so far and noticed they have added many major artists I like.
My question is does Amazon add a serial number or something similar to the file that lets them track it ? And if they do , is this such a big deal ? I heard Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrotte say that the Zune Marketplace MP3`s will not have any identifiers on their files. Do you know if this is true ?
I just bought some MP3s from Amazon yesterday. I don't believe they use tracking info in the song's ID tags. They really don't need to since they get enough info just by the fact that you bought it. That's why Amazon is so successful, they keep you on their site by recommending similar music/products that you like.
It is a nice thought to find good sources beyond iTunes for non-drm mp3 files but what companies provide a solution for the Mac user? I know of eMusic and Amazon both pretty good.
Yeah, it's surprising (and great) that Amazon is now selling unprotected MP3s. They're the best source right now for buying MP3s. Have you tried Download Music http://music.download.com? Works on Mac and all the music is free non-drm MP3s and streams. And yeah eMusic is great for indie music as well.
Do you know whats the deal with Qtrax? Are they a hoax or can we expect something in the near future?
They seem legit, sounds like they already got a few of the major labels onboard. Personally, I stay away from any site or service that has DRM (Digital Rights Management) songs. But I'm sure it will be hard for others to ignore a legal free service. Advertising is the source of income for a lot of sites already - Qtrax's advertising model is just more obvious.
Hi everybody! Welcome to today's Ask the Editors Live Chat. I'm Peter Gavin, associate editor for Download.com Music. The topic today is "Finding music beyond iTunes," so if you are looking for alternative ways to find new music, let me know. Or if you just want to chat about your favorite bands - fire away! I'll try to get to as many questions as possible before the end of the hour.
