Mp3s ? The Future of Music?

Mp3 music is audio that has been digitally encoded and compressed to make the amount of data smaller without compromising the overall sound quality. It's a revolutionary technique with incredibly good results; mp3 music is frequently indistinguishable from music found on a CD (though some audiophiles with very sensitive ears dispute that statement).

The popularity of mp3 music made available on the Internet is a trend reaching gigantic proportions; these encoded songs are everywhere. Websites called mp3 blogs offer rare or hard-to-find mp3 music and avid fans sometimes spend hours at a time sifting through the piles of downloadable material. Newer recording artists that would often fall under the radar without the help of a well-known label are now able to convert their songs into mp3 music and make them available on the Internet, allowing huge numbers of people the chance to hear songs that they otherwise wouldn't have been exposed to. It's an extremely popular thing, mp3 music, one of those rare pop-culture phenomena embraced by nearly everyone.

But regardless of its massive popularity, mp3 music is surrounded with controversy. Many programs that allow users to transfer mp3 music directly from computer to computer offer the services for free, eliminating the possibility of royalties for the artist and label. Fearful of losing tons of money to fans downloading records instead of buying them, large factions of the music industry fought to make free mp3 music illegal -- and succeeded to a degree. The laws, however, have loopholes, and many websites or P2P programs have exploited them for all they're worth.

Additionally, laws regulating mp3 music in the United States aren't necessarily applicable to other countries, so new websites and programs (particularly, for some reason, in Russia) have popped up offering the free services railed against in America. Because of the hotly argued ethical issues surrounding mp3 music, many shy away from the topic (and practice) completely. Others embrace it, citing huge record costs as justification enough for free mp3 music. It's an argument not likely to end anytime soon; the ethical issues will be debated as long as free mp3 music is available somewhere.

In any case, MP3's are here to stay, and wise is the musician who learns about them and takes advantage of them.

(With Mollie Wells)

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. His book-CD-DVD course titled "How To Play Chord Piano In Ten Days!" has sold over 100,000 copies around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 57,400 current subscribers.

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:51:51 GMT Hunt begins for Karadzic helpers - BBC News BBC News Hunt begins for Karadzic helpers BBC News - 1 hour ago Officials investigating captured Bosnian Serb ex-leader Radovan Karadzic say they will track down and punish those who aided his false identity. Video: Karadzic plans to defend himself in The Hague RussiaToday Kenya: Karadzic's Fate a Lesson AllAfrica.com AFP - Telegraph.co.uk - International Herald Tribune - Hartford Courant all 5,884 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:47:45 GMT Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech - Reuters BBC News Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech Reuters - 26 minutes ago By Caren Bohan and Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - US presidential candidate Barack Obama is expected to call on Europe to do more in hotspots like Afghanistan when he speaks in Berlin on Thursday in his only formal address of a week-long foreign tour. Berliners welcome Obama as they did JFK Christian Science Monitor Obama Starts European Trip With Stop in Germany Wall Street Journal Voice of America - The Associated Press - AFP - Washington Times all 686 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:25:11 GMT US cancer boss in mobiles warning - BBC News CTV.ca US cancer boss in mobiles warning BBC News - 2 hours ago The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use. Cell phones: The next cigarettes? The Week Daily Group sees possible link to brain cancer Baltimore Sun ABC News - Los Angeles Times - dBTechno all 549 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:35:11 GMT Day After, WNBA Untangles Brawl - New York Times ChattahBox Day After, WNBA Untangles Brawl New York Times - 7 hours ago By MIKE OGLE Some of the WNBA’s biggest stars commanded national attention Tuesday night and into Wednesday - but not in a way their teams or the league wanted. Don't count on fights becoming WNBA trend USA Today WNBA may have a fighting chance Los Angeles Times ESPN - Detroit Free Press - Hartford Courant - Denver Post all 876 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:06:48 GMT Finding Bale's dark side - Chicago Sun-Times Times Online Finding Bale's dark side Chicago Sun-Times - 3 hours ago BY BILL ZWECKER Sun-Times Columnist 'The Dark Knight'' star Christian Bale's alleged ''assault'' in London against his mother and sister is part of a long-simmering family feud. Batman star stays silent in Spain BBC News Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale Los Angeles Times E! Online - hecklerspray - Times of the Internet - New York Daily News all 2,556 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:08:50 GMT Aurilia, Vizquel help Giants rally for win - San Jose Mercury News Washington Post Aurilia, Vizquel help Giants rally for win San Jose Mercury News - 4 hours ago By Andrew Baggarly It would be difficult to claim that the Giants improved their playoff hopes when they rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. Aurilia gets key hit, makes pitch for old guys San Francisco Chronicle Giants rally in eighth to edge Nats Sports Network Washington Post - The Associated Press - Washington Times - BlueRidgeNow.com all 455 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:43:04 GMT Sudan's president boogies on last Darfur pit stop - AFP BBC News Sudan's president boogies on last Darfur pit stop AFP - 36 minutes ago EL GENEINA, Sudan (AFP) - A dancing Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir paraded as a man of peace on Thursday during a heavily protected tour of Darfur defying accusations that he masterminded genocide in the region. Sudan counters charges with diplomacy Los Angeles Times Al-Bashir in Sudan peace pledge The Press Association Bloomberg - Monsters and Critics.com - New York Times - Workers World all 1,767 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:15:43 GMT RSS Parser Increased Web Site Traffic

