Napster Going Back to Free Downloads

conq writes "BusinessWeek reports on Napster's latest move to allow the download of free music. This time the service will be supported by online ads." From the article: "With Napster's new free service, 'we'll be able to help millions of people get out of the world of 30-second clips and of having to buy individual songs,' Gorog says. 'I don't think there's anything better we could do to turn people onto the pleasures of unlimited, legal access to music.'"

It works great!

[crazyjeremy]

Just signed up. It works GREAT! Wonder how long it will last.

It's not unlimited

[technoextreme]

Just signed up. It works GREAT! Wonder how long it will last.

You can only listen to one song at most five times. Two million songs times five leads to ten million songs before it's useless. Give me iTunes free downloads any day.

From TFA

[HeavensBlade23]

"On May 1, the Los Angeles-based company announced a new Web-based version of its software, along with a new service that lets users listen to any song among its catalog of 2 million songs absolutely free -- so long as they don't want to listen to any one song more than five times." I don't expect them to have much success finding a larger userbase under those terms.

You're Not Downloading Anything

[WeAzElMaN]

The new service allows users to listen to any song for free up to five times - and it's streamed over Napster's site; you're not downloading anything. I think it's a great marketing move and it works perfectly, but Napster's not returning to the Glory Days, boys.

Or use Pandora

[LetterRip]

Well since I love it so, I'll pimp it bit :)

Try http://www.pandora.com/ [pandora.com] it is absolutely amazing for discovering new music. Not really a replacement for this feature from Napster, but quite complementary.

LetterRip

Re:How do I download?

[MadUndergrad]

That's the thing: you can't download the song. You can only stream it. Kind of a worthless service, if you ask me. Well, until someone figures out an easy way to save the stream.

Re:How do I download?

[Who235]

I'm not advocating piracy here, but if one wished to download the songs, one could play them in Winamp with the free Streamripper plugin and rip the streams as MP3s. But that would be wrong, so don't do it. Ever.

Still not interoperable with mp3 players.

[Saint37]

Regardless of whether or not the new free try model increases revenue, interoperability issues will still keep me away. If I can't play it on my digital player, why would this interest me. Maybe people who figure out how to pirate the songs will love the service and thats about it.

http://www.commodore69.com/ [commodore69.com]

OK, you can rip the streams with. . .

[Who235]

. . .Replay music. http://www.applian.com/replay-music/index.php [applian.com] But doing so would be wrong, so don't do it. Ever.

And the audio quality is...

[Nrbelex]

garbage. Even if I could rip this straight from the stream, I wouldn't want to.

They are 32K streams

[argone]

not worth hijacking and would rather hear a 30 second 128K acc file anyway.

Re:You're Not Downloading Anything

[RickPartin]

Also the bitrate these songs stream at is garbage. This is dialup quality folks. You have to sign up for the paid service to get hifi. This whole story is worthless.

Re:Pay service

[MDGordon]

Worse. They use wma files.

Only in USA

[FASTo]

I'm from Brazil and when I try to listen a music it shows:

"We're sorry..
Napster's free music service is currently only available in the United States.
You can still listen to 30-second clips."

They could be warned me before I signed up =\

Re:From TFA

[tepples]

Audition (formerly Cool Edit), Audacity, and the like can record audio from the line-in jack. Wire line-out to line-in using a patch cable, start recording, play the track, and ye cannae stop the analog hole.

Re:Dot-com boom busines plan?

[fyngyrz]

They're not going to "give everything away." Or at least, not at this time.

Right now, you get to listen to a sing up to five times. You can't save it. If you like it, you still have to pay for it. The selection is pitifully small. Click on rock. Look at the list of bands. Just pitiful.

So in the end, you probably don't have the tune you wanted, you have limited listening times, you have to be on napster to actually listen, and eventually, they want you to pay.

At least, that's how I read what the site told me. I'm still on my "no more buying or downloading music" kick unless it's in highres MP3, is legal (meaning actually free by intent of the artist or legitimately paid for by me) and there is no DRM.

I suggest everyone consider the same. If you buy DRM, you are supporting it.