BYTE MARKS
File-downloading fans sow new seeds
By Burt Lum
The practice of downloading songs from the Internet is going through a metamorphosis.
Gone are the unfettered days of Napster, when individuals could easily rip entire CDs, convert them to MP3s and share the songs freely on the Internet.
Although people are still ripping and sharing music files via Kazaa or Gnutella, the threat of the Recording Industry Association of America slapping a lawsuit on you looms large.
Still, the environment for downloading files continues to evolve.
Over the past several years, an initiative by Bram Cohen, www.bitconjurer.org/BitTorrent/, has been gaining traction.
His application, called Bit Torrent, allows users to download large files. It's based on a peer-to-peer concept that encourages the sharing, not the taking, of files.
People who configure their computers with the Bit Torrent software and enable the downloading of files are called "seeds." Those who just download and don't share are called "leeches."
The basic idea is that as larger files are shared among users, it is better to have a distributed network for downloading to reduce the potential for bottlenecks created by frequent downloads from a single server.
This capability has spawned a new moniker for bands willing to allow their music to be downloaded freely: "trade-friendly." These include the Grateful Dead, Phish, Medeski, Martin & Wood, etc.
There is even a movement to support loss-less digital audio distribution, wiki.etree.org.
The important trend here is the recognition that networks are becoming faster and more efficient. Where MP3 files are compressed and considered by many to be low in quality, audiophiles prefer their music in uncompressed format — large file downloads.
An evolving compromise is the .shn, or shortened file format. The .shn format can be played on Winamp or converted to a .wav file with a conversion program such as mkwACT, www.etree.org/mkw.html.
To use the Bit Torrent network, first get the client for downloading at bt.degreez.net.
Then go to bt.etree.org to view the list of trade-friendly bands. If you really get into it, you can become a "seeder" by making files available on your computer and contribute to this growing phenomenon.
Burt Lum can be heard on KORL 690 AM from 6 to7 p.m. Tuesdays.
