A-Z MP3 - The Future of MP3 Digital Music

MP3 Music Technology

2007-11-26T20:14:00.004-08:00

Earlier form of music players required moving parts to read enclosed data on a tape or CD whereas MP3 players use solid state memory. An MP3 player is more of a data storage device with an embedded software application that enables users to transfer MP3 files to that player. MP3 players include some utilities to copy music from CD or websites and then organize them and create custom list of songs in the order you want to hear them. Such list of songs is called a "play list".

The MP3 player is the combination of various technologies and its components are not only revolutionary but also prove to be a great consumer product. If you wish to store music as well allow the user to hear the songs played and for this the player first pulls the song from its memory, then decompresses the MP3 encoding, runs the decompressed bytes through a digital to analog converter and amplifies the analog signal allowing the song to be heard.
Tip! You can easily download free mp3 song from different websites offering these services.

There are different stuffs or components but these could vary as the basic parts of a typical MP3 player. This includes data port, memory, microprocessor, digital signal processor, display, playback controls, audio port, amplifier and power supply.

The player is plugged into the port of your computer or a parallel port to transfer data. Port based players transfer data much faster than those using the parallel port. Memory types include internal flash memory, compact flash cards, smart media cards, memory stick and internal micro drive.
Tip! It is also used by many legal mp3 download sites.

Except the last one, all the above mentioned players are of solid state memory and the advantage of solid state memory is that there are no moving parts that mean better reliability and music without any skips. Mp3 players also contain tiny hard disk drives that could store 10 to 150times more than flash memory devices.

The microprocessor is the brain of any player and monitors user input through the playback controls and displays information about the current song on the LCD panel and then sends directions to the chip that informs exactly how the audio is processed. It pulls the song data from memory and apply any special effects and streams to the amplifier. It runs a decompression algorithm that compresses MP3 files and then turns back the bytes into sound waves.
Tip! A financial institution offers MP3 players as an incentive for new accounts. The branded players contain an audio magazine that promotes other investment and money management strategies that compliment their product offerings.

The amplifier also boosts the strength of the signal and then sends it to the audio port whereby you can attach the pair of headphones. Most of the MP3 players are powered by battery.

Olivia Andrews, writing for Free Download MP3 Song is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.

Is Downloading MP3 From File Sharing Programs Legal?

2007-11-26T20:14:00.003-08:00

File sharing programs such as KaZaa, Ares, iMesh and Limewire have never been more popular. They are pretty controversial as well. You may have heard of the countless lawsuits against them by music records companies and the MPAA. So is downloading MP3 from these programs legal?

How Do File Sharing Programs Work?

Modern file sharing programs connects users directly to each other allowing them to share and download files. They are also called P2P, or peer to peer programs. Unlike old file sharing programs such as Napster who ran all connections through their servers. That is also why it is sometimes difficult to determine exactly who is downloading what.

File sharing programs by themselves are not illegal. In fact, they are legitimate uses for it. For example, it is used by academy institutions and universities to exchange research data and cross learning. They are also used by musicians and artists to showcase their talents by distributing their music free through file-sharing networks.

Many people are confused as to what is legal to download and what is not. The problem stems from the fact that it is so easy to download illegal MP3 and other illegal files from these file sharing networks that people often do not know they are actually violating copyright laws.

They do not have sufficient knowledge of copyright laws. Current copyright laws allow an individual to rip MP3 provided he or she has brought a copy of the CD. However, he or she cannot give, sell or upload MP3 to others. Beware due to MP3 piracy, record companies have recently developed technologies that do not allow you to rip mp3 from CD. Add to that, they are dozens of websites on the internet proclaiming to be able to download mp3 and movies legally when they are not!
Tip! An entertainment company includes MP3 players in their press kits touting a new production. Each player is imprinted with the show's icon and includes cast interviews, sound bites and music from the production.

How to determine whether you can download MP3 legally?

Technically, any MP3 posted on file-sharing programs without the permission of the artist is illegal. Most commercial MP3 on file sharing networks are illegal, so my advice would be to avoid them altogether.

There are a few reputable MP3 download sites on the internet you can trust. The most famous of all is itunes from Apple. Napster has a subscription service per month that allows you to download more than two million mp3 legally. Technically, you do not own the mp3 so do not give, sell or upload to file sharing networks. For more information on where you can find more free legal mp3, you can visit my blog.

Ricky Lim blogs about current free MP3 download sites and MP3 converters. His Blog is part of the Infoknowledge blog network.

Cheap Mp3 Music From Russia with Love

2007-11-26T20:14:00.002-08:00

I know like you I am always looking for a bargain, a good deal, the best price. When I heard about the website AllofMp3.com on the Drudge Report one night it sparked my curiosity, so I checked it out. Boy what a surprise I found in this wonderfully made website all the way from the Russian Republic. There was all the top music I could ever want, listed in various charts, and to my surprise, the price was amazing. I saw Dixie Chick's new CD for $1.87 and so many other great artists from Rap to Rock and everything in between all at bargain prices. I also saw that in honor of the World Cup they are offering an addition 10% bonus, what a great bunch of chaps these guys are. They also have a just added section that offers the latest new music. If you want to experience different world music, this place is just right for you, as they offer a huge selection from many countries. Choose your countries flag and start browsing; you will be awed by the musical choices available at rock bottom prices.

I was a little skeptical at first, maybe it was a scam website, or some kind of joke. I did some searching around and found that it is indeed all that it offers, tons of music at low, low prices. So I made a few selections and found the download speeds to be quite fast as well, the shopping cart keeps your choices and you can download anytime you want. I was personally getting 5 songs at time to download, and then listened very closely for errors. That is the latest ploy for the people who download music, to get corrupted files, but no bad songs, all good stuff here.

You may choose between 3 speeds, 128, 192, and 356 Kbps for file size, I choose the 192 Kpbs as I find it offers the quality bass and acoustic sounds I like in my mp3 player. I also found selections that I was not sure would be available using the search box. and again no disappointments found here. I would recommend that you go there quickly and choose the music you like, because they have attracted many lawsuits, including the British RIAA called BPI, claiming that the artists are not being paid, and that the site must declared illegal. It is my belief that for every ALLofMp3.com they successfully shutdown, two more will pop up. The Mp3 has revolutionized the music industry and now they don't know how to put the Jeannie back into the bottle. I just know that it has made listening to music so convenient, and I really don't want to go back to CD's anymore.
Tip! Be sure to get the features that you need! Some MP3 players can display photos or allow you to play games while you are listing to music. Others have the inputs for recording audio from external devices like cassette players.

So I say appreciate this gift from Russia with Love while it lasts, I see it as our largest chain store says " Lower Prices Everyday" I have heard that the Chinese have an Mp3 download site up as well. So fear not if the inevitable legal actions shutdown AllofMp3 just like WinMx another Mp3 Music website will most certainly rise up from the ashes and form again.

Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.Jam727.com offers information and articles of interest. For more detailed articles on Mp3 Music and Mp3 Downloads go to http://www.Betterconcerts.com

Free MP3 Music Download

2007-11-26T20:14:00.001-08:00

With the emergence of the MP3 format, free music, unlike before, is no longer hard to come by. The Internet is practically teeming with free MP3 music downloads for all types of music enthusiasts. Although there has been some questions raised on the legal issues involved with online peer-to-peer file sharing, continued patronage of free MP3 music downloads has never quite died down. In fact, it is safe to say that it seemed to have acquired new life and vigor.

Free MP3 Music Download: What is MP3?

MP3 is a shortcut for MPEG - ½ Audio Layer 3. It is sometimes referred to as MPG3, MPG-3, MPG Level 3, MPG Level III, MPEG 3, et cetera. In essence, MP3 is a compressed and formatted copy of an original audio file.

The equations and algorithms used in the MP3 format are similar to that used in JPG when compressing photographs. If you notice, a JPG photo is not quite the same as that of the original. You notice some blurred or darkened parts, blotches, and some minor flaws that are too small to be noticed by the casual observer. This is the effect of file compression.

And because MP3 uses the same fractal-based algorithms as JPG, it should be noted that MP3 does not necessarily sound exactly the same as the original audio file. However, the difference in the sound of both file formats is too subtle and not enough to discount the many benefits of MP3.
Tip! ) If you want to download MP3s from your cds, you'll need a cd ripper. You can find one for free on the net.

Free MP3 Music Download: Why is it free?

There are two reasons why free MP3 music downloads are widely available. First is the fact that some musicians with real talent find it hard to break into the music business. Most artists who actually made it are groomed by recording industry moguls to look and sound that way in order to cater to the wants and music preference of the masses. It's true that this isn't very nice but it's a fact that all struggling musicians have to grapple with. If you are going to be successful, comprises have to be made. Those who are unwilling to compromise or change just to please find themselves frustrated for they have no outlet for their many talents. This is where free MP3 music downloads come in.

Several sites, such as MP3.com, MP3Songs.org, MP3Unsigned.com, and others, offer opportunities for unsigned artists to publish their works. Online users will find free MP3 music downloads by these artists, listen to it, and judge it by its sound. Many artists have been discovered this way through free MP3 music downloads that serve as a portal to let the general public know that they too exist.
Tip! A professional sports team sells collectable MP3 players, or gives them away as a season ticket purchase incentive. Each MP3 player features the team's logo and is pre-loaded with a broadcast replay of the their greatest game.

Another reason why free MP3 music downloads are offered is the theory that people use it in product sampling. With free MP3 music downloads, you can sample the work of new artist, listen to a few tracks in an album, or listen to bits of a new single, before going out to the record store to buy the CD.

Informal polls have been conducted to test this theory on free MP3 music downloads and it has been found that many people do go out and buy the record after listening to it online.

Happy Downloading!

Gaz Hutchinson

For a great Free MP3 Music Download site visit http://www.MP3Downloadz.co.uk

Free MP3 Downloads

2007-11-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

There's no doubt that free MP3 download files are the most downloaded products from the Internet -- whether they are movies, songs, music videos, instrumentals, or what-have-you. This is probably because most of these files are available for free download or peer-to-peer sharing. Obviously, this is way better than having to spend a few dollars on an audio recording album where we're not even sure if we're going to like all the songs it contains.

Free MP3 downloads are kind of like the free food sampling booths you find in grocery stores. After you listen in to a few songs of a newly-released album and find that you like them, then you could go on ahead and buy the real album. When you think about it, free MP3 downloads are not bad options at all.

There are many sites that offer free Mp3 downloads for listeners who want to hear new music released by established artists or listen to unheard-of music from unsigned bands or musicians. Below are a few of these sites where you can find free MP3 downloads.

Free MP3 Downloads: MP3Downloadz.co.uk

MP3Downloadz.co.uk is one of the leading online music communities that offer free MP3 downloads for music lovers like you. Here you can get a chance to sample some catchy songs from upcoming new artists and latest hits of the more established artists like Depeche Mode, No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, Eminem, Britney, and more. Get completely loco with free MP3 downloads from such latinos as Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Alejandro Sanz, and plenty more. Then get more free MP3 downloads and groove to the beat of bluegrass, Louisiana blues, reggae, Caribbean music, bossa nova, et cetera. At MP3Downloadz.co.uk, you are sure to find all the free MP3 downloads you need from every known genre in music.

