Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post

vlmagee · 02-24-2000, 08:29 AM

To "A Fan": Most music that is on CD today is still not legally available in mp3 format, either on the web or on a CD. This is a technology that is still emerging, and it is exciting. What some people probably don't understand is that the much smaller files are not only therefore downloadable (vs. the original digital format), but at about 1/10 the size of the full file, you can pack 10x as much music on each CD. So you can take 150 to 200 songs with your portable player on just a single CD. In fact, many people predict that in five years, you won't see traditional CDs or CD stores anymore.

However, the music industry isn't quite there yet, and little is legally downloadable. The people here (and on the Usenet newsgroup alt.music.lightfoot , where they are having the same discussion), are trying to abide by copyright law. Furthermore, Florian, as webmaster of this site is in a particularly difficult position because this discussion board - while containing messages from lots of people - is part of his site. Should the copyright owner feel that the information here is telling people where to get bootleg recordings (and mp3s of Lightfoot's music would be bootleg recordings), Florian would be the person sued. As you are perhaps aware, most web sites that contain mp3s, or which even point to them or provide search assistance, eventually disappear. None of us want this site to disappear, and that is part of why we are reluctant to discuss this.

In addition, all of us want to see more Lightfoot music released. The "new" tracks on the boxed set (16 of them) are probably just the tip of the iceberg. I'm pretty sure there are more unreleased tracks in Lightfoot's archives, plus live recordings. So, as with any artist, if the released CDs don't sell as well as they could, the chances for more CDs in the future are reduced.

IYCRMM is, in fact, one of the two most frequently requested Lightfoot songs on the Internet. There is a Usenet newsgroup where people do request and post mp3s (mostly using aliases to disguise their own identity). There are a few web sites that have it, and there is a software program (under legal attack) that enables people to access each other's mp3 files. So, if you must have that song on mp3 now, and you can't go out and buy it (and then create your own mp3 to download to your player), a day's research on the net should solve your problem. Good luck!

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Valerie Magee

[This message has been edited by vlmagee (edited February 24, 2000).]

02-24-2000, 08:29 AM	#39
vlmagee Senior Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Ballston Spa, NY Posts: 724	To "A Fan": Most music that is on CD today is still not legally available in mp3 format, either on the web or on a CD. This is a technology that is still emerging, and it is exciting. What some people probably don't understand is that the much smaller files are not only therefore downloadable (vs. the original digital format), but at about 1/10 the size of the full file, you can pack 10x as much music on each CD. So you can take 150 to 200 songs with your portable player on just a single CD. In fact, many people predict that in five years, you won't see traditional CDs or CD stores anymore. However, the music industry isn't quite there yet, and little is legally downloadable. The people here (and on the Usenet newsgroup alt.music.lightfoot , where they are having the same discussion), are trying to abide by copyright law. Furthermore, Florian, as webmaster of this site is in a particularly difficult position because this discussion board - while containing messages from lots of people - is part of his site. Should the copyright owner feel that the information here is telling people where to get bootleg recordings (and mp3s of Lightfoot's music would be bootleg recordings), Florian would be the person sued. As you are perhaps aware, most web sites that contain mp3s, or which even point to them or provide search assistance, eventually disappear. None of us want this site to disappear, and that is part of why we are reluctant to discuss this. In addition, all of us want to see more Lightfoot music released. The "new" tracks on the boxed set (16 of them) are probably just the tip of the iceberg. I'm pretty sure there are more unreleased tracks in Lightfoot's archives, plus live recordings. So, as with any artist, if the released CDs don't sell as well as they could, the chances for more CDs in the future are reduced. IYCRMM is, in fact, one of the two most frequently requested Lightfoot songs on the Internet. There is a Usenet newsgroup where people do request and post mp3s (mostly using aliases to disguise their own identity). There are a few web sites that have it, and there is a software program (under legal attack) that enables people to access each other's mp3 files. So, if you must have that song on mp3 now, and you can't go out and buy it (and then create your own mp3 to download to your player), a day's research on the net should solve your problem. Good luck! ------------------ Valerie Magee [This message has been edited by vlmagee (edited February 24, 2000).]