http://uk.news.yahoo.com/010615/152/bve0d.html

Friday June 15, 07:31 PM

MP3 fans find a new star

By Gwendolyn Mariano, CNET News.com

Disappointed with Napster's decision to filter popular songs from its file-swapping network, Jonathan Lemon recently turned to Audiogalaxy, a relatively new alternative for free music downloads that is winning a lot of converts.

Like Napster, Audiogalaxy filters copyrighted music from its system. In a twist, however, the company helps search off the network for music it refuses to host itself, guiding people to free copies of almost any popular song. People say they are impressed by features such as "resume," which saves time by allowing them to seamlessly pick up where they left off if a download gets cut off midstream.

"I was really excited to find Audiogalaxy," Lemon said, comparing it with other services he'd tried. "Gnutella and BearShare weren't doing it for me. A lot of search issues I had with Napster were suddenly addressed...And most importantly of all, my searches seem to turn up pretty much everything I look for, so I'm back into MP3 mania big time."

Despite a music industry crackdown, file swapping is alive and well on numerous alternative services that have so far avoided open confrontation with record label lawyers. Although none has risen to the wild popularity of Napster, which boasted more than 50 million members during its heyday, many are signing up impressive numbers of people and offering new features that make it as easy as ever to find top hits for free.

Although analysts say it's too soon to pick a winner, the quest to build the new Napster is thriving. Services such as Audiogalaxy, iMesh, LimeWire, BearShare and Music City are hoping to strike the right blend of high performance, comprehensive music listings and legal armor to face down the record industry.

"People are searching around for the best one," said Jarvis (LSE: JRVS.L - news) Mak, senior Internet analyst at Nielsen/NetRatings. "They haven't found one as easy to use and as successful as Napster yet, but obviously they're looking...They've all got similar features, and whichever ones grab more people--and therefore have a wider collection of songs available--are the ones that prove to stay around longer."

Audiogalaxy's survival is not ensured, but it's moving up the ranks as one of the most popular places to find online music.

According to Nielsen/NetRatings, the number of people visiting Audiogalaxy, which was founded in January 1999 and began its file-sharing system that October, has spiked within the last six months. The number of unique home visitors grew to 989,000 in May from 477,000 the previous month. The service has grown so quickly that it has been unable to keep up with demand.

"Our site is completely flooded," said Audiogalaxy Chief Executive Michael Merhej. "It's just like any Web site or company when you get flooded with traffic more than your capacity. It becomes slow; it doesn't quite work out right. But we'll have those problems fixed eventually -- it's just going to take some time."

Merhej said that like Napster, Audiogalaxy uses a central server. So if 100 people, for instance, are sharing music and someone requests a song, the system searches for that music file from one of those 100 people and sends it to that person.

The popularity of Napster stemmed from its wide collection of songs and the simplicity of the file-swapping service. Its central server let people add music to a master database that they could in turn search for music they wanted.

But Audiogalaxy's application, dubbed Audiogalaxy Satellite, differs from Napster because it automatically resumes a download if there is an interruption. For instance, if either the person downloading a file or the one offering that file is disconnected, the system automatically detects the break and resumes the download from another person offering the same file.

Other Napster clones have appeared -- especially peer-to-peer networks such as Gnutella, which links PCs without using central servers and therefore without a corporate backer that can be shut down. Gnutella is considered a viable Napster replacement, since many believe that it is bulletproof from copyright lawsuits. But it has had its share of technical problems, especially with slow downloads and complicated sign-up procedures.

Recent Gnutella spinoffs such as LimeWire and BearShare have fixed some of those problems, according to developers. But these services still trail server-based systems such as Audiogalaxy in popularity.

Being a leader in this market is not necessarily a great place to be, however.

Audiogalaxy's Merhej would not comment about the company's revenue or copyright issues, but the Recording Industry Association of America says it has Audiogalaxy on its radar.

"We are aware of them and have been in discussions with them," said Doug Curry, spokesman for the RIAA. "The dialogue is ongoing."

The Internet is changing the face of the music industry forever.

-- (C@NET.News), June 18, 2001

Answers

Try bearshare.com

-- (cin@cin.cin), July 06, 2001.

"We are aware of them and have been in discussions with them," said Doug Curry, spokesman for the RIAA. "The dialogue is ongoing."

Ya I bet it is.

Here is a hint Recording Industry, stop ripping off the public and maybe most will not bother with "the internet" and "burning". Maybe you might want to rethink the $16 bucks for a 25 cent cd model ya freaking crooks.

-- (too@funny.haha), July 06, 2001.

I wonder how a "J" justifies things when he is downloading the latest Taproot hit(or in his case, George Michael)from a napster type of set- up? Doesn't he feel guilty ripping off his fellow... ahh "businessmen"? Does he "burn", when burning?

How do the millions of repuglicans justify this aborrant behavior? This radical market behavior?

-- (too@funny.haha), July 06, 2001.

Seriously, these be the same people who will trot-off to Sam's Club, pay 35 bucks to shop for shit barely cheaper than their corner grocery store sells it for. On the way home these same people will be listening to Bush Bimblah on the radio and complaining how America is being sold-out to special interests and the Chinese. Heard will be crap about how we need to buy American and save our country as they risk their life and the others lives by going 55 in a 35 zone.

The HYPOCRISY is overwhelming. Must be why these dingbats can't see it, it is so much of who and what they are, they are blind to it inwardly. They see it all around(duh). Gee maybe cause IT is but a reflection of themselves? ya think Freud?

Best one are these dolts who can be seen driving their SUVs with a cell phone glued to their coconuts(like what is soo damn important you need yet another phone?). Usually have one of them "my kid is an honor student at Jackass school" or some such meaningless and who cares bullshit stuck to their trucks bumper(with trailer hitch of course). Poorer smucks have old ass pick-ups with every stupid bumpersticker ever made and Calvin pissing on just about everybody and everything. These people might just as well have I AM A FUCKING MORON painted as their vehicle color in a colage, it is that retarded.

And it ain't just these whiteass conservatives either. Rest of you have your own special ways of telling the world you are CLUELESS. Don't even start with them tatoos and ring shit. Or claiming a rockband like Korn is inspirational, don't go there. And Brittany Spears is a whore, face it. So is Anna and who ever else is the Blonde of the day.

Maybe there is some truth to the claims about chemtrails. I don't remember such mass stupidity before. Maybe something in the air or water?

-- (too@funny.haha), July 07, 2001.