Free MP3 Downloads: AmpCast.com

Have you ever wondered what "surreal radio" sounds like? Well, at this site, you'll find your answer. AmpCast offers a wide variety of free MP3 downloads, such as music, videos, radio, and more. AmpCast's Surreal Radio is a never-before heard Internet radio that is hosted by C J Wray. At this free MP3 download site, you can interact with other music fans at their lively discussion forums and chatrooms and then get to win free prizes. Signing up for a free MP3 download account at AmpCast is as easy as one, two, three. Once you're down, you can even edit and customize your own playlists for greater hearing pleasure. There's nothing like a "sound vacation" at AmpCast.
Tip! Be sure to get the features that you need! Some MP3 players can display photos or allow you to play games while you are listing to music. Others have the inputs for recording audio from external devices like cassette players.

There are several more sites that offer free MP3 downloads. Those mentioned above are but the tip of the iceberg.

Happy Downloading!

Gaz Hutchinson

For a great site offering Freeb MP3 Downloads visit: http://www.MP3Downloadz.co.uk

How MP3 Music Became So Popular

2007-11-26T20:05:00.002-08:00

MP3 stands for MPEG layer 3 audio, where MPEG stands for a form of compression used both in video and audio. The reason why compression is used, why not just capture digitally? The reason is size, in this case, size of captured files is a WAV file (the standard for CD) which produces massive files which even with the event of broadband connections are just too big, for example a 1 minute file equates to 10mb of storage.

CD's provide a high quality recordings that faithfully reproduce the music but in ones and zeros (digits). It does this by sampling 44,100 times a second and storing the value of each sample. This is a from of compression and it means that the whole analogue signal is not stored but the human ear can't really tell the difference between a sampled version. Plus digital recordings do not suffer from noise or degradation which allows copies to be made without losing quality much to the annoyance of the music industry. Peer-to-Peer file sharing softwares such as Kazaa, Morpheus, iMesh, Grokster, and Blubster or widely used Macintosh file-sharing programs like Poisoned, LimeWire, and mlMac are used to share music files on the Internet.

Consumers can now get music online via a range of payment methods, including paid-for downloads and subscription, from online sites such as MSN Music Club, Virgin Downloads, Tiscali Music Club, HMV Digital Downloads, Fnac, TDC musik, Karstadt and MTV. Demand for these services, powered by the pan-European distributor OD2, rose sharply in 2003. There are now many websites that offer music downloads, usually in the MP3 format. This is convenient because it takes up lesser space and therefore is downloaded faster by the customers. Many go to search sites like google.com to search for music and land up on different sites where that particular music is found. These sites usually have free mp3 download written all over it, but usually it does not work. Nothing comes for free, especially. when the Internet is being controlled more strictly. Usually most sites will offer you a sample, 20-30 seconds, of the song that you want to download. Then it is up to you to buy it.
Tip! A luxury automotive manufacturer offers MP3 players as an incentive for test drives. The branded players are pre-loaded with an audio infomercial that includes customer testimonials and interviews with engineers and designers.

Jeffrey Meier offers more information on MP3 music at http://www.betterconcerts.com which is part of Jam727 Enterprises http://www.jam727.com your source for Information Articles.

MP3 Ringtones - Inject Your Own Grove Into Your Daily Grind

2007-11-26T20:05:00.001-08:00

Mobile phones have become one of the most prominent status symbols. It has gone beyond a mere tool to make and receive calls. It's an expression of identity; a fashion statement; and with Mp3 ringtones, a way of injecting your own groove into your daily grind.

An Mp3 is a compressed audio file. For years, music lovers have exchanged these files on the Internet, playing them on their PCs or from dedicated Mp3 players. But then the mobile phone companies latched on to a brilliant idea: why not use those music files as ringtones, replacing the dull and sometimes annoying clanging sound that has been the trademark alert for incoming calls.

There is a wide variety of Mp3 ringtones, as wide as the range of music itself. From Mozart to Madonna, the Beatles to Britney Spears, or even commercial jingles, national anthems, cartoon themes, gospel music, nursery rhymes, even beat poetry. If you've ever hummed it, sang it, or tapped your feet to it, there's an Mp3 version waiting to be played on your phone.

Mp3 ringtones can also be a good measure of how a movie or a sitcom has infiltrated into pop culture. There are ringtones that are actually snippets from famous scenes of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings; while themes from The Brady Bunch bring smiles to anyone who has ever watched the show.

But there's more. Mp3 ringtones aren't even limited to just music. You can pick from a wide variety of sounds. A baby crying. A cow mooing. A woman moaning in ecstasy (how's that to break the monotony of your board meeting?).In the Philippines, when wiretapped phone calls between the president and an election commissioner revealed possibility of election fraud, fragments of that phone call were even used as Mp3 ringtones—either as a sign of protest or to make fun of the situation.

All these ringtones are easily downloadable, but for those who truly want a unique sound they can even make their own ringtones. Some record the voices of their children. Others save romantic missives from a loved one. People also record the laughter of friends, or a fragment from a child's Christmas performance, or even a beloved pet's barking. While other people may not appreciate the Mp3, the fact that it has a personal meaning makes those ringtones music to the owners' ears.

So why do people use Mp3 ringtones? The same reason they pick the shirt they are wearing: it reflects the owners' personality. When they say my phone, they mean it in more ways than one. Sociologists say that people are driven to express identities in external symbols. It is part of our communal nature: this is me, this is the group I belong to. Primitive societies wore jewelry beads and animal teeth; some developed tattoos; and later on, developed clothes and other accessories. The phone is no different. Like feathers on a tribesman cap, it signals to everyone else who we are.
Tip! In the flash memory category, which is the smallest and lightest of mp3 players, almost everyone still favors the Apple Ipod Nano even though some other great players are starting to provide more competition. But Apple dominates in the mp3 player area and the Nano shows why.

Philip Nicosia is the webmaster of Ringtones.lt, a site specialising in the different genres of ringtones, including polyphonic ringtones, true tones and mp3 ringtones.

About Portable mp3 Players

2007-11-26T20:04:00.022-08:00

As the music technology has developed many folds, the outcome of CD players, recorders and mp3 players has become a part of the day to day life of a person. Today, there are many popular mp3 players in the market including pocket sized player that enables you to take your PC audio wherever you go.

Facts about portable Mp3 players

1. Mp3 format has helped in increasing the craze of PC music and this is the reason why most of the Mp3 players handle various file formats along with mp3 format.

2. There are three types of memory used by Mp3 players namely, flash memory, removable or embedded flash memory and the hard drive.

3. Flash memory is rugged and very compact because it has solid state memory and the player cannot skip and therefore these are the best to for active use.

4. Embedded flash memory is built right into the player and is great fro one who is not interested to buy and carry extra memory cards.

5. The last type of mp3 players store music on mini hard disk drive ( a smaller version of your hard disk in your computer) and these can store music much more than the one using flash memory. But these are bulky with large LCD screens and incorporate memory buffers that eliminate skipping.
Tip! A training service provider offers MP3 players, combined with a library of training modules, as a learning platform to enable remote and on-demand training programs to their clients.

6. The most expensive Mp3 player won't work if it could not be connected to your PC. So before you buy one, make sure that it is compatible to your computer connections and capabilities.

7. You need to have a new version of operating system in your PC, a connecting port, supply flash card reader and music management software for example jukebox.

8. There are many accessories and features with current Mp3 players and you should know exactly what your player does and what all comes in the box. There are mp3 player that act as recorders and are capable to capture audio and other voice snippets and other radio broadcasts with the help of an inbuilt tuner. There is an LCD display and these come in stylish models in different color, shape and size. Other accessories include ear headphones, rechargeable adapters etc.
Tip! A public radio station offers MP3 players as premium gifts during membership drives. Each player is pre-loaded with spoken word or musical features from their most popular programs.

9. You can easily download free mp3 song from different websites offering these services.

To know more visit our recommended website

Olivia Andrews, writer of freedownloadmp3song.info is a freelance journalist and has written many reviews on subjects such as finance, education, health, entertainment, music, gifts, crafts, travel, apparels and mobile phones.

The Future of MP3 Digital Music

2007-11-26T20:04:00.021-08:00

Recording, playing and listening to music has never been more fun that it is today. Through the Internet, you can easily download songs and listen to your favorite music anytime of the day and wherever you are. Portable players that have access to Internet or those that can store large number of digital music files are now very affordable, fun to use and designed just right to fit the modern generation's lifestyle.

What is MP3?

MP3, an acronym for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is one of the most popular digital audio encoding and compression formats being used nowadays and is apparently making an enormous impact on how people store, listen and share music of different genres. It is even now regarded as a standard technology used in greatly reducing the amount of data used to represent audio without altering the uncompressed audio's sound quality when played.

Compressing Audio into MP3 Digital Music

The compression ratio of MP3 is 12:1, which means that a typical audio file that is 1200 KB big can be converted into a 100 KB MP3 digital music file without corrupting the sound quality of the original. In fact, some MP3 digital music are clearer and sound better since the compression process eliminates portions of the original music that are not too significant to human hearing. There are three ways through which the unwanted portions of the music are determined; among them is psychoacoustics, which is a study of how people subjectively perceive sounds.

MP3 digital music can be compressed with various bit rates (the number of bits of data representing a second of audio), which makes it possible for you to create different sizes and sound quality of an MP3 digital music converted from the same original digital audio file.
Tip! ) In this file just drop any music in MP3 format. If the file is in MP3 format, it will download to your PSP with no problem at all.

Usually, digital audio is compressed with bit rates ranging from 128 to 320. MP3 digital music encoded with low bitrate are of lower sound quality whereas those encoded with higher bitrate are clearer and more pleasing to the ears. However, there are also other factors affecting the quality of the compressed MP3 digital music; these are the quality of the encoder and complexity of the signal encoded. Moreover, the quality of the computer, the speaker or the earphones through which one listens to the music also affects his judgment with regard to the sound quality.
Tip! Affordable compared to other MP3 players in the same range.

Benefits of MP3 Digital Music

MP3 digital music is very versatile. It can be played using your personal computer or a laptop; it can be played through a portable, small and light MP3 player; it can be decompressed and recorded on a compact disk; and can be easily downloaded via the Internet. Through several software, which are also available for free, you can easily create MP3 digital music from other digital audio formats.

