digital music

Popcuts Gives You Credits For Buying Music
Music

Music Site Gives You Money Back for Buying Songs? Whaa?

I'm a little ashamed to tell you how much I spend on music every month — iTunes and my credit card are now BFFs.
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I'm a little ashamed to tell you how much I spend on music every month — iTunes and my credit card are now BFFs. So if there were a way for me to get some money back just for buying songs, you know I'd be totally down with that. Enter Popcuts – a new music site that rewards you every time another customer buys the same song you did.

Stocked with emerging indie artists from around the globe, Popcuts knows you like to be on the cutting edge of music and rewards you with credits for buying songs, so the artists get some much needed bankroll, while you eventually get your music for free – sort of. To see how Popcuts works, just read more

Do You Download Media From Questionable Sources?
Movies

Do You Download Media From Questionable Sources?

The debate about downloading movies and music from certain file-sharing sites becomes hairier every year.
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The debate about downloading movies and music from certain file-sharing sites becomes hairier every year. Making files available is not always illegal, but we all know the music industry has sued people who download pirated songs and that the film industry does not take stealing movies lightly.

I have friends who are die-hard iTunes fanatics and have never even looked at other download sites, and I have friends who are all about file sharing instead of file shopping. Have you ever downloaded media from questionable sources?

Does The Zune KO The iPod Classic?
digital life

iPod Classic Verses Zune: Which Would You Choose?

I've always been an iPod sort of girl, but when a friend of mine whipped out his Zune at a recent barbecue, I felt a twinge of jealousy.
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I've always been an iPod sort of girl, but when a friend of mine whipped out his Zune at a recent barbecue, I felt a twinge of jealousy. A 3.2-inch screen? Wireless syncing? Awesome wallpapers? I was a little speechless. This realization made me wonder if there was a superior device of the two. Could a Zune really KO my iPod ?

I thought I should compare both the 80GB iPod classic and the 80GB Zune for this post, trying to level the playing field as much as I could. To see the pros and cons of each device, just read more

Do You Buy More Music Now in the Age of Downloads?
News

Do You Buy More Music Now in the Age of Downloads?

You can tell by the way I use my walk that I am rocking; on my way to work, from work, and even while I'm working.
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You can tell by the way I use my walk that I am rocking; on my way to work, from work, and even while I'm working. Whether I buy new music, rip my old CDs, or whatever, one thing is clear: I listen to music more often than ever.

The digitalization of my daily life soundtrack has given me the access, and I take advantage. I always look for new bands and songs now, too, buying when I find something I like — because I've already been exposed to it, because of what I like to call "the age of downloads."

Disney has noticed its music sales rising as well, crediting teen and tween music consumption. But I think it's credited to everybody, and the access we have with digital music and downloads. What do you think?

Source

Kid Rock Makes a YouTube Video About How Downloading Music Is Like Stealing Cars, Laptops
Kid Rock

Kid Rock Says Illegally Downloading Music Is Like Stealing Cars

We haven't really heard from Kid Rock in a while, but now that he's surfaced, he has some strong words for illegal downloaders of music.
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We haven't really heard from Kid Rock in a while, but now that he's surfaced, he has some strong words for illegal downloaders of music. He gets pretty far in his satirical tirade comparing illegal music downloads to stealing iPods, laptops, and cars, before I say: We Get It Already. Stealing is bad.

LAME is a Loss-Less MP3 Encoder and an Alternative to iTunes For CD Ripping
Geek Tip

Not Lame at All: How to Import CDs Without Losing Any Quality

Audiophiles, take note: Did you know that there is a world outside of iTunes when it comes to ripping your CDs?
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Audiophiles, take note: Did you know that there is a world outside of iTunes when it comes to ripping your CDs? Instead of simply using iTunes to import your music, you can download LAME (the worst name for the coolest download). I can't say I've ever noticed, but apparently you lose a bit of the sound quality when you rip to iTunes, whereas LAME is a "loss-less" encoder, so you retain the sound quality when you convert your tunes to MP3s.

