OT: AAC > MP3

[Charles Martin]

> From: James Asherman <jimash at optonline.net>
>  When I speak of uploads I am mostly talking about  either original
> music produced by myself or "one-off" things for friends and 
> colleagues.
>  I just don't like the idea of MP3 becoming difficult t use and then
> maybe a client gives me his company song as an MP3.

Nobody said anything about MP3s becoming "difficult to use." That's not 
going to happen.

It's minorly inconvenient to take the songs you bought from the iTunes 
Music Store (or AACs you made yourself) and turn them into MP3s, that's 
all. It's a couple of extra steps -- too much for the pirates of this 
world, but hardly onerous for someone who just needs a copy in MP3 
format.

>  One type will take a cassette (MP3) and then if they like it, buy the
> product.

That was me and my friends throughout the 70s, for sure. We used 
cassette "samplers" of songs to spread the word about artists we liked. 
Had it stayed at that level, music "sharing" probably would have gotten 
"looked the other way" by the record companies. But it didn't, so 
frankly the pirates really don't have anyone to blame but themselves.

> With the demise one might say, of free-form radio and the loss of the
> ability to progarm a listening show in general as well as corporate
> takeovers, the file trading market serves the same purpose as college
> radio (which can be pretty spotty) and the old style stations, for
> exposing people to new and old stuff.

You're a noble fellow for wanting to see only the GOOD side of p2p 
"trading," but there IS a dark side that is really and truly costing 
millions out of the pockets of artists (and record companies).

As for "free form radio," there is a lot we can still do to encourage 
it! Support local college stations or "community" stations, support 
freeform internet radio with your $$ and listenership, write your 
congressweasel and urge them to support fair copyright licensing 
implementations.

_Chas_

If this country had a national motto, it would be "DOH!"