The best things about MP3 digital music is that it is inexpensive and can even be obtained for free. It makes acquiring and listening to high quality music easier, more pleasurable, and particularly, cheaper. Its small size also allows you to store hundreds of MP3 digital music on your computer or MP3 player with ease, helping you save money you might have spent for CDs.
Tip! The most expensive Mp3 player won't work if it could not be connected to your PC. So before you buy one, make sure that it is compatible to your computer connections and capabilities.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in music and entertainment. For more information regarding MP3 digital music, please drop by at http://entertainment.answerwisely.com

Mp3 Music & Lil Wayne Mp3's

2007-11-26T20:04:00.020-08:00

Most 15-30 year olds have an mp3 player these days, right? Walk along Venice Beach in California, 34th Street in Manhattan or even Oxford Street in London and I can guarantee that you will not miss someone within that age group with a set of earphones in their ears. Chances are, they are most probably listening to an mp3 player.

Technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that most of us cannot keep up with it. Broadband internet has made it easier, and quicker, to go online. What does this mean for avid music fans? They can listen to music without interruptions that are common with a dial-up connection, and also stream videos without worrying about breaking images.

With the advent of high-speed internet comes a surge in the popularity of mp3 music. It is now easier to obtain music from the internet. Sales of mp3 players have been astronomical, with Apple's iPod being a top-seller & a must-have accessory for young Americans.

50 Cent's emergence in mainstream hip-hop in 2003, and his subsequent rise in popularity worldwide created an increase in the demand for his mp3's online. Not only are there numerous searches for Curtis Jackson's (50 Cent) mp3's, but also Lil Wayne's.

Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr in New Orleans, LA, in 1982, this young rapper and entrepreneur has steadily been garnering respect amongst his peers. Having just released his latest album in December 2005 entitled Tha Carter II to much critical acclaim, and selling over 238,000 copies it's first week, Lil Wayne has seen an even further increase in his popularity. His mp3's are in huge demand and can be found on virtually every mp3 site. Lil Wayne Mp3's can be downloaded (for free in some cases) and instantly transferred to an mp3 player such as an iPod.
Tip! A luxury automotive manufacturer offers MP3 players as an incentive for test drives. The branded players are pre-loaded with an audio infomercial that includes customer testimonials and interviews with engineers and designers.

Lil Wayne Mp3's are available for all his albums, namely; Tha Block Is Hot, Lights Out, 500 Degreez, Tha Carter and Tha Carter II. Fast internet connections make Lil Wayne Mp3's readily available for mp3 addicts who search in droves on a daily basis online.

Nkeno Kapya owns http://www.lilwaynemp3.biz

Convert iTunes to MP3 Format

2007-11-26T20:04:00.019-08:00

I Want My (Digital) Rights!

It does seem unfair... you paid for those songs and now you can't play them outside of the iTunes environment, on hardware not supported by Apple, or on operating systems not supported by iTunes.

That's because the iTunes tracks that you purchase and download are in a "protected" AAC or M4P audio format. Only it's not YOU that is being protected, it's Apple, or rather Apple's bottom line. Apple explains this by saying that their proprietary format gives you superior sound quality, but that's a smokescreen. It's all about DRM, and DRM is all about the money.

The ability to make copies of copyrighted materials is seen by the recording industry as a threat to its profitability, and perhaps rightly so. DRM (Digital Rights Management) was created by digital media publishers so they could control the duplication and dissemination of their content. But DRM is actually a misnomer. Because rather than granting rights, DRM actually restricts the consumer from doing perfectly valid and reasonable things with music they own.

MP3 is the standard for digital audio. An MP3 music track can be played on almost ANY player, whether it's portable or computer-based. You can burn MP3s to a CD and they'll play just fine on almost any modern CD player.

But Apple's iTunes software doesn't create MP3 files when you buy a song. The files are "protected" and cannot be played on a computer which does not have the iTunes software. You CAN copy them to your portable music player, as long as you bought that player from Apple and it says iPod on it. Understandably, this makes Linux users, and the millions of owners of non-iPod music players a little upset.

Converting iTunes to MP3

If you right-click on a music track in iTunes, there is an option to Convert Selection to some other format. Probably it says "Convert Selection to AAC", which is useless because your iTunes tracks are already in AAC format! So click on Edit / Preferences / Importing then change the Import Using from the default setting to "MP3 Encoder". Click OK to save this setting. Now when you right-click on a music track, there is an option to Convert Selection to MP3. But just try it... iTunes will tell you that "Protected files cannot be converted to other formats."
Tip! Flash memory mp3 players - These tend to be the smallest and lightest of the bunch. They use flash memory to store songs with 128MB on up to 1GB of storage.

Converting AAC to MP3

Bzzzt! Sorry, thanks for playing. It turns out you can only convert non-protected formats (such as WAV or WMA) to MP3. So what can we do? Fortunately, there are two ways to get around this annoying restriction.

Method 1: Burn the track(s) to a CD, then you can open the CD in iTunes and the Convert Selection to MP3 will do exactly what you want. Just be aware that you'll have TWO copies of that song in iTunes -- one in the original AAC format and one in MP3 format. You can delete the AAC version if you like.

Method 2: If you have lots of music, you might need a big pile of CDs to convert everything with the "burn and rip" method above. That's where the JHymn software can help. JHymn was created to allow you to exercise your fair-use rights under copyright law, and will free your iTunes music from DRM restrictions with no loss of sound quality. JHymn provides a drag and drop graphical interface for both Mac OSX and Windows users. But currently, JHymn will not work with iTunes Version 6 or higher. If you have an earlier version of iTunes, keep it, or visit http://www.oldapps.com/itunes.htm to search for a backlevel version.
Tip! A financial institution offers MP3 players as an incentive for new accounts. The branded players contain an audio magazine that promotes other investment and money management strategies that compliment their product offerings.

Note that JHymn is not meant to aid music piracy, but it does contradict the iTunes user agreement, and may not be legal in your country. You should be aware of the legalites of DRM circumvention in your country and make your own decision whether using JHymn software is right for you. Then use JHymn only for making archival copies of your own music, for copying tracks to an MP3 player, or for playing your music on a non-Itunes platform. If you decide against using JHymn, you might want to look into TuneBite. The makers of Tunebite claim that it lets you make "totally legal" unprotected copies of copy-protected music files by recording them while they are being played.
Tip! Be sure to get an MP3 player with an adequate display screen. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to decipher the navigation system on a tiny LCD display.

Reprinted from: http://www.askbobrankin.com/convert_itunes_to_mp3_format.html

BOB RANKIN... is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin's website for more helpful articles and free tech support.

Legally Downloading MP3 Music – You Just Gotta Know!

2007-11-26T20:04:00.018-08:00

Music is the essence of communication. It connects us with worlds and emotions that are sometimes buried so deep within that we almost forget that they exist. Thanks to all the advancement of technology we can now explore all the interesting music genres right in our own homes. This convenience comes with great responsibility and most people lack the maturity to understanding that. To appreciate music you have to be willing to make a small investment for those that open up the portals of self-expression and communication.

The world of mp3 music is now an extended orchard, ripe and ready for the picking. The industry of downloading music illegally is now noticing that in order to get better quality with less guilt then legal download is the best way to go. The reasons are endless as to why you should opt for downloading mp3 music legally.
Tip! Not considering how the MP3 player will be used.

It is clear that society is not highly interested in paying much for anything, but often the asking price for legal music download is so little one can actually ridicule it. There are many sites that offer the download of mp3 music legally. These help provide an efficient service for people. The basic concept is that people can get their favorite music instantly by paying a very low fee. This type of fee can be per download or subscription. Besides being able to download the music legally you get the opportunity to read some of the reviews written about your favorite artists which can be quite interesting. Most start from as little as $1 per hit downloads. Sites like mp3.com, emusic.com, musicmatch.com and so forth help make this process as easy as taping a few keys.
Tip! ) If you want to download MP3s from your cds, you'll need a cd ripper. You can find one for free on the net.

With such convenience its no wonder more and more people are entering this music world. The best part is that one can carry their music with them whenever they go, with the little assistance from mobile phones and also mp3 players and such technological gadgets. So the world is all about exploration and the path is paved with legally downloaded mp3 music. Why bother with the hassle of illegal music when you can have your conscious free from the claws of the law.
Tip! It is also used by many legal mp3 download sites.

The appeal with legal mp3 music download is that you know that you will be receiving the same quality as a store bought CD. But something that most music fans seem to understand and appreciate from the services provided by the legal mp3 music downloading sites is that it is a community. This means you are become part of a growing network of music fans. Legally downloading mp3 music is also mainly about appreciating the legal rights of artists. With people lacking so much in the respect for other people's property it is good that most music downloading websites are doing their part in preserving a sense of honesty.

Rubén Asensi is the webmaster of Mp3 Software where visitors can find resources and information about mp3, multimedia and legal music downloads.

7 Great Places To Download MP3 Music

2007-11-26T20:04:00.017-08:00

If you are looking for free music then the internet is the right place for you. You will find a lot of websites where you can download MP3 music. Many of these sites offer free MP3 downloads or charge only a minimum amount of money, but the download is allowed usually only one-time. The reason why MP3 is getting so popular is that that MP3 music usually is cheaper than any CD's or DVD's and some sites even offer it completely for free.

But the distribution of MP3 files over the internet may also have some downsides. The MP3's you can download on many sites are protected by copyright, so the distribution and download of these MP3 files is illegal. Although there have been filed several lawsuits over this particular issue, but this practice still continues to flourish.
Tip! Not considering how the MP3 player will be used.

Luckily there are also some sites that offer only legal MP3 music for download, so you can be assured that all of your downloads from these sites are absolutely legal. No copyright or law will be broken, so you and your MP3 downloads remain secure.

The following list is only a short excerpt of the available sites that offer legal MP3 Music downloads, so a little research will bring you up with more sites.

You Can Download MP3 Music at MP3Musiq.com

MP3Musiq is the music downloading service that everyone is talking about. They are proud to be the #1 downloading mp3 service that allows you to easily download Millions of FREE MUSIC MP3s, CDs, Games, Movies and much more! With MP3Musiq you are not just limited to top music downloads you can download all kinds of DVDs video games and full version software programs. Membership mean access to millions of music files, movie files, software programs, pictures, games, movies and TV shows...all without a single download fee.
Tip! Ensure that the MP3 player's volume is loud enough. In as much as you can use an earphone to listen to the MP3 player, it is ideal if the volume is loud enough to be listened to in a noisy surrounding.

You Can Download MP3 Music at Amazon.com

Amazon.com is not only an online bookstore, but also a place for free music as well. The collection of free music they have in their archive will surprise you. Have a look at their MP3 music downloads section. You will find MP3 music downloads in various genres like, hard rock, rhythm and blues, soul, hip hop, urban, metal, electronic, rock & pop, alternative, and many more. If you are looking for dance tunes then this is also the right place for you. Also you will find jazz, reggae, country ditties, Latin, blues, and so on. To top it this site also features various collections from artists like Eminem, Usher, Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, etc. If you want to stay updated Amazon.com with online news and so on, Amazon.com is your place to visit each and every day.
Tip! Be sure to get an MP3 player with an adequate display screen. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to decipher the navigation system on a tiny LCD display.