Available for Linux, Windows, Mac, after you download LAME, you'll have to open it when you want to rip a CD, but you will still be able to use iTunes to listen to it. Sit back with your favorite album and a glass of wine to enjoy this generation's version of snaps, crackles, and pops!

CD Singles Going the Way of the Dino's at Woolworths...Finally
Poll

When Was the Last Time You Bought a CD Single?

With so many ways that you can buy and download songs online, it seems like forever ago that I bought music in an actual store!
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With so many ways that you can buy and download songs online, it seems like forever ago that I bought music in an actual store! So when Woolworths – a popular UK chain of stores – announced that they will soon halt the sale of CD singles, it got me thinking back to the last time I bought one.

I fondly remember rushing to my local Wherehouse music store, snatching up my copy of NKOTB's "Dirty Dawg" and wore it out like it was the last single on earth. They were so ahead of their time with that one, no? And yes, in case you were wondering — I'm totally holding my breath for reunion tour tickets to go on sale. Anyway, moving on. . .

When was the last time you bought a real life CD single? You know, the kind that comes on a disc? And more importantly, do you remember what it was?

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imeem on geeksugar
Website of the Day

Website of the Day: imeem

Do you want a place where you can share your favorite music and music videos (like a musically inclined YouTube), but can also show off your fave photos you took from that Ghostland Observatory show you went to last week?
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Do you want a place where you can share your favorite music and music videos (like a musically inclined YouTube), but can also show off your fave photos you took from that Ghostland Observatory show you went to last week? Me too, which is why I love imeem. I can make my own music and video playlists, photo galleries, and now I can even chop up and edit my photos directly on imeem — which means less time editing in Photoshop or iPhoto, and more time browsing for new artists to fall in love with.

What's more, imeem tells you when your fave artists are coming to town (just like Sonic Living) so you never miss a show. . .ever! I can't think of a better reason to add imeem to my bookmark toolbar — a very exclusive spot to be!

Do you have a fave website you want to see on geeksugar? Learn how to share with the group when you read more

Metallica Is Now Trying To Use The Internet to Reach Out to Fans, But Fans Have Not Forgotten The 2000 Napster Attack
News

Have You Forgiven Metallica For Their File-Sharing Attack?

It seems as though Metallica has logged on to the Internet and finally witnessed what it can do for business — perhaps they saw Radiohead's success with its pretty-much-free In Rainbows and the exposure bands receive via streaming on sites like MySpace and Pandora?
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It seems as though Metallica has logged on to the Internet and finally witnessed what it can do for business — perhaps they saw Radiohead's success with its pretty-much-free In Rainbows and the exposure bands receive via streaming on sites like MySpace and Pandora? Or maybe they just wised up and realized that file sharing is not the death of the music business, as was so direly predicted in 2000. When Lars Ulrich mounted an attack on thousands of Napster users, he had no idea on what the future would bring.

Could he have known that this year, Metallica would release a program called "Mission: Metallica" utilizing the same kind of techniques they went to court against? The band is reaching out to fans with DRM-free downloads and unreleased material, but fans have not forgotten their Napster massacre.

Can you forgive and forget, or is it too little, too late?

Source

Crystal Castles is So Geek Chic
Music

Geeky Tunes: Crystal Castles

I love uncovering hot online music sites like Pandora and Grooveshark that allow us all to discover new music, but I really don't pimp much music itself since I prefer to leave that to the experts on Buzz.
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I love uncovering hot online music sites like Pandora and Grooveshark that allow us all to discover new music, but I really don't pimp much music itself since I prefer to leave that to the experts on Buzz. But today I thought I should make an exception for some truly geek approved tunes. I was recently turned on to Crystal Castles by a pal, and have been totally smitten ever since.

Straight out of Toronto, Crystal Castles uses hot pixeltronic beats and electronic grooves that make me want to get up and move! Named after the castle from one of my fave childhood TV shows (and it's also a name of an old Atari Game), their first album was released here in the US mid March to solid reviews. Plus the fact that they relied on the wonders of the Internet to climb their way up from the underground make this duo totally geek chic. They have a whole Mario meets electronica vibe that I'm really digging! Check out a few of my fave tracks below called Crime Wave and Courtship Dating and tell me what you think about them when you read more