Transferring sound from one site to hard drive

[myming]

hello all,

i listen to a pay site called "lastfm.com", which has you download an appliance called a "scrobbler" so you can add music to "my library radio" (which is exactly what it implies).

if i had very good speakers and a microphone, could i transfer "my library radio" to my hard drive ?

thank you.

[jason2074]

You could always go to FAQ or use search box -> http://www.last.fm/help/faq?category=User+Profiles

[truenorth]

The method you suggest is indeed a possible way. However it will often be the case that through the air recording via a microphone can be problematic due to a variety of factors IE too high volume when recording/too low/noise interference from extraneous sources/echo chamber effect due to recording environment/etc. If you can use the headset output plug on the computer into a preamp and then to an external recording device (many options possible here) then you will undoubtedly achieve a more consistent higher quality sound. truenorth

[rthompson80819]

I've never used last.fm but here is an article on the service from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last.fm

Knowing a little bit about the owners, I wonder if there is copy protection involved.  The service is clearly not set up to download music.  You may find some additional roadblocks along the way.

The following two paragraphs from the article are troubling.

On 22 February 2009, Techcrunch claimed that "[the] RIAA asked social music service Last.fm for data about its user's listening habits to find people with unreleased tracks on their computers. And Last.fm, which is owned by CBS, allegedly handed the data over to the RIAA."[16] This led to several public postings from both Last.fm and Techcrunch, with Last.fm denying passing any personal data to RIAA.[17] The request was purportedly prompted by the leak of U2's then-unreleased album No Line On The Horizon, and its subsequent widespread distribution via peer-to-peer file sharing services and BitTorrent.

Three months later, on 22 May 2009, Techcrunch claimed that it was CBS, the parent company of Last.fm, that handed over the data.[18] Last.fm again denied that this was the case, saying that CBS couldn't have handed over the data without Last.fm knowing

I don't condone pirated music, but I sure don't condone the RIAA searching peoples computers with out their knowledge or consent.

[myming]

truenorth - how, technically (step-by-step) would you go about what you suggested ?

thank you.

[myming]

rthompson80819 - thank you for replying.
lastfm has gone through some major changes w/i the past two years, especially when you had to pay to download music
to your own station.

i agree about the copy protection,
considering that they're based in great britain.

[myming]

i just noticed that my profile is outdated and when i clicked "modify" profile, nothing happened.
what am i doing incorrectly ?

thank you.

[truenorth]

myming, Before i get into the "step by step" instructions i should like to verify that you do understand the reasons as to why i do NOT recommend a through the air sound recording method. Then i also want to confirm that you understand that using the headset output from the computer where your music is currently located will eliminate those problems. Do you understand all that? The use of a pre amplifier may not be necessary depending on the level of audio sound the recording device is capable of detecting and reproducing with adequate quality. I do use a preamp when i am transferring audio from a non amplified source. I am presuming that your current music from the subscription server is either time limited as to how long it can be accessed on the location where it currently is on the computer or is not convenient for whatever reason and you wish to take the music that you have and relocate it to have improved access to it. I am treading a fine line here between assisting copyright infringement and helping you to (in a general sense) to a higher quality transfer of audio from your computer to a sound recorder (such as a cassette recorder or another computer's audio input port). You will need to have appropriate software on the destination computer (could be the same one that they originate from) --which you most likely already have with whatever sound recording software you have installed. The 1st objective is to get it off in high quality so you can do whatever you wish with it subsequently. Do you understand the concept? truenorth

[myming]

truenorth -

i'm with you so far...

[BaRR]

One thing you can also do is buy a Male-to-Male headphone cord (just an example), then download a program like MP3MyMP3 (my personal favorite). Take the Male-to-Male headphone cord, and do this:



Then, use the MP3 recorder to record from the Microphone port, or Line-In port (if you so choose). This is what's known as the "Analog Hole," which circumvents any copy protection scheme simply because no digital data can be passed through the analog sound output.

BTW, the DMCA does allow you to make a backup copy of your music, and assuming you don't intend to share or sell this backup, it's completely legal; you aren't treading any legal lines at all. I read the DMCA a few years back because I was bored, so I am sure of this.

[myming]

BARR -

thank you.

how does the mp3mymp3 program fit in with transferring music from a site to my pc hard drive ?

[truenorth]

myming, No disrespect intended but as you are still pursuing this issue it occurs to me that you have NOT done the transfers yet. In an earlier post i did tell you how to do it and perhaps incorrectly felt you were understanding my instructions. If you still have NOT done any transfers and still are unsure how to do it (by the method i suggested) please tell me so and i will try to further elaborate for you. If you can tell me what it is you do NOT understand that would help. The process is really not difficult. truenorth