You Can Download MP3 Music at MP3.com

MP3.com is not only a great place to gather lots of MP3 Music files for many enthusiasts and music fans, but it is also one of the most popular and interactive communities you will find online. Their product-range includes not only MP3 Music but also photo galleries, videos, album reviews, and free streaming. This community is one of the most popular you will find online.

You Can Download MP3 Music at eMusic.com

After you sign up for an account with eMusic.com, you get access to one of the most extensive collection of MP3 music for sale or purchase. As you have to pay if you want to download MP3 music from this trusted site, you can be assured that this takes place without breaking any law. If you act fast you can get a little bonus at their site. At the moment they are running a promotion that allows you to download 25 MP3 music files for free, so you do not have to pay for them.
Tip! A financial institution offers MP3 players as an incentive for new accounts. The branded players contain an audio magazine that promotes other investment and money management strategies that compliment their product offerings.

You Can Download MP3 Music at GarageBand.com

Garageband.com is another wonderful place if you want to download MP3 music. If you are a friend of indie music then this site is for you. Different independent artists and musicians will help you to broaden your musical tastes. You will definitely not find such an extensive collection offered anywhere in the physical world.

You Can Download MP3 Music at YourMP3.net

YourMP3.net is another great site if you look for MP3 music downloads. There you will find songs right off the charts, including songs like Numb/Encore by Linkin Park Feat. Jay Z, Don't You Want Me (brand new club hit) by DJ Hero.D, Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day, My Boo by Usher and Alicia Keys and many more. You will also find song lyrics, full albums, and free software and screen savers. They also provide you with an online request form so you can ask for music you are looking for.

You Can Download MP3 Music at Lycos.com

There are many sites that offer MP3 music downloads and Lycos.com is one of them. They also offer extensive background information for all featured artist, including bios, discographies, photos, videos and lyrics. Their collection of MP3s and songs of many well known artists is really huge. So you only need to type in their name at the search box at the top of the page and if available you receive a list of links to that artist's MP3 music downloads.
Tip! Micro-drive mp3 players - These use very small hard drives to store song data, and they usually come in around 4GB to 6GB in storage space. Because they use a hard drive they can be damaged if dropped, so that is a consideration, but they do offer much more storage capacity than the flash memory models.

Copyright © 2006 Andreas Obermueller

About the Author:

Andreas Obermueller is webmaster of Hit4Biz.com - Marketing Related Information.

New Alternative for iPod and MP3 Player Users - No More Ripping Your CDs Yourself

2007-11-26T20:04:00.016-08:00

MP3s are becoming more common everyday. Everything from new cars to new stereos are utilizing this incredible digital technology. Imagine having your entire music library at your fingertips whether you are in your car, at work or even at the gym without having to lug around you entire CD library.

iPods and MP3 players are big business and many people simply don't have the time or resources to sit at their computers for weeks and convert their entire library. A recent Fortune Magazine article said:

"Under the best of circumstances...it takes six to ten minutes to convert (rip) each music CD into compressed audio files suitable for storing on a computer, a portable digital music player, or if you're a digital dandy, a home media server. And then there's the time it takes to tag, or "groom," the files, making sure that all the information about the CD-- artist, album, song title, composer, genre, and so on--is accurate. Grooming can take longer than the ripping itself."
Tip! Affordable compared to other MP3 players in the same range.

So what is a iPod or MP3 player owner supposed to do?

In comes the CD to MP3 business. Pickled productions will do it for you. The process is fast and painless. Everything from shipping your CDs to loading your players is just so easy. Pickled Productions offers today's busy consumer with a service that will finally unleash your MP3 Player.

Pickled Productions offers fast and affordable digital conversion services for all your music needs.

Check it out for yourself!

Jason Prigg -

http://www.pickledproductions.com/

Where To Go To Download That Free MP3 Song

2007-11-26T20:04:00.015-08:00

Music lovers! MP3 song collectors! Wondering where to find a free copy of that favorite song? If you're reading this, chances are good you're already online.. why not check the Internet for some free MP3 songs?

Below are a few websites where you can download free MP3 songs and albums.

www.Free-Albums.net - Free MP3 Song

At Free-Albums, it's not only free MP3 songs that you'll find but MP3 albums, reviews, videos, and more as well At Free-Albums.net, get the most accurate lyrics and feel free to start singing along to your favorite free MP3 song. Download a copy of the hot new free MP3 song and hit or read up on your favorite artist or band with tons of pages dedicated to artists' bios and news. You can search for and find complete discographies and download artists/bands pictures and use them as wallpaper for your PC desktop. Free-Albums.net… log on and find out what this free MP3 song and album site has to offer.
Tip! Affordable compared to other MP3 players in the same range.

www.MP3sHits.com - Free MP3 Song

At MP3sHits, finding free MP3 songs is as simple as typing the artist's name, song title, or the album name and hitting the search button. At MP3sHits, you can get free MP3 songs by bands such as Destiny's Child, Blue, U2, Simple Plan, and more. What's more, the website also features full albums in their special section with daily updates. Listen up to DJ Whoo Kid and Young Buck's album recorded at G Unit Radio 9 or VA's Suntribe Vol 9. Such free MP3 song samples are pure heaven to the indie music fan.

www.SongCrawler.com - Free MP3 Song

Whatever tune you crave, Song Crawler provides you with one-click results to all the free MP3 song downloads you can handle in a variety of music genres.

www.Music.Download.com - Free MP3 Song

CNet's Download.com is yet another simply enormous download site that offers free MP3 songs. With genres ranging from rock, pop, alternative, punk, electronica, hip-hop, country, folk,and blues, you can start looking for your favorite free MP3 song by typing in the name of the artist or band, song title, or the name of the album. You should also be sure to check out Download.com's Editor's Picks which feature the latest albums to hit the music market.
Tip! A professional sports team sells collectable MP3 players, or gives them away as a season ticket purchase incentive. Each MP3 player features the team's logo and is pre-loaded with a broadcast replay of the their greatest game.

www.FindAnyMusic.com - Free MP3 Song

In our opinion, FindAnyMusic deserves their claim as the #1 replacement for Napster's software. To start downloading your favorite free MP3 songs, all you need to do is sign up with the site and install their special music software. Once you've installed the software, you'll have full and immediate access to over a billion free MP3 songs and music files online. Best of all, FindAnyMusic's software allows you to burn your downloaded free MP3 songs and create your own CDs. All you need are some blank CDs and a CD burner.

Unfortunately, we've only space enough to suggest a few of the top free MP3 song websites and there are certainly many more sites out there that also offer free MP3 songs for download, streaming, or sampling. A search of Google, Yahoo, or the MSN search engines for "free MP3 song" should provide you with just what you're looking for!

Author David Gridley is webmaster of http://www.legalmp3downloads.info and http://www.portablemp3players.info.

MP3 File Format Facts - Discover Top Advantages of MP3 Files VS Music CD's

2007-11-26T20:04:00.014-08:00

MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) Layer 3 - file type better known under the name of mp3 - was invented in 1991. Mp3 is digital form of compression audio streams that came to life after 15 years of acoustic research.

According to the declaration of engineers from the Fraunhoffer Institute, a pioneer company in the mp3 technology, this system explores the properties of the human ear, trying to maintain the original sound quality, in the boundaries of what is possible. Being so small the mp3 file still has all the perceptible audio details, giving up only those that the human ear cannot hear.

Advantages of MP3 Files:

1) Huge Mp3 File Storing Capacity VS Music CD's.

Mp3 can make an audio file up to 12 times smaller than the original file. This represents a huge advantage the mp3 file format has over music cd's. For example: Five minutes of music on a CD take up about 40 MB, but if they were in mp3 format they could take only 3, 5 MB.

2) The MP3 Format Provides Good Sound Quality.

Although it is not as clear as an audio CD, an mp3 still is an enormous achievement when it comes to sound quality for such a big compression rate.

3) Creating and Distributing a MP3 File is Very Easy.

However, although it is simple to create and distribute mp3 files, this does not mean you have the right to give them to others unless you have the right to do so. It is legal to make a back-up mp3 file out of an audio CD you bought, but it is illegal to give someone copies of those mp3's.

To Sum Up:

In less than 10 months from the launch, mp3 immediately declared itself as the most performing audio format on the web. And it is no wonder: the sound is excellent, mp3 downloads are fast, and the variety of the products available in this format is overwhelming.
Tip! A university provides MP3 players with built-in microphones to incoming freshman as a study tool. The players feature the school's mascot and is pre-loaded with orientation information and promotions from the various campus organizations.

And for some, mp3 file downloads are a dream come true, for others the worst nightmare. In the confusion caused by technological revolution, we still cannot afford not to know what is legal and what is not. Recording companies have suffered great losses because of illegal mp3 downloads.

Article by Anna Rowe. Visit her popular music download site that provides free music site reviews, mp3 download solutions and reveals critical file sharing facts.

Techsplosion, Cheap MP3 Players & More - Welcome To Techsplosion!

2007-11-26T20:04:00.013-08:00

Introduction

* The MP3 player is the most recent in an evolution of music formats that have helped consumers enjoy their music.
* Using the MP3 compression system reduces the amount of space a song requires (number of bytes) yet it retains sound that is near CD-quality.
* All of that stored music fits into an MP3 player - a device about the size of a deck of cards! That's a big difference in size compared to carrying a CD player and CD storage cases. MP3 players are far easier to carry around and are much more portable. MP3 Players have become so much more popular because they are cheap, portable and above all, MP3 players are cheap to own with prices starting at less than £19.99.
* MP3 players are able to automatically detect the recording formats your sound card supports and then set the application's parameters for the best possible performance.
* MP3 players can record many sources: CD's, Voices from built in microphones (much like a Dictaphone), the internet from sources such as Napster, MSN Music, Virgin Digital and iTunes. They also integrate with a number of cheap or free MP3 software packages such as Win amp, Windows Media Player, Quick Time and RealPlayer.

About techsplosion.co.uk:

Techsplosion specialize in the sale of MP3 players, ranging from cheap MP3 players (e.g. 128MB MP3 players and 26MB MP3 players) to high end MP3 players such as the Samsung YH-J70, Samsung YH-999, Samsung YH-920 and Samsung YH-925 - many of which are DRM 10 or Janus compatible MTP Devices which work with cheap subscription based music download services such as MSN, Napster and Virgin. In addition to cheap MP3 players, blank discs (DVD and CD) Techsplosion also sell cheap Inkrite Ink cartridges for Epson and Canon printers, Nintendo DS consoles, cheap Nintendo DS games and value Nintendo DS accessories. They also have a wide range of Sony PSP consoles, PSP games and PSP accessories. All of these exciting products are available to buy online from their store… what are you waiting for? Start shopping online today!
Tip! A training service provider offers MP3 players, combined with a library of training modules, as a learning platform to enable remote and on-demand training programs to their clients.

