# I was wondering what the whole MP3/Napster fuss was all about...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 17, 2001, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778 "2001-08-17T18:31:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/1 "2001-08-17T18:31:42Z")
…so I tried finding MP3 sites on the net in order to download music that I already owned. My, what a miserable experience! I managed to find a thousand popups, what Britney Spears body double looks like naked, and opportunities to place my financial future in the hands of strangers who did not have my best interests at heart. I also found sites that claimed to offer the latest hits by Ms Spears and The Backstreet Boys (they have a “latest” hit that is less than two years old?) but, as I neither presently nor ever intend to own these songs I didn’t click those links. Odds are good I’d have experienced a second thousand popups, etc, and never actually gotten to the songs anyway.
Why do people do this? Especially on a dialup connection, the time you waste finding and downloading MP3s could be more effectively spent working at Dairy Queen so you could BUY the damned CD!
However, NOT ONE of the popups was for [X10.com](http://X10.com), so that was good.
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### Author:  [@Sasquatch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sasquatch)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/2 "2001-08-17T18:39:05Z")
Simple:
[li]I think it’s assumed that you’re downloading MP3s for more of bootleg-type purposes than for having a copy of something you already own.[/li][li]Bootlegging music places you in the same category as people who download l33t w4r3z copies of pirated software.[/li][li]People who pirate software are obviously also looking for porn on the internet…and lots of it.[/li]
See? It all makes sense!
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### Author:  [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/3 "2001-08-17T18:42:51Z")
**Dropzone** , the mistake that you made was trying to search for mp3s on websites. People that trade/share mp3s do not do it that way primarily, because of the crap you ran into. What they do is use a special peer to peer client, like Napster (god rest its soul), Gnutella, Audiogalaxy, etc.
These are much more direct, though spammers have found a few ways to corrupt them, somewhat.
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### Author:  [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/4 "2001-08-17T18:46:45Z")
I second The Nerd…you went about it the wrong way. Install Morpheus, Limewire, or AudioGalaxy and you won’t have to go through what you went through.
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### Author:  [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/5 "2001-08-17T18:48:42Z")
You can get Limewire, Bearshare or any number of Gnutella clients at C|Net’s [Download.com](http://Download.com). The files aren’t that big. Happy MP3ing.
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### Author:  [@Skydive101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skydive101)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/6 "2001-08-17T18:56:13Z")
Just thought I’d add a few other great utilites that allow files other than .mp3’s to be found.
Kazaa - [http://www.kazaa.com](http://www.kazaa.com)
WinMX - [http://www.winmx.com](http://www.winmx.com)
Both of these are the best for getting digital versions of the stuff you already own (plus old episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama)
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### Author:  [@Nicklz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicklz)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/7 "2001-08-17T18:57:25Z")
Everyone knows Napster was shut down, but why haven’t other similar sites been shutdown???
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### Author:  [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/8 "2001-08-17T19:04:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Nicklz \*
> \*\*Everyone knows Napster was shut down, but why haven’t other similar sites been shutdown??? \*\*
Because it’s not as easy. With Napster, all traffic went through a central server. These other programs build the network as the go along, connecting people to each other. There’s no central location to shut down.
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### Author:  [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/9 "2001-08-17T19:06:28Z")
napster had a centralized server and CAN be shut down. Clients like Gnutella _bows before the gnutella god_ have no centralized server. Basicly its YOUR computer connecting directly to other computers. No centralized server… nothing to shut down.
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### Author:  [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/10 "2001-08-17T19:08:06Z")
I hate being beat in a simulpost!!! :mad:
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/11 "2001-08-17T19:08:32Z")
Actually, that’s a big fallacy. The sites do have [central servers](http://www.technologyreview.com/magazine/sep01/mann.asp); it’s the only way they can operate with the number of users they expect to have. Those servers will become targets – and there are other ways to stop the piracy.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/12 "2001-08-17T19:35:53Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Skydive101 \*
> \*\*Both of these are the best for getting digital versions of the stuff you already own (plus old episodes of The Simpsons and Futurama) \*\*
The former would be nice. I’ve tried driving while playing LPs but it doesn’t seem to work. I could break down and buy a better cassette deck, but I thought I’d try this.
The latter is uninteresting because Simpsons is on three times a day in Chicago. That’s enough.
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TheNerd \*
> \*\*the mistake that you made was trying to search for mp3s on websites. \*\*
Yes, MP3 sites seem to exist only as bait to get you somewhere else. I suspect they actually don’t have what they offer.
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### Author:  [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/13 "2001-08-17T19:38:38Z")
:: pcubed wonders how long before this thread gets locked. The mods really seem to hate people naming names whne it comes to Napster alternatives…
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/14 "2001-08-17T20:01:06Z")
Don’t blame me! I was just relating my own unpleasant experience and wondering aloud why people bother. I didn’t suggest the al6ternatives.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/15 "2001-08-17T20:02:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by dropzone \*
> \*\*al6ternatives. \*\*
That was a typo. I am not a wigga.
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### Author:  [@breaknrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaknrun)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/16 "2001-08-17T20:25:02Z")
Umm, I’m sorry if this sounds stupid but, why can’t you just make your own mp3’s? Since you already own the music, can’t you just use something like realjukebox or whatever to make an mp3? I expect the attack against napster was just to set a precedent so it will be easier to go after napster clones. I’m sure it will happen to any clone companies that get big enough.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/17 "2001-08-17T21:10:09Z")
I’m sure it would, but I wanted to see how this works. No surface noise, either. I’ll probably try that, too. Some of this stuff is just TOO obscure.
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### Author:  [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/18 "2001-08-17T21:46:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Umm, I’m sorry if this sounds stupid but, why can’t you just make your own mp3’s? Since you already own the music, can’t you just use something like realjukebox or whatever to make an mp3?
I know that **dropzone** already answered this, but since I got a ton of stuff I already had bought before, I would like to answer this too.
Much of the music I had before was on 45, LP, cassette, and on CD’s my kids had totally wrecked. A couple of thing in particular I had already bought on 45, LP and cassette, and just couldn’t bring myself to buy a fourth time on CD.
I understand that there are high tech ways of recording LP (etc) to MP3, but puh-leeze! I’m not that techy, or rich.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/19 "2001-08-17T22:00:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by lolagranola \*
> \*\*I understand that there are high tech ways of recording LP (etc) to MP3, but puh-leeze! I’m not that techy, or rich. \*\*
OTOH, I probably am that techy, though not rich. But I don’t think it should take more than a cable from your amp to your sound card input, although that would probably give lousy results. I’ll have to think about it.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2001, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-wondering-what-the-whole-mp3-napster-fuss-was-all-about/76778/20 "2001-08-17T23:39:46Z")
Dropzone is correct, that’s all it takes. Same process as creating your own AIFF files (or Macintosh sound files or Windows WAV files) except stored in an efficiently compressed format. The more obscure tunes I had, for which online MP3s could not be found (to replace the cassette tapes, vinyl albums, etc), I played into my sound-in jack on the ol’ PowerBook and “recorded” it in SoundEdit 16; edited out clicks 'n pops; converted to MP3 with N2MP3; and eventually added them to compilation CDs (~10 “albums” per CD in MP3 format, very handy!)
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