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Web-only Exclusives
November 30, 2000

From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War
A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix

From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead
Bad news for the Philippines - and some others

From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies
Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights?

Asiaweek Time Asia Now Asiaweek story

Do The Digital Dance
Fed up with skipping CDs and chewed-up cassettes? Maybe it's time to get your music from the Net. Here's how


Asiaweek Pictures

By STUART WHITMORE

In a PC world where you can't swing a mouse without hitting at least a dozen acronyms, one bit of shorthand is getting more than its fair share of attention: MP3. Don't worry about what it stands for. MP3 means simply this: the Web rocks.

More technically, MP3 is a way of squeezing songs into files small enough to be downloaded over the Internet - while preserving CD-quality sound. It is a technology that is transforming the way we buy music. Forget record stores. In the near future you will be downloading the latest hits direct from the Net.

Joining the revolution is easy. Step one: you need the right software. The easiest way to go (highly recommended if you still find your VCR a bit frisky) is with a new player called RealJukebox, made by the same folks who produce the highly popular RealPlayer. Go to www.real.com and click to download Real Jukebox. Follow the installation instructions and . . . that's it. If your PC asks whether you want to make RealJukebox your default MP3 player, click yes. If you fancy yourself as a techie, you might want to download a specialist MP3 player. (Apple Macintosh users will have to, as RealJukebox is currently available only for Windows-based PCs.) There are a number of models to choose from, each with a wealth of advanced features. A full list and beginners guide are available at www.mp3.com/software.

Now you have the player all you need is music. There are plenty of sites offering MP3 songs. Some tracks are free, some you buy. Albums cost less than they do on on a CD, and you can pick and pay for just the songs you want. Real Jukebox will direct you to some good websites, or try www.emusic.com, www.atomicpop.com and www.mp3.com. The Lycos search engine (mp3.lycos.com) can find MP3s by your favorite artist. It takes 5-10 minutes to download one song with an average modem.

hot links
www.mp3now.com
www.real.com
www.mp3.com/software
www.emusic.com
www.atomicpop.com
www.mp3.com
mp3.lycos.com
You can also convert your CD collection into MP3 files, just like making a copy on a cassette or mini disc. This is perfectly legal - as long as it is only for your personal use. Do not post MP3s on the Web. Do not download MP3s from unauthorized sites. That is piracy and it is illegal. Got it? Good. Copying songs from CDs can be tricky and time consuming. Unless you use RealJukebox, where you can pop in a CD, hit "record" and copy a track in about one-third the time it takes to play it.

If you want to take your MP3 files away from your PC, you'll need a portable player. Walkman-like devices such as the ones pictured here cost around $150-$250. Very small and light, they hold 1-2 hours of music which you transfer from your PC via a cable link-up.

There you have it. Music from the Web to the palm of your hand in minutes. So what is the catch? Legal sounds by major artists are scarce. The $40-billion-a-year music industry wants a secure, encrypted format to thwart pirates and send MP3 the way of the eight-track cartridge. But while they dither and disagree, MP3 is becoming the de facto standard for digital downloadable music. Even Amazon.com has started posting MP3 tracks on its website, and with RealJukebox poised to bring the masses on board, maybe it is time to fire up your browser and join in. The software is free, much of the music is free. Give it a go. You have nothing to lose but your cassette collection.


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