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

A Guitar Lesson To Help You Test Your Note Knowledge

In this guitar lesson we look at a great way... Read More

Music Practice Techniques for Learning Repertory

These practice tips were written for fiddlers. I've used them... Read More

Story of 50 Cent

G-Units 50 Cent , was born 6th of July 1976... Read More

Guitar Practice - Make It Your Priority!

Every student realizes that guitar practice is important if they... Read More

How to Create Backing Tracks If You Dont Play All the Instruments... or Any

Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it's time the... Read More

How the Internet Helps Musicians

Everyone talks about the negative impact of the Internet on... Read More

Is Your Child Capable of Composing Music? Maybe the Next Mozart?

We've all heard of them. Child prodigies who begin composing... Read More

Are iPods Changing the Way We Listen to Music

They're everywhere, and not only are they everywhere, they look... Read More

Discover The Perfect Place To Perform

Once you know what your Unique Selling Proposition is as... Read More

How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children

Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young... Read More

Zen and the Art of New Age Piano

We all want to be in the moment. That's where... Read More

Is it Possible to Download Music Legally Anymore?

Throughout the past few years downloading music on the internet... Read More

Piano on the Right-Side of the Brain

Some of you may remember a book titled "Drawing on... Read More

Do you really need college to learn to play music?

Music courses are a great way to learn about virtually... Read More

Beauchamp Brings Diversity to Music

Everyone has a talent. For Miami, Okla.'s, Brian Beauchamp, it's... Read More

Sheet Music ? Violin and Other String Instruments

The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the... Read More

How I Compose a Piece of Music

A number of people have asked about my own methodology... Read More

Review: Audioslave - Out of Exile

Every once in a while a band comes along that... Read More

How to Create Hip, Mature and Lush Harmonies

Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in... Read More

Why Do Music Lovers Still Prefer to Buy Records?

In the late 1940's, the 45-RPM record replaced the 78-RPM... Read More

Piano Lessons For Adults: More Fun, Easier, & Faster Than Piano Lessons For Kids

Piano lessons for adults is generally LOTS more fun than... Read More

An Interview with Angus Young of ACDC - Why He Plays a Gibson SG

Steven: Maybe more than any other guitarist ever, you're inextricably... Read More

An Introduction to CD Mastering

While many people think that the mixing of the separate... Read More

Music to Echo Your Mood

In what way do the kinds of music (rock, rap,... Read More

Jazzing Up Your Leadership Style

I met New York jazzman Tim Armacost in college almost... Read More