October 29, 2004
New Digital Music Library Possibilities
In beginning to build new digital music libraries, the stronger online models that we currently possess are commercial. Both Real Networks Rhapsody and now legal and Sony owned Napster provide robust models for online digital music libraries. This entry focuses on the current incarnation of Napster to look at an example of a well developed and innovative model regarding 'digital' music libraries. Academic digital libraries would do well to copy from these well funded music industry ventures in developing their own digital audio libraries.
Napster presents an easy to navigate interface that may be used to both 'stream' and download online music. Music may be downloaded or streamed in song or album formats. Streaming is free. Downloading and burning onto a CD follows a prescribed pay structure. At the application's bottom "Play, download, Add to Playlist and Send to friend buttons are included as is a "Burn" button if one wishes to burn ones' choices to a CD (.99/track or 9.99 per album).
Broadly, music on Napster may be searched by track title, album title, member's playlists or various libraries. Most useful here is probably the different song 'track' titles. For example, various versions of "September Song" may be searched (i.e. Kurt Weil, Frank Sinatra, Sting). Past searches are usefully saved in the application.
The Napster homepage is divided into "Music, Magazine, Radio and Message Board sections. The Music section presents current releases, the Magazine presents current articles about music in a multimedia portrait using 'sound bite interviews' with various artists. This makes the 'music' application into a directed/thematic e-journal. The streaming radio stations present a series of 'genre stations' allowing the user to select musical choices by 'genre' (i.e. Classic Rock, Adult Alternative, 80's pop). Stations may also be custom 'built' by users. Finally, the message boards build 'communities' around various musical interest groups (blues, country, reggae) or alternatively geographic places of user communities (i.e. Penn State, University of Miami).
The Browse section" is divided up into "Artists/Albums, Just added, Charts, Now Streaming and Members Collections". In the artists/albums section, Napster selects parallel recording artists and helpfully, Napster provides brief discographies, biographies and recommendations. Currently, many of the discographies are incomplete but the biographies and parallel recommendations are variously useful for searching. Just added titles can be searched by 'genre' and date added. Charts can also be searched by genre and year (Billboard Charts 2004-1963). Tracks that are currently streaming can be searched by musical genre and or various Napster 'member names' which may be intrusive to Napster members but also useful to community building. Various members collections of 'saved lists' may be opened and streamed.
In the 'My Library' section, a member's picks may be saved. Song Tracks may be saved by artists, albums or playlists. Tracks that have been purchased for download are saved. A complete history of 'tracks' and dates played is also saved to a folder. Tracks here may be easily transferred to a portable streaming device. Not surprisingly, I-Pod as a player is not included (direct competitor to Napster).
An inbox for mail between members is also included but it is not readily apparent how to send mail or lists though this information is provided in the e-mail sent from Napster. At the side of the main application, Napster provides a mini application that may be detached and includes a mini player, thumbnail icon of album cover, brief information about current playing track and list of recently played songs. From here one can also conveniently link to saved playlists or Napster genre radio.
Both Napster and Real Rhapsody provide robust models that should be consulted and built upon in building digital music libraries. These are cutting edge commercial application taking advantage of current possibilities and these should not be overlooked in building academic digital music libraries. To look forward, it will not be long before these applications are provided for the next frontier, video.
(Napster is currently purchased free for UM students and the author has examined both Napster and Rhapsody.)
Posted by at October 29, 2004 2:01 PM | TrackBack