About Techsplosion Products:

Techsplosion sell a variety of different MP3 players ranging from cheap MP3 players to high end MP3 players like Apple ipods such as the iPod Nano, iPod shuffle, iPod video and the Samsung YH-J70, Samsung YH-999, Samsung YH-925, Samsung YH-920 and the new Janus compatible T-Classic flash MP3 players.

The T-classic MP3 players are available in a number of memory sizes e.g. 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB. These cheap, affordable MP3 players are among the very first flash based MTP devices on the market. These cheap MP3 players / MTP devices are among the cheapest MP3 players available today on the market which work with subscription based music services such as Napster to go, Virgin Digital and MSN. These subscription based music services enable users to pay a monthly fee for which they may download as much music to their MP3 players as they want to. On top of that these MP3 players are solid dependable MP3 players with built in FM radio, bright backlight display and enough memory to store loads of music.
Tip! Ensure that the MP3 player's volume is loud enough. In as much as you can use an earphone to listen to the MP3 player, it is ideal if the volume is loud enough to be listened to in a noisy surrounding.

The T-Classic MP3 players are extremely well designed, They are powered by a single AAA battery which lasts approximately 10 hours from new making these cheap strong>MP3 players cheap to run. They also have a bright, 7-colour LCD backlight display and feature play list support via Napster and Windows Media Player 10, resume function, user friendly menus and an easy to use interface. They also have a removable USB cap which enables the end user to plug their device directly into their PC without the need for a cable.
Tip! The smaller an MP3 player is, the more attractive it looks. But don't sacrifice size for quality or durability.

The T-Classic strong>MP3 players are available in different colours such as Blue, White, Red, Silver Black, Orange and Pink - they really do offer something for everyone without upsetting their budget.

Techsplosion Limited 10 Emmock Lane Dundee, Scotland DD4 9FN United Kingdom +44 ( 0 ) 870 240 5265 http://www.techsplosion.co.uk/

How To Break A #1 Hit Song On MP3.com

2007-11-26T20:04:00.012-08:00

At the end of August 2000, I read some ad copy at CelticWays.com. In it John Wilmott, NMA Promoter, spoke of a new direction in the music market. He predicted CDs were going out of style to be replaced by MP3s and the new digital technology. And he awoke in me a desire to look into the new music model found in MP3.com.

Three months later, the Brobdingnagian Bards are nearly $4000 richer, and have been #1 on the World/Folk and Celtic charts, plus, a Top MP3.com artist for a over two weeks in January 2000.

So the question many of you are asking is how did we do it? Is there a particular formula that you used to achieve this success? At the risk of creating some dreadful competition, I'm going to give you my step-by-step formula for making a NUMBER ONE HIT on MP3.com.

First, let me tell you some basics about us. We perform regularly throughout Southwest. Yes, we have a mailing list with nearly 400 subscribers. But quite honestly, I don't believe that those were the chief factors in our success, because our success struck nearly two months after our last gig!

No, rather, it hinges on something else. And here it goes.

1. Pick a song. Any song. While I believe with enough promotion you can make any song a hit, it helps tremendously that it is your best. So make it the best recording, the best songwriting, the best at everything. If the production sucks! Redo it. Hell, record a live version professionally. You can make a good solid recording of one song for under $40. So do your best.
Tip! A church raises funds by selling MP3 players pre-loaded with special sermons or music collections and parishners are instructed on how to use them to download future sermons from the church's website.

2. Name your song creatively. Quite honestly, you might need to rename it a few times to find one that captures the attention of MP3.com visitors. I found out through experience that "The Bridge" was no where as interesting as "Tolkien", or even better "Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings).

Now test it out. See if people are willing to click that name. How? Ask some friends. Post to newsgroups. Join mailing lists and ask them. Contact other musicians and see what name sticks out. Ask your mailing list.

Also, consider naming it something with which people can associate it. The entertainment industry is a good start. Political events can be hot if timed right.

Remember that on the MP3.com charts, it's not about what your song sounds like, it's all about the song title! Want some more great tips? Order a copy of "50+ Tips On How To Maximize Your Income on MP3.com."
Tip! Flash memory mp3 players - These tend to be the smallest and lightest of the bunch. They use flash memory to store songs with 128MB on up to 1GB of storage.

3. Instrumental songs do better. So if you have an instrumental songs, consider using that as your main hit to break. Quite honestly, instrumentals do better on the charts because they can be anything to everyone. If you don't want to use an instrumental fine. But you will probably achieve greater success if you stick with an instrumental ballad. The cool thing is when your instrumental songs starts climbing the charts, you can use its success to pushing up your non-instrumental tunes. You see my whole goal was not to push "Tolkien" to the top, but rather get all of our tunes up the charts. The success of "Tolkien" brought us over twenty tunes in the Top 40 throughout MP3.com!
Tip! Affordable compared to other MP3 players in the same range.

4. Post the song in the correct genre. From day one, "Tolkien" was in the Celtic genre. It could've gone in "mood music" or some other classical genre, but we picked one that fits the style of the song. It's named after a fantasy author. Most fantasy music could fit in that genre.

However, there is one important note here. The Celtic genre is not an easy one. While I say the correct genre, the correct genre is the one that gives you maximum exposure with minimum effort. Remember that it usually works best to start your song in a category as deep as possible. The reason is that once you get to the top of one chart, you will automatically be moved into the next highest chart.

For instance, "Tolkien" was posted in > World/Folk > Traditions > European > Celtic. As it climbed it moved to the #1 position in each of those categories before hitting #1 in World/Folk and finally #34 on all MP3.com.

5. Add song notes and lyrics. Though it is up for debate just how much clicking through to read the song notes and lyrics really increases your payback, it does provide interest. So add some notes about your song. Tell your listeners how your song came about. It makes the song more personal. Plus, many sites will use the liner notes for reviews. If you don't have any, you might get skimpy reviews.
Tip! The last type of mp3 players store music on mini hard disk drive ( a smaller version of your hard disk in your computer) and these can store music much more than the one using flash memory. But these are bulky with large LCD screens and incorporate memory buffers that eliminate skipping.

6. Make the song available for download. Yes, you can fervently try to protect all your music from being pirated, or you can have a number one hit. It's your choice. I have yet to see a Top 40 hit that was not available for free downloading.

People want to take your music with them...so they can tell their friends. Plus, think of it in this terms. A visitor comes to your website, listens in HiFi. He likes your song. So he downloads your tune. You've just gained TWO listens from one listener! If that person listens and likes more of your tunes, you'll gain a lot more.

Now a quick tip. MP3.com does not properly tag MP3s. The only tag that you have control over that they do properly tag is the lyrics. So, whether you have lyrics or not, include some contact information in the lyrics section. That way, when they start sharing your MP3 with their friends, their friends will know how to get back to your website to download more music, and buy your CDs!
Tip! Be sure to get the features that you need! Some MP3 players can display photos or allow you to play games while you are listing to music. Others have the inputs for recording audio from external devices like cassette players.

A funny note about "Tolkien", our MP3.com top 40 hit in January."Tolkien" was originally spelled "Tolkein" because that name is one very commonly misspelled name by fans. But despite the mis-spelling it still was a major hit on the charts.

7. Your DAM CD. Just like in the world outside of MP3.com, CD sales command the charts. If you are selling well, your songs climb the charts. If not, they don't. For two months, "Tolkien" sat just outside the Celtic Top 40. Finally, in early January, I was talking to my friend Rimbo, he decided to go ahead and buy a copy of our new CD, the "Best of the Bards". The next day, we leapt in to the Celtic Top 40 and kept climbing! Honestly, I am forever grateful to Rimbo for his assistance, so please drop by his site and listen to some killer music (including another Tolkien tune).

8. Price Your CD Low. While we're talking about selling CDs, remember to price your CD LOW. That means $6.99. Why? Well there are many reasons. First and foremost is you will sell more CDs, especially overseas. All of our CD sales this month have been from outside of the United States. Basically, foreign shipping is expensive. If your CD prices are low, other countrys will consider buying your CD more.
Tip! Ensure that the MP3 player's volume is loud enough. In as much as you can use an earphone to listen to the MP3 player, it is ideal if the volume is loud enough to be listened to in a noisy surrounding.

Also, you can follow Ernesto Cortazar's example (and now our own) and setup regional distributors. Thus, you can encourage your fans to buy large quantities of your CDs and sell them in their regions. This way you sell more CDs and your songs continue to climb the charts. Check out our Bard Distribution program for an example.

9. Use Your Mailing List. While the mailing list did not get us going, it did propel us to the top. I had a good score of Nagians who were listening and downloading our music daily to give us an extra hand at pushing our music up the charts. Your fans are an invaluable resource so use them, but don't abuse them. Also, remember to offer incentives now and then. It'll make the the success all that morning.
Tip! Ensure that the MP3 player is manufactured by a popular brand. It wouldn't be wise to buy just any MP3 player because of low cost.

11. Pay It Forward. Some of you may remember the article I wrote a few months back on effectively using the the "email a friend" function on MP3.com. Well after start the Pay It Forward plan, where we set up a web page with just email links and told people, if they enjoyed our songs to "Pay It Forward" and share the music with a friend, we started having 5-20 people emailing others with our music per day. That was up from zero before the program. So consider encouraging your fans to "pay it forward".

12. Play live. Alright, this is of course the most obvious, and I suspect everyone's saying, "yeah, yeah, I know, and I read it elsewhere about a dozen times". Well of course it is worth mentioning because after "Tolkien" took off. We started having gigs a few weeks later. And at those gigs, people began requesting this song. It also gave us an opportunity to plug the song. "Yes, head over to MP3.com and you can download it free. Just visit mp3.com/thebards". It worked. When our stats started to sag, the live gigs kept the song at the top. So get out there and plug your music live!
Tip! A public radio station offers MP3 players as premium gifts during membership drives. Each player is pre-loaded with spoken word or musical features from their most popular programs.

13. Custom HTML. This was one of my absolute favorite little tricks that really helped our music to soar. Head over to http://mp3.com/thebard and look at the custom HTML we put up there. There's quite a few links listed, right?

Well all of those links were essential to our success. You see, when I started adding links directly to our page, I had only a few. Immediately, I noticed that every song in that list was climbing the charts. Basically, people dropped by saw some links and downloaded or listened using our links. Well, while the MP3.com affiliate program was going I saw hundreds and then thousands of people clicking each of those links so I added more.

Then I added direct links to the audio files on my other sites. If you go to the Brobdingnagian site and search for "(Princess Bride) Buttercup's Lament", or "Eleanor Plunkett" you won't find them. You see, both of those songs are listed on different sites (Marc Gunn, Bard & Classical Celtic, respectively). But anyone who came to the Bards site could listen to songs from these other sites and these other sites would get paid for the listens!
Tip! And lastly, ensure that the MP3 player that you purchase can play encrypted files. Many publishers prefer their audiobook content to be protected, so your MP3 player needs to be able to play files that are using Digital Rights Management (DRM).

