paulisded
10-21-2008, 06:26 PM
I came across this (http://www.lala.com/) tonight, and I can't see this working. It's basically a Last.FM/Pandora-ish site, but you purchase the rights to play songs on your computer. Here's some info from their site:
Q: Is it really free to play all of Lala’s 6 million tracks?
A: Yes, you can play any song or album once for free. No ads or clutter, all legally licensed. Lala has no subscription fees, no commitments. You only pay when you choose to buy new music.
Q: How do I get my existing music library online?
A: You’re minutes away from playing your music anywhere on the web. Lala’s Music Mover will quickly match the songs on your computer to Lala's licensed catalog. Songs you already have and playlists you've created are instantly added to your Lala collection for free.
Q: How much does it cost to buy new songs?
A: Buying music on Lala is easy and affordable. Try before you buy – listen to any song or album once in full for free. When you find something you like, add it to your online collection. Add the web song (unlimited online plays) for 10 cents, or get the MP3 download for 79 cents more. Your first 50 web songs are free! All new songs you buy are added to your web collection, together with the rest of your music.
Help > FAQ
How do I create a collection on Lala?
There are two simple ways to add music into your Lala collection:
1. Find new music on Lala and then add it to your web collection for unlimited listening. Adding a web song to your collection is only 10 cents. And your first 50 web songs are free!
2. Take the music you already have and make it playable anywhere on the web. Music Mover instantly adds the music you own to your Lala collection for free.
What is a web song?
A web song is a song that lives on the internet. Each web song is only 10 cents, and your first 50 web songs are free!
When you buy a web song it is added to your Lala collection. You can then listen to it as many times as you like, from any web browser. You can also add it to playlists. If you later decide to also buy the MP3, the 10 cents you paid for the web song is credited towards the MP3.
How much do MP3s cost?
The majority of the MP3s on Lala are available for only 89 cents. If you've already purchased the web song, that 10 cents is applied toward the final MP3 purchase (so the MP3 is an additional 79 cents).
Will MP3 files that I download work with any music player?
All of the MP3s on Lala are DRM-free music downloads, and are compatible with iTunes and Windows Media Player.
What is the bitrate of Lala's MP3 downloads?
The vast majority of our MP3 files are encoded using variable bit rates (VBR), aiming at an average of 256 kilobits per second (kbps). Lala will notify you of the bitrate for the specific track you are purchasing before you confirm an MP3 purchase.
How do I add the music I already own to my collection?
To listen to the music you already own from your Lala collection, install the Music Mover software.
Music Mover will then find all of the songs on your computer. If a song on your computer matches Lala’s licensed catalog, it will instantly be added to your online collection. The remaining songs that were not matched will then begin uploading to your collection behind the scenes.
What does it mean to "follow" another person on Lala?
If you click "Follow" on any profile page, you will begin seeing that person's music activity delivered daily to the feed on your Lala home page. Following friends and experts can give you a continuous stream of great music to explore! To find new people to follow, click the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of your feed.
You are notified any time someone follows you and may choose to disallow or "Block" them at any time. Visit the people page to view who you are following and who is following you.
To quickly find people you know that are already on Lala, go to the people page and select the “Find friends on lala” tab. This tab helps you find people on Lala you may know by matching existing members to your email contact list.
I know this wouldn't work for me. I don't keep music on my computer; my Ipods are manually updated and the material is deleted after loading. I'm also old school as to how I listen to music outside of my Ipods. I can see, though, how some might find it workable, but why pay for the right to listen when you can just sign up to Last.FM or Pandora (or other, less legal methods)?
Q: Is it really free to play all of Lala’s 6 million tracks?
A: Yes, you can play any song or album once for free. No ads or clutter, all legally licensed. Lala has no subscription fees, no commitments. You only pay when you choose to buy new music.
Q: How do I get my existing music library online?
A: You’re minutes away from playing your music anywhere on the web. Lala’s Music Mover will quickly match the songs on your computer to Lala's licensed catalog. Songs you already have and playlists you've created are instantly added to your Lala collection for free.
Q: How much does it cost to buy new songs?
A: Buying music on Lala is easy and affordable. Try before you buy – listen to any song or album once in full for free. When you find something you like, add it to your online collection. Add the web song (unlimited online plays) for 10 cents, or get the MP3 download for 79 cents more. Your first 50 web songs are free! All new songs you buy are added to your web collection, together with the rest of your music.
Help > FAQ
How do I create a collection on Lala?
There are two simple ways to add music into your Lala collection:
1. Find new music on Lala and then add it to your web collection for unlimited listening. Adding a web song to your collection is only 10 cents. And your first 50 web songs are free!
2. Take the music you already have and make it playable anywhere on the web. Music Mover instantly adds the music you own to your Lala collection for free.
What is a web song?
A web song is a song that lives on the internet. Each web song is only 10 cents, and your first 50 web songs are free!
When you buy a web song it is added to your Lala collection. You can then listen to it as many times as you like, from any web browser. You can also add it to playlists. If you later decide to also buy the MP3, the 10 cents you paid for the web song is credited towards the MP3.
How much do MP3s cost?
The majority of the MP3s on Lala are available for only 89 cents. If you've already purchased the web song, that 10 cents is applied toward the final MP3 purchase (so the MP3 is an additional 79 cents).
Will MP3 files that I download work with any music player?
All of the MP3s on Lala are DRM-free music downloads, and are compatible with iTunes and Windows Media Player.
What is the bitrate of Lala's MP3 downloads?
The vast majority of our MP3 files are encoded using variable bit rates (VBR), aiming at an average of 256 kilobits per second (kbps). Lala will notify you of the bitrate for the specific track you are purchasing before you confirm an MP3 purchase.
How do I add the music I already own to my collection?
To listen to the music you already own from your Lala collection, install the Music Mover software.
Music Mover will then find all of the songs on your computer. If a song on your computer matches Lala’s licensed catalog, it will instantly be added to your online collection. The remaining songs that were not matched will then begin uploading to your collection behind the scenes.
What does it mean to "follow" another person on Lala?
If you click "Follow" on any profile page, you will begin seeing that person's music activity delivered daily to the feed on your Lala home page. Following friends and experts can give you a continuous stream of great music to explore! To find new people to follow, click the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of your feed.
You are notified any time someone follows you and may choose to disallow or "Block" them at any time. Visit the people page to view who you are following and who is following you.
To quickly find people you know that are already on Lala, go to the people page and select the “Find friends on lala” tab. This tab helps you find people on Lala you may know by matching existing members to your email contact list.
I know this wouldn't work for me. I don't keep music on my computer; my Ipods are manually updated and the material is deleted after loading. I'm also old school as to how I listen to music outside of my Ipods. I can see, though, how some might find it workable, but why pay for the right to listen when you can just sign up to Last.FM or Pandora (or other, less legal methods)?