Songbeat Solves Problems of Music Industry and Decriminalizes Music ConsumersSongbeat Solves Problems of Music Industry and Decriminalizes Music Consu
Millions of songs are hosted online, on websites and blogs. Songbeat gives the user free direct access to this treasure trove of music, allowing users to quickly find these songs, play them directly from the Internet and save them to their computer.
Contrary to what the music industry proclaims, downloading songs from the Internet is generally legal. Songbeat ( www.songbeatplayer.com) is not an illegal file-sharing interface, as it uses no P2P technology and does not bypass copyright protection mechanisms. Instead, it employs clever search and record functions for access to the music that is already out there.
Songbeat also offers a record function of the online radio service last.fm. By entering the name of their favourite artist, the user can enjoy a stream of new music based on their taste. Utilizing Songbeat, this stream is recorded live – the digital version of sitting by your old radio, waiting for your favourite show, armed with a blank casette. This form of “download” by recording is legal in Germany.
It may sound like the music industry would not be thrilled about the software utilized by Songbeat. The founders, Philip Eggersgluess and Marco Rydmann, have a progressive perspective that recognizes how the online availability of songs is changing the music industry: “With Songbeat, we have created the optimal Model for controlling and monetizing the music which is already freely available online!”
Songbeat offers multiple options for the monetization of something that, up to now, was uncontrollable and generated no income for record labels and the music industry. The function “Songbeat Discover,” for example, allows access to over 350,000 artists, who can, with the download of their song, offer concert tickets, merchandise, and albums. Other services designed specifically to proactively support artists and labels are currently being developed by Songbeat.
Songbeat is available for free download at www.songbeatplayer.com . In addition to its many other functions, it allows 25 free downloads. If these are used up, Songbeat still allows the user to search for songs, listen to them directly from the Internet, and discover new artists. For a one-time payment of US$29.99, Songbeat can be upgraded for an unlimited number of downloads.