So now I have three sites making money. Next thing you know, you could've checked out our MP3.com earnings while we had a #1 hit, and you would've seen only $100 per day. But we were actually making about $130-150 thanks to those other two sites (and not including the affiliate income).

Then, I started the BardsCrier Network to help out some friends. So next thing I know all of my NMA artists like Rimbo and Carol Stober started making an extra buck or two from people at our site downloading like crazy!

What it boiled down to was that having easy access links on your website is invaluable. People will use them and your songs will get more listens, than if they stay in the MP3.com format. And since all of those Custom linked songs were climbing the charts, it helped push and keep "Tolkien" at the top!
Tip! ) If you want to download MP3s from your cds, you'll need a cd ripper. You can find one for free on the net.

So what are you waiting for!? Start adding your Custom HTML!

14. Payola. Payola is variable auction advertising. You can bid your song for placement in one or several of the many genres on MP3.com. This placement goes on every page in the genre you win, so you're getting a lot of visibility.

Back in January. I bid for the top Payola positions in about four different genres, including genres in which "Tolkien" is not normally associated (such as Classical, Easy Listening, World/Folk, and Books/Spoken). I bid for the top position and usually won one of the top three in each of those genres. I received a good 15-40% of my hits from payola as a result.

But now, MP3.com has added several other forms of payola that are even more valuable including: Main Page Promotions, Greeting Cards, and Search Engine Promotions.
Tip! An airline offers MP3 players as an incentive to promote a new premium service or destination. Qualifying passengers receive branded MP3 players pre-loaded with an audio magazine about other exotic destinations served by the airline.

While none of these promotional tools are the end-all and be-all of getting your song to #1. Each can be an incredible tool for pushing you up the charts.

One Final Note About Payola. How do you bid with payola? Well if you go to the Bards Crier mp3 page you will find some "secrets" in audio form. But let me start by saying if you're not making money, it really is not wise to start bidding on payola. I used payola to push us over the edge, not as a crutch. Instead, start by making sure you're making a few dollars from free promotion. Once you master that and have earned a few bucks, then start using payola to push you over the edge.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000's of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians' Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE "how-to" music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

Free Legal Mp3 Downloads-Is It Possible ?

2007-11-26T20:04:00.011-08:00

Downloading free mp3 music from the internet are a great thing to do. Mp3 downloads can give you thousands of free mp3 songs and hundreds of hours of listening just by using your fingertips. However, the common way to do download mp3 music is illegal... but there is an other method.

Its a fact that companies and individuals are getting sued for encouraging and downloading illegal music. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and their sister organizations in other countries have recently been passing out large fines trying to prevent illegal mp3 downloads. A bunch of music download networks, like Napster, Kazaa, Winmx has been stopped, Grokster and Morpheus faces an uncertain future.
Tip! Affordable compared to other MP3 players in the same range.

So what will the future bring ? Can I still download free mp3 music ? The answer is YES, you can still keep your mp3 players cookin`. There are tons of websites in various sizes and shapes that are publishing free legal mp3 music, and they are just waiting for you to start download.

After the close down of the big file sharing networks there are many pay sites that have licensing agreements with the entertainment industry, such as Rhapsody, iTunes and Yahoo Music. Unfortunately these top profile downloading sites often charge a too big fee for their mp3 download access.

Alternatives have arisen that gives you the same amount of content, but for free. Search the net for the free alternatives to Rhapsody, iTunes and Yahoo Music and you will be amazed of what you will find. The huge amount of free mp3 downloads you`ll download will keep both your heart and your wallet happy. A comprehensive list of websites that gives you access to free mp3 downloads can be found at Legal Free MP3 Downloads
Tip! A church raises funds by selling MP3 players pre-loaded with special sermons or music collections and parishners are instructed on how to use them to download future sermons from the church's website.

Guro Moy is a swedish music enthusiast and mp3 collector. She is also assisting at Legal Free MP3 Downloads

MP3 / Music Guide on Downloading Music on the Internet

2007-11-26T20:04:00.010-08:00

Downloading music off the internet can be a tedious and usually boring task. This article will show you how to find online music faster and more precisely then ever before.

There are a few different ways of obtaining music over the net, however each one has its own set of pro's and con's.

1) The first way is to download music off a basic web server or website. Not only is this highly illegal, but it puts your computer at risk to any number of ActiveX exploits, porn pop-ups, and forced installs. This of course is necessary to insure that the webmaster of the illegal site gains a profit, off the expense of his surfers.

2) The second highly popular way to download music is through a peer-to-peer network such as Kazaa, IMesh, Limewire etc. Nothing is ever free! Theses programs are all ad-supported and include spy ware and frequent pop-ups that essentially infect your computer. They hijack your start page, search page etc, and are designed to be extremely difficult to remove.

3) Recently pay-per download sites have emerged such as Napster and the famous Apple Itunes. These sites unfortunately charge upwards of $1 a song which quickly adds up to a large price for an album. There are alternatives to the high profile sites listed above that offer music at a much reduced price. A web review site recently launched has ranked these programs on a scale of 1 to 5 and has review article for each site. A free music and mp3 review site providing unbiased comparison information of the Top-Rated Music/MP3 download sites. Free MP3 Reviews

Charles Oakland is a journalist by nature who manage the popular web review site: Free Web Reviews

MP3 Encoding Technology

2007-11-26T20:04:00.009-08:00

The MP3 is a complete godsend for anyone who enjoys and appreciates good music. Not only does it afford users the convenience of purchasing music online and ripping from purchased CDs, it also provides the utmost ease in portability. There are more MP3 players on the market than I can name. These players allow you to download hundreds and in some cases thousands of MP3's to take along with you anywhere. I create MP3 CD's containing up to 120 of my favorite songs for my listening pleasure in my car. But how can so many audio files get stored on my 800MB (Megabyte) CD?

MP3 Encoders and MP3 converters are the software that creates MP3s by using an MP3 compression and decompression algorithm. For example, an average 3 minute WAV file can be as large as 15MB. Using MP3 encoders and MP3 converters, a large WAV file can be cut down to a much smaller and more portable MP3 file of about 3MB.

MP3 stands for MPEG Audio Layer 3. At layer 3, psychoacoustics principles are used to find and remove all unnecessary sound data, leaving behind only the crucial audio data. By unnecessary sound data I mean all of the stuff that we humans don't hear anyway. Most people can't hear sounds above 16 kHz so why would you want it hogging your disk or hard drive space? Non-music audio such as speeches, sermons, audio books and comedy albums, can be reduced even less based on this.

Compression occurs after the essential data has been separated from the redundant data. At this stage, the same amount of data can be stored using fewer bits and less space. The bit rate is the ratio of the number of bits transferred between two devices per second. The higher the bit rate, the higher the sound quality. The lower the bit rate ratio, the lower the sound quality. 192 Kb/s is the most popular bit rate used in peer-to-peer networks. For the most part, MP3 converters and encoders today use variable bit rates. This allows for much better quality audio because the bit rate conforms to the dynamics of the audio frames being stored which in turn keeps more of the important music data.
Tip! A financial institution offers MP3 players as an incentive for new accounts. The branded players contain an audio magazine that promotes other investment and money management strategies that compliment their product offerings.

There are dozens of MP3 compressor and encoder software programs available online and at stores. Some of the main encoding engines are: LAME, Blade Enc, Fraunhofer Encoders and Xing. Deciding which MP3 encoding engine technology is right for you depends on your individual needs and preferences. Blaze Media Pro is an excellent option if you're looking for a powerful, yet easy to use, all-in-one multimedia solution.

Mansi aggarwal writes about MP3 encoder.

MP3 Music Subscription Services. A Good Deal?

2007-11-26T20:04:00.008-08:00

There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital music scene: It does it right. Apple's iPods set the style and ease-of-use standards that other portable music players must try (so far unsuccessfully) to match. Its iTunes Music Store and iTunes software are equally unparalleled.

Still, as I wrote in a column on the Napster To Go subscription service, Apple's path isn't the only one that makes sense.

I remain an unabashed iTunes junkie. But an alternative model — the "portable" music subscription — is growing on me. Now, with the addition of RealNetworks Rhapsody To Go service — and especially with the debut this month of Yahoo Music Unlimited — I imagine it'll grow on others, too.

I did encounter some sour notes with the two services. Yahoo Music is still in "beta" testing, though the more serious snags actually occurred inside Rhapsody. But overall, both Yahoo and Real left a melodious impression. Each claims more than 1 million songs in its catalogs — though they're light on classical. (Apple says iTunes exceeds 1.5 million tracks.)

I'm guessing that Apple will eventually introduce a subscription service of its own.

Why? Under a subscription or rent-a-tune model, you can listen to a boatload of music for a lot less loot than on a buy-only download site. And you can carry those tunes in your pocket, via compatible portable digital music players. Buying 2,000 songs on iTunes would cost nearly 2 grand.
Tip! The smaller an MP3 player is, the more attractive it looks. But don't sacrifice size for quality or durability.

Under Yahoo, you could rent those same tracks for a fraction of that sum. And you can't beat Yahoo's introductory price of $59.88 a year, equal to $4.99 a month. If you prefer to go month to month, you'll fork over $6.99. Subscribers who wish to buy, instead of rent, certain tracks will pay 79 cents each, non-subscribers 99 cents.

At $14.99 a month, Rhapsody To Go is costlier than Yahoo but still a bargain, on a per-song rental basis, compared with iTunes. RealNetworks subscribers can buy downloadable songs for 89 cents a pop. Nice touch: Those who don't subscribe can still listen to 25 full-length "streams" and 25 radio stations a month.

(Napster To Go fetches $14.95 a month and 99 cents a track.)

As with Napster, there's a catch to Real's and Yahoo's rental plans: You must remain a paying subscriber, or the songs you've rented will no longer be playable.

And forget about transferring Yahoo or Real rental tracks to an iPod. (You can still transfer to an iPod songs ripped from CDs and, in Real's case, songs you buy.)

Why rent when you can buy? Aside from the cost savings, you may want to listen to something on a whim. Maybe you're just curious about an emerging artist.

Renting can be complex, though, reflecting conflicts over digital rights. You'll have to buy tunes to burn them to a CD. But some songs can't be bought. Others can be streamed but not downloaded. Some can be downloaded but must stay tethered to a PC. And some can be downloaded and moved to a portable device. Got it?
Tip! The most important factor to consider when buying an MP3 player for your audio book is the way it handles interruption. Unlike music that you can start afresh when interrupted, it isn't so much fun to have to start an audio book from the beginning after listening to it for up to 2 hours.

I prefer Yahoo to Real, and not just because of the lower prices. Yahoo jukebox software (called Yahoo Music Engine) also worked more seamlessly than its Real counterpart. Using both services, I synchronized music with iRiver H10 and RCA Lyra RD2762 devices, though not all tracks ended up on the Lyra. That's because, for now, this model can receive only purchased music, not rented tracks.

When I downloaded or transferred tracks to a portable device, Yahoo displayed a helpful status bar on the Music Engine screen to show the download progress. On Rhapsody, you must visit a separate screen.

