The mp3.com streams were even easier to handle. They used m3u files. Open those up with a basic text editor and there's the location of the file.
What I'd do is commission a low budget, low quality mock leak. But I'm an asshole so...

Unlikely before February. Inside Out decides the release date and it's not really cool to thwart anything they may be trying to do.

It was cooler when mp3.com was around because you could prevent downloading. Maybe if we could do a streaming-only thing it would be okay... Geoff ??

Streaming will not prevent downloading it is very easy to record a stream and make a mp3 out of it!

Damn you, now we won't be getting any (no offence meant)! I was gonna post "You stream it, I'll rip it" a few days ago but I figured this would be the result.

[Tracy]

Okay, curious then. If you can save streaming audio, can you save internet radio?

Hmm depends. If it's just like real radio, it's played once and then it's gone, it might be difficult to rip it digitally. But that kind of radio wouldn't be very interesting as a promo anyway. If you post a RealAudio-stream, or a streaming WMA file it's no problem saving it.

Maybe it's an option to make a flash thingy playing a song, like a (very primitive) E-Card.

Then again, as soon as there is sound, it can be recorded. Although when it is recorded thorugh a microphone, there will probably be significant quality loss (has anyone heard the first leak of Opeth's The Grand Conjuration?).

I usually save every streaming bit of audio because my internet connection is (well... used to be) too slow for streaming.

[Tracy]

I was just curious because I listen to Yahoo Music radio (They have Strapping). Is that radio ripable?

[Blazingmonga]

I think it is certainly more difficult. The more incorporated the audio is into some other program (eg Flash or IE) then the harder it will be.

Though, like Biert says, you cant stop people making analogue copies...though these will be of far poorer quality.

There are audio recorders on your computer that record 'what you hear' so any sound going through your sound card is recorded. Of course, you gotta make sure you don't have any other sound going...hehe, can you imagine listening so a song and hearing ICQ going off in the background, lol

Yes. Indeed. *Nods head slowly while pretending to know what ICQ is*

Maybe it's an option to make a flash thingy playing a song, like a (very primitive) E-Card.
.

I forget what it's called now, but there is a piece of software that'll strip a SWF file (e-card, whatever) into it's component parts.

[EphelDuath666]

I think the "Flash" idea is pretty good. Of course people will find a way to rip it but when the sound quality isn't too great I don't think it will be very harmfull. And maybe you can add a little over-dub to the song. Like Devin saying something like "Buy the fucking Album" or something like that every 20 seconds.

I think the "Flash" idea is pretty good. Of course people will find a way to rip it but when the sound quality isn't too great I don't think it will be very harmfull. And maybe you can add a little over-dub to the song. Like Devin saying something like "Buy the fucking Album" or something like that every 20 seconds.

Like Nevermore did with This Godless Endeavor.

Heh, I have a promo of a record, and every song it goe"Hi, I'm Joachim from Hammerfall, and you're listening to a promotional copy of our new record". Or another promo: [i]"Chimaira - The impossibility of reason. In stores may this year". So annoying.

There are audio recorders on your computer that record 'what you hear' so any sound going through your sound card is recorded. Of course, you gotta make sure you don't have any other sound going...hehe, can you imagine listening so a song and hearing ICQ going off in the background, lol

i turned off all IM program sounds to avoid this haha!! cos i record my music to my MD via audio cable the old fashioned way so i prefer not to hear "cuckoo" when im the middle of a song

I have my Boss BR8 hooked up to my PC so I can record anything that is streaming. It's a bit of a pain to then get it to MP3, but the quality comes out great as long as the streaming file sounds good. So it is possible for even a streaming file to be ripped. I could do it in under 20 minutes.

Another solution would be to mess up the file, every minute or so overdub "YOU ARE NOW LISTENING TO BLAH-BLAH BY THE DEVIN TOWNSEND BAND." A lot of bands do this now. I just got the new Edguy album and it does this, when Nightwish's Once was first leaked and promos were mailed out it also had those interruptions.

People will still upload them and spread them via P2P, but I generally think this actually helps because they spread far and wide and A. people don't want a CD with those interruptions, and B. people continue to download them and get those songs long after the regular CD is released, which may persuade them to buy it. It can't hurt, anyway. I'm sure I could download Once right now and get those MP3s with the interruptions today.

Machine Head also released a bunch of bad mixes to thwart downloading. Some bands have also included extremely loud noises mid-song (think the scream after "Things Beyond Things," but ten times louder) to keep people from downloading songs.

There are ways to sort of make it work, but there's always some 12 year old out there waaaaaaay too smart for us! Hahaha.