MP3 Newbie question

[ABRinNC]

Hello everyone -

Another dumb couple of newbie questions about MP3's :D

Okay - I understand that XMMS is the Linux "winamp".

1) Does that mean it plays MP3's like Winamp and similar packages do on Windows?

2) Can I burn my MP3 files from my windows box onto a CD and put them on my Linux box?

3) Can you convert MP3's to CDA files and burn them onto CD's so they can be used in normal CD stereo's (like you can on PC's)

4) What Peer-Peer apps for MP3's are good on Linux? Audiogalaxy?

DISCLAIMER - I know that we're not SUPPOSED to download, listen to, burn, etc songs we don't own the original media to. I assure you, I own the original media to every MP3 I plan on pirating - I mean download. ;)

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Andy

[ViMan]

Here's the answer to some of your questions:
1) xmms is similar to winamp. It can play mp3s.
2) you can do that
3) I know that you can burn audio cds. If you need to convert mp3s to another format, look for the necessary tool (http://www.freshmeat.net)
Can't really help you in the last question. However, you should be aware that you can run some Windows programs through wine (ex. I can run Kazaa under wine). Hope that helps...

[ABRinNC]

Thanks!!!

Is www.freshmeat.net a place to download apps for linux (kind of like CNET.com or download.com)?

And wine is just a windows emulator, correct?

Thanks
Andy

[Molecule Man]

Freshmeat does not actually have software, rather it is a searchable directory. Still it is a good palce to check, another one is www.sourceforge.net

XMMS (http://www.xmms.org) has a diskwriter plugin. It will convert an mp3 file to a wave file. From there it is a simple process to burn an audio cd. You can either download the plugin or check and see if your Distro CDs have it already. Lastly some of the burning utilities have support for mp3 conversion built.

For peer to peer, check gtk-gnutella.

[Wallex]

I say Ogg. If you can, start using Vorbis Ogg instead of Mp3's. If you rip music from cd's, strongly consider ripping and converting the format to ogg instead of mp3. Why? Ogg files sound better (altough they take longer to compress than mp3's), and they are a 'free' kind of format.. meaning there are no copyright restrictions. If you create an ogg file, you are free to distribute it to anyone you want.
As for peer to peer:
The gnutella network is a free open network, that's why it has been able to be implemented by Linux clients.
The other peer to peer networks are usually private closed networks, and because of that, we can't get Linux clients for those unless they (the owners) create them themselves or give out the network communication protocol specs so that people can get to work and write their own compatible clients. And this is why you don't see Kazza nor WinMx nor those other famous sharing programs appearing under Linux (but that's why we have Wine).
Audiogalaxy is a good example.. they did have a Linux client, and it was the best music sharing community.. too bad it's pretty much dead now. If there was a similar community.. based on ogg files, it would be pretty good (as I don't think the RIAA can close them down easily because of the nature of Ogg).

[Sastraxi]

Yeah, they can still close'em down - copyrighted music is copyrighted music.

[TacKat]

Originally posted by Wallex
(as I don't think the RIAA can close them down easily because of the nature of Ogg).

While I love Ogg Vorbis as much as the next guy (I don't even use an MP3 player anymore), I think you have the wrong idea. Vorbis is a patent-free lossy codec, nothing more. In contrast MP3 is under a patent. The owners of that patent can restrict the use of MP3 encoding and decoding. Copyright law doesn't play into the Vorbis/MP3 battle at all.

Just because you can encode a file in Vorbis, does NOT mean that you have the right to freely distribute it. If you own the copyright to the music, then sure go ahead. It's completely free and clear. However if you don't own or have a license to distribute said music, then it's a violation of copyright no matter what format you distribute it in, Vorbis included.

The nature of Ogg Vorbis has nothing to do with peer to peer networks. It is just a good lossy codec not a solution to the world's problems.

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by ABRinNC
3) Can you convert MP3's to CDA files and burn them onto CD's so they can be used in normal CD stereo's (like you can on PC's) Yes, as you've heard, you can burn audio CDs. However, I think it might be useful to point out that CDA files don't actually exist. They're a creation of Windows, used so that you have something to see if you right-click your CD drive and hit Open, with an audio CD in there.

I realize it doesn't really matter, in the grand scheme of things, but I'm trying to forestall confusion. If you search e.g. Freshmeat for "mp3 to cda converter" or something, you may not come up with anything, because "CDA files" aren't actually files.

Unless you're talking about an audio format I've never heard of? That's entirely possible... The "CDA files" I'm thinking of are the ones you see when you right-click and "open" the CD drive icon thingy with an audio CD loaded.

[ABRinNC]

Okay - you guys are going to have to help me here. I'm currently on a military deployment to the middle of nowhere. I used the hell out of Audiogalaxy before I left. Now you're telling me it's dead? Could someone define dead for me? I was planning on resuming my rampant piracy of the music industry upon my return (pray it's before Xmas) but the word on the streets is that it's getting harder to do.

Someone please let me know what's up!!

Thanks,
Andy

[Wallex]

1. RIAA says that AudioGalaxy's attempts at protecting copyrighed music could have been done better by a two-year-old
2. AudioGalaxy is pressured enough by the RIAA (and some legal issues and whatnot) and does the unthinkable: Absolutely all music gets blocked. When you try to download anything, it says the song is copyright protected. And I mean EVERYTHING, even the rarest music from some unknown underground Polonian band gets 'copyright protection'. Everything.

Needless to say, the AG forums were living hell the next following days, so yeah, AudioGalaxy doesn't shares mp3's anymore among it's user, so for me that's 'dead' enough.

On a different issue.. sorry for misunderstanding OGG, I should have guessed the way I understood it was too good to be true. Anyway, that doesn't changes the fact that ogg sounds better.

[ABRinNC]

Okay, you guys will have to bear with me. Like I said, I'm in the middle of a desert working for Uncle Sam, I've been out of the loop for about 5 months...

Audiogalaxy doesn't share anymore - got it. Loud and clear.

Besides Ogg Vorbis - is there any peer - to - peer sharing for MP3's anymore? This is a CATASTROPHY!!! This is the thanks I get for serving my country!! (;) ) I know technically we're not "supposed" to share MP3's but all the cool kids are doing it. Someone send a report to the front here - are MP3's (at least the ones I remember from when I left home in June) dead?

Andy

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by ABRinNC
Besides Ogg Vorbis - is there any peer - to - peer sharing for MP3's anymore? This is a CATASTROPHY!!! A file format != a way to share those files. Ogg Vorbis is a file format, nothing more. You can share those files (if you choose to) using some sort of p2p program, but the p2p programs are not dependent on Ogg Vorbis, and it isn't dependent on them. They're completely separate. The MP3 format, as well, is not dead. Certain channels of sharing/stealing MP3 files have been effectively shut down, but the file format is still alive and well. You can still rip your CDs to MP3, if you so choose. I'd go to Ogg Vorbis, personally, because I think it sounds better as well, but that's your choice. You can still play any MP3 file you have (well... assuming whoever wrote your MP3 player program has paid the proper royalty to the people that own a patent on the MP3 algorithm. If not, you can still play them, but it's more illegal, as you're definitely infringing on patent law as well as any possible infringement you may or may not be committing with copyright law).

I have heard that certain IRC channels still work fairly well for finding MP3 files. But you'd probably want to use that information at your own risk.