Yahoo boasts other sweet touches. Yahoo Music is integrated with Yahoo Messenger. So you can see the music your IM pals are listening to and legally listen along.

You can also search for members who have similar tastes. Members can control who gets to see their collections. People you follow are called "influencers"; their highly rated songs will play on your personalized "LAUNCHcast" radio station. Those who seek your recommendations are deemed "followers."

There were a few annoyances. Yahoo lets you search by album, artist, song or member, though not all at the same time. When I searched Yahoo for certain albums — the soundtrack to the movie Fever Pitch, for example — Yahoo showed a picture of the album cover and listed the songs. But there was no way to stream any of the album tracks. It happens that Yahoo lacks the rights to play those songs or to make them available for sale. Still, I felt teased.
Tip! In the flash memory category, which is the smallest and lightest of mp3 players, almost everyone still favors the Apple Ipod Nano even though some other great players are starting to provide more competition. But Apple dominates in the mp3 player area and the Nano shows why.

I ran into bigger trouble with Rhapsody, at least at first. Real's software kept freezing and crashing on an HP Pavilion notebook computer. I called Real for help. Disabling a feature in which Rhapsody is supposed to automatically search for and import new tracks into your music library fixed the problem. But that feature is one that many users will want. Real says a fix will be included in the next release.

What's more, if you decide to buy a track as a Rhapsody subscriber, good luck figuring out how. I had to call the company to determine one way: I right-clicked on a song title and then clicked on the menu item "buy track(s)."
Tip! A public radio station offers MP3 players as premium gifts during membership drives. Each player is pre-loaded with spoken word or musical features from their most popular programs.

Though Rhapsody doesn't have an instant-messaging component as Yahoo does, there are ways to share and discover free MP3 music. You can press a share button to publish a playlist on Rhapsody, e-mail that list to friends or write a blog about the contents. Rhapsody can show an instant playlist based on songs you've been listening to.

Microsoft's digital rights software underpins both Rhapsody and Yahoo Music. So when something goes wrong with the software, it affects all the music services at once. When "licenses" on my machine somehow became corrupted, rental tracks on Rhapsody and Yahoo failed to play. I had to reinstall Microsoft's software.

I don't expect Apple to slip off the online music throne anytime soon. But Yahoo and Real are at least giving digital music fans plenty to think about.

Mary works in US for a media company, occasionally writing for the biggest MP3 music news portal, and drinking too much coffee.

Sony MEX-1GP: The Next Generation of Car MP3 Players

2007-11-26T20:04:00.007-08:00

For all of those MP3 music owners, the future of car audio is finally here for you. Gone are the days where you had to burn your MP3s onto a CD for playback in your car audio system. Sony recently released the MEX-1GP CD receiver, a CD receiver that also features a built-in 1 GB flash memory unit. So now your car audio CD receiver behaves in the same manner as your iPod or other type of MP3 player. The 1 GB flash memory unit can store up to 500 of your favorite songs, giving you plenty of playback time for your music. This little device will make even the longest of trips in your car smoother and more enjoyable, since you will not have to worry about changing CDs any longer.

Aside from playing MP3s, this CD receiver also plays CDs (as the name implies) along with burned CD-Rs and CD-RWs so that those who wish to play their old CDs can still take advantage of this nifty product. However, the real attraction to this new car audio head unit is the MP3 playability. The flash memory unit is located in the detachable faceplate. Here resides the USB port which allows you to connect the faceplate to your PC (similar to your iPod or other MP3 player). Once your faceplate is connected to your CD, you simply drag and drop the MP3 files onto the flash memory unit of the faceplate. Unfortunately the faceplate is only compatible with Windows operating systems, so all of you Mac owners will have to go to your buddy's house to copy the MP3s to and from the Sony MEX-1GP.

The new receiver is also aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well. It is finished in a high-gloss black color and features a 13-segment LCD display for simple navigation of track and title information. The screen displays album, artist and track name when playing your MP3 music files. Users can shuffle or repeat tracks, albums or personalized groups through controls on the faceplate or with the supplied remote control. The MEX-1GP unit has a built-in 208-watt power amplifier and a three-band equalizer enabling clear, rich sound. The selectable rear/subwoofer preamp outputs, controls the frequency and output level of an external amplifier.

After installing this receiver and experiencing it for a little over a week, I must say that I am quite impressed with this product. For one, the sound quality when playing MP3s through this unit is nothing less than phenomenal. If you didn't know any better, you would think that you were playing a CD with the crisp and clear playback quality of this head unit. While traveling on a three hour road trip (three hours each way, six hours total) I was able to listen to one selection of songs on the way up and an entirely different selection of songs on the way back, all without the hassle of changing CDs and enduring a pause in play. I'm just a little surprised it took so long for a product like this to hit the market, especially with the increasing popularity of portable MP3 devices such as the iPod over the last several years. While it may have taken awhile for a product like this to hit the market, I'm sure Sony will have plenty of competitors very soon, which will benefit car audio enthusiasts like myself.
Tip! Be sure to get the features that you need! Some MP3 players can display photos or allow you to play games while you are listing to music. Others have the inputs for recording audio from external devices like cassette players.

Dwayne Wright is an automotive enthusiast with over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry. If you decide to upgrade your car audio system with a Sony MEX-1GP car audio receiver, visit his site at http://www.customautosearch.com to find a professional car audio installer in your area to install your new receiver.

Pioneer Car Audio MP3 What To Look For When Purchasing

2007-11-26T20:04:00.006-08:00

When choosing a pioneer car audio MP3 it's important to address a few key questions. How much do you want to spend? What features are most important to you? An MP3 is a way to encode audio that compresses data so it can store a lot more of it while keeping a high standard of quality. Pioneer has a long-standing reputation for quality and also for being one of the easiest car audio systems to install and use. They make a range of car audio that can play MP3's, including the lower end DEH-P3700MP for a little over $100 to the AVICD1 navigation system for about $1,600. If you are looking for a basic system to play CD's and MP3's, a simpler system will be fine. But, if you want more features like navigation or a DVD player you will pay a lot more for a higher end system.

One of the most important things to look for is how you are going to navigate through all of your MP3 files, especially while driving. If you have a large library of music, you will need to find an MP3 player that makes browsing through the discs as easy as possible. Many discs can hold up to about 250 songs, and it's crucial that you can find exactly what you're looking for as quickly as possible. One of the most reasonably priced MP3 player's Pioneer makes is the DEH-P5500M, which costs around $270 and allows you to organize files by artist, track, folder name, file name, and album. It also has satellite radio and CD changer controls. It's also imperative that you check that the discs you use on your computer for music are compatible with the ones for the MP3 player, otherwise you might end up with a library of music that won't play in your car. ID tags to identify songs must be a certain version compatible with the car's system, or you'll end up with a lot of unusable music. If you figure out what you're looking for, you can make an educated decision about which system will best suit your budget and your listening needs.
Tip! As far as hard drive mp3 players are concerned the nod again has to go to Apple with the Apple Ipod. Apple totally dominates this category selling almost 90% of the high capacity hard drive mp3 players on the market.

James Southall Jr. I have 10 years experience with the automobile industry I have worked on the volvo, oldsmobile, ford and the chevy from electrical and electronics to breaks and bumpers. http://www.audio-car-pioneer.com

Building Business With Audio: 10 Examples of Marketing With iPods and MP3 Players

2007-11-26T20:04:00.005-08:00

Branded iPods and MP3 players may be the ultimate promotional product and marketing tool because of their high perceived value as an incentive or gift and ability to carry a custom marketing message via pre-loaded audio. And that's just the beginning. An MP3 player in the hands of your customers, or potential customers, is also a pipeline for a relationship marketing campaign that you can deliver via podcasting, the method for publishing audio files to the Internet for download.

Here are 10 industry specific scenarios of how custom MP3 players can be used to attract and engage customers or members:

1. An airline offers MP3 players as an incentive to promote a new premium service or destination. Qualifying passengers receive branded MP3 players pre-loaded with an audio magazine about other exotic destinations served by the airline.

2. A luxury automotive manufacturer offers MP3 players as an incentive for test drives. The branded players are pre-loaded with an audio infomercial that includes customer testimonials and interviews with engineers and designers.

3. A professional sports team sells collectable MP3 players, or gives them away as a season ticket purchase incentive. Each MP3 player features the team's logo and is pre-loaded with a broadcast replay of the their greatest game.

4. A public radio station offers MP3 players as premium gifts during membership drives. Each player is pre-loaded with spoken word or musical features from their most popular programs.

5. A financial institution offers MP3 players as an incentive for new accounts. The branded players contain an audio magazine that promotes other investment and money management strategies that compliment their product offerings.

6. An entertainment company includes MP3 players in their press kits touting a new production. Each player is imprinted with the show's icon and includes cast interviews, sound bites and music from the production.

7. A university provides MP3 players with built-in microphones to incoming freshman as a study tool. The players feature the school's mascot and is pre-loaded with orientation information and promotions from the various campus organizations.

8. A training service provider offers MP3 players, combined with a library of training modules, as a learning platform to enable remote and on-demand training programs to their clients.

9. A manufacturer uses MP3 players as a B2B relationship marketing tool by giving them away free to their distributors and customers. Each player is pre-loaded with the first issue of a monthly audio newsletter featuring industry news and instructions on how to subscribe to future editions via podcast.
Tip! CD players with mp3 capability - CD players have been around for quite a while now and most people are very familiar with them. Many newer models now have the ability to play mp3 files that are recorded onto CDs from your home computer.

10. A church raises funds by selling MP3 players pre-loaded with special sermons or music collections and parishners are instructed on how to use them to download future sermons from the church's website.

Dan Safkow is a marketing consultant, promotional products distributor and podcaster. His marketing properties include Logo Your Audio Custom MP3 Players, Promo Ideation Promotional Products and Podcast Optimization Podcasting Tips. Contact Dan Safkow at 949-394-4742 or Dan@LogoYourAudio.com.

Free MP3 Ringtones

2007-11-26T20:04:00.004-08:00

Among cellular phone users, the most popular type of ringtone is the MP3 ringtone. This is because MP3 ringtones allow people to use actual song snippets, sound bytes, and voice recordings as ringtones. People can now gain access to MP3 ringtones from a large number of sources that offer all kinds of MP3 ringtones, including ringtones from all music genres, different kinds of sound bytes and other entertaining sound effects. However, if you have unique taste in music, which may mean that you like songs that really do not belong to the popular music genre, finding the MP3 ringtones of some of your favorite songs may be challenging. This is because most websites that offer free MP3 ringtones tend to fill their song lists with songs that have mass appeal and those that are current.

However, people who don't find their favorite song on any song list of free MP3 ringtones, there is a way you can still get that MP3 ringtone they want. This is because today there is software that you can use, which allows you to convert songs from your CD into MP3 ringtones. If you are a Windows user, the first thing you need to do is to download and install software like Audacity and Lame into your computer. After doing so, you then need to insert the CD of the song you want and open the Windows Media Player. In the console, click on the Rip button and rip the specific song you want to convert into MP3 format. The next step is to open the file using the Audacity program and to edit it or cut is depending on the portion of the song that you want to be your ringtone. After this, export the selected portion as a WAV file. The last step is to open the file using the Lame program, click the encode button you have a ringtone to install on your phone.
Tip! Not considering how the MP3 player will be used.

Nowadays, people need not worry of not being able to find the MP3 ringtone that they want among the different websites that offer free MP3 ringtones. With conversion software, any song can be converted from CDs into MP3 ringtones.

Free Ringtones provides detailed information on Free Ringtones, Download Free Ringtones, Free Mobile Ringtones, Free MP3 Ringtones and more. Free Ringtones is affiliated with Free Ringtones.

Nokia MP3 Cell Phone

2007-11-26T20:04:00.003-08:00

The Nokia MP3 Cell Phone is a great little mobile portable device that fits right into the palm of your hands. It is very affordable and will do all the things that you are wanting it to do. It plays MP3 music so you can put your favorite MP3 songs on it. This cellphone is blue tooth enabled so you know that you have the best technology built in, for when you are surfing the internet or sending and recieving email back and forth to friends or family or just do some very important business. The built in digital camera is a 2 Mexga Pixel, but it takes some great shots and also shots video and has a built in flash.

The Nokia MP3 Cell Phone has slot for secure digital memory upgrades. You can also download video games onto this mp3 cell phone to play. It has a memory phone book to keep all those important people on a list for easy access. It also has 4 playS, AAC files and 4 mp3 player. It has ring tones built in to choose from or you acn download a favorite one that you want to hear everytime the phone rings. The battery is a standard li-ion with standby of up to 290 hours and talk time of up to 3 hours.

The Nokia MP3 Cell Phones come in a few different makes and models.

Here are some of them :

The new Nokia n60 empowers you to go for your presonal and professional goals.

The Nokia Mobile phone : general network UMITS GSM 900/ GMS1800/ GMS1900 with these are three other great models to ,they are the Nokia 71, Nokia9100i, Nokia 66680.

The Nokia 8800 , it has all the features you will want. It has also just recently come out with a brand new cell phone.

The Nokia N90 phone is one you will like just as well. This one has a flip up top.

The Nokia N -Page phone , this one is really cool looking and very affordale.

The Nokia 6230 phone .

The Nokia N80'S WI0FI's phone.
Tip! An airline offers MP3 players as an incentive to promote a new premium service or destination. Qualifying passengers receive branded MP3 players pre-loaded with an audio magazine about other exotic destinations served by the airline.

The Nokia 9500 phone has the look of a small lap top.

To get all the lastest and current information on the Nokia MP3 Cell phone you should visit there website so you can compare phones and the features that you want and price too.

Brian Lupichuk, invites you to World of mp3 players an information web site focused on Mp3 Players, MP3 reviews, car mp3 players, brand name mp3 players, cell phone mp3 players, mp3 cell phone players with digital camera, podcasting, accessories, free downloads, and other valuable information about mp3 players. Find out why more and more people are replacing their cd player with a MP3 player or MP3 Cell phone. Before you go to by your new MP3 Player or MP3 Cell phone consult Worldof MP3 Players
Tip! Ensure that the MP3 player is manufactured by a popular brand. It wouldn't be wise to buy just any MP3 player because of low cost.

to help you find the right mp3 player or mp3 cell phone that fits your lifestyle and budget so you can enjoy it to the MAX!

For that new MP3 Player or MP3 Cell phone player you have just purchased you are going to want to put all your favorite MP3 tunes on it. I can help get your FREE MP3 DOWNOLADS

How to get mp3 Ringtones for Free

2007-11-26T20:04:00.002-08:00

Finding your favorite songs and making them your ringtone is easy - so easy, in fact, you change them every day or every week. By searching the web, you can find thousands of mp3's which you can download for free. Some web sites have libraries listing tones by title, artist or band name, and many sites list titles by genre.

Mp3music24.com is the hippest entertainment source on the internet. If you're looking for the latest and newest ringtones on the web, this site's for you. Not only do they offer tones, they have celebrity news and tickets for the hottest shows, plus the latest games on the web.

Some websites require you to register or sign up in order to get these free downloads, and some offer a free 14-day trial period. Techno, dance, trance dance, hardstyle, rock, classical and many other types of music are available on the web. Make sure that your phone is compatible with the songs you download, though. Some mp3 tones, however, are specific for a certain type of cell phone unit or brand - for Nokia or Motorola cell phones only, for example. So check before you download. These sites are updated every day, with some offering free mp3s contributed by other members for personal use only. All you have to do is simply browse and click.

So how do you download these mp3 ringtones? It's simple - just click on the song or mp3 of your choice. But make sure it's free of charge. For starters, you should use specific terms like "free ringtone" when using a search engine, narrowing your searchto only free tones. After you 've clicked on the tone you want, a pop-up will display showing the URL or address to enter in your WAP browser. Again, make sure that the song you've downloaded will play on your type of mobile phone. Compatibility is very important in order to install and play them properly.

If you have problems installing the ringtones, there are websites which can assist you or help you in downloading them. Also make sure that the file type format is the right one for your phone. If you want that full-length mp3 as your ringtone, your mobile phone will have to be able to support ".mp3" file formats.
Tip! A professional sports team sells collectable MP3 players, or gives them away as a season ticket purchase incentive. Each MP3 player features the team's logo and is pre-loaded with a broadcast replay of the their greatest game.

You can also buy data cables to load a ringtone onto your phone from CD or other computer file. Websites like elite-wireless.com offer the kind of data cables you'll need for your phone. Make sure that the data cable you buy supports is also compatible with your mobile phone. You can also check out tagshop.com, where you can find numerous data cables for specific types of cell phone units and models. So download that free mp3 ringtone right away!
Tip! Affordable compared to other MP3 players in the same range.

Simon Oliver has an interest in Recreation and Hobbies related topics. To access more information on free mp3 ringtone or on free t mobile ringtone, please click on the links.

Rippin' and Ringin': How to Transform Songs from your CD into mp3 Ringtones

2007-11-26T20:04:00.001-08:00

Probably the most popular mobile phone customization accessory among all mobile phone users are MP3 ringtones. Hearing actual song snippets or live recordings of the voices of your favorite friends or family members never loses its appeal. Not only are mobile phone users addicted to it but also anyone who hears these pleasant sounds as well. An MP3 ringtone is so much more attractive and compelling to hear compared to the very artificial sounds of polyphonic and midi ringtones - which sound so robotic and are more at home as sounds that come out of microwave ovens or washing machines.

MP3 ringtones come in a dizzying array of forms. There are music ringtones available in all possible genres, dialogues taken from movies, humorous dialogues or parodies, sound effects, even the recorded voices of loved ones like your children or your wife or husband. By far, the most popular MP3 ringtone type though are music ringtones. There is just something especially cool when you hear your favorite song snippet announce that you have a phone call. A song also best describes your personality - romantics will opt to have love songs, artistic types may go for rock and lovers of nostalgia may decide to have standards or 50's music as their ringtones.

Getting MP3 ringtones for your phone is so easy now. One of the most popular sources is the internet. There are so many websites that sell MP3 ringtones of the most popular songs as well as oldies for download. With just a few clicks of the mouse you can download an MP3 ringtone to your phone.

But what if the song that you are looking for is not available anywhere? The answer is quite simple. You can make your own MP3 ringtone using your own music.

Making your own MP3 ringtone from music found on a CD you own is relatively easy. You just need to download a few free applications online to help you convert an MP3 into a ringtone.

Here is a step by step guide for Windows users:

* The first thing you should do is to download a couple of freeware applications on the net. These are Audacity and Lame (along with the RazorLame GUI). These applications are widely available and can easily be found by using a search engine. After downloading and installing the applications we can go to the next step.
Tip! CD players with mp3 capability - CD players have been around for quite a while now and most people are very familiar with them. Many newer models now have the ability to play mp3 files that are recorded onto CDs from your home computer.

* Insert the CD you want to get the MP3 from and open the free Windows Media Player. Click on the RIP button and either rip the whole CD or the particular track into an MP3.

* Open the selected MP3 in Audacity and edit the song by selecting the portion of the song that you want to become your ringtone. It is up to you to decide how long you want to make your ringtone

* Select the last two seconds of your selected portion and put a fade out effect. This is an optional step.

* Export the selected MP3 portion as a WAV file.

* Open Lame and the RazorLame GUI and tweak the desired filesize and quality that you want.

* Add the WAV file to the Lame process, hit Encode and the finished product is your new personalized ringtone!

Ringtones.lt is a site specialising in the different genres of ringtones, Including mp3 ringtones and Cingular ringtones.

Create Your Own MP3 Ringtones

2007-11-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

Over 200 Americans now own a cell phone, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. With that said, not only has selling cell phones, cellular services and accessories become a lucrative business, but selling ringtones has become a money-making gold mine as well.

One might even say that a company selling ringtones has its own money tree.

For example, there is a huge value disparity when an entire song downloaded costs under $1 but yet a six-second ringtone costs more than double - from $2 to $3. Plus, most people who are purchasing ringtones more than likely already own the full-length song.

Why pay from something you already purchased? Some might reason that it's out of convenience or time constraints and that's okay, but for those of you reading this who want save a few dollars and take advantage of your MP3 collection - this article is for you.

What you will need:

* A way to upload files to your cell phone. There are many ways of doing this, including Bluetooth, infrared, USB, and the Internet.
* Software that will allow you to edit music. One of the best editors is Audacity and it's free.
* Software for audio conversion. This is only if your phone will not allow MP3s as ringtones. Try DBPower AMP music converter.
* Software that will synchronize your PC and your cell phone. This is only for those of you connecting via a USB cable (Motorola users can purchase PhoneTools or download the free application, P2kman, off the Net).

Create and upload the ringtone:

* Start your audio editor, such as Audacity, and open up a particular MP3 you wish to use as your new ringtone. Select your favorite 10-15 second clip of the song by setting the in and out edit points. Save that clip as a new MP3 to be used as a ringtone.
* If you're phone is Web enabled then send this MP3 to your phone. You can also use free services on the Web to do this by uploading the file and entering in your cell number.
* If you're using a USB cable, connect your cell to your PC via a USB 2 cable; this is same type of cable that came with your digital cable. Sync the two using the appropriate software and upload your ringtone to your phone.
* If you're using other means to send the ringtone to your cell, refer to your cell phone's manual on uploading files.

Tip! Be sure to get an MP3 player with an adequate display screen. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to decipher the navigation system on a tiny LCD display.

After completing the above, the final task is simply to set the MP3 as your current ringtone on your phone and enjoy.

For more information on MP3 tips and tutorials on downloading, ripping, converting, and burning MP3s - check out http://www.theMP3plug.com