What Counts as Music and Why?

The Importance of writes "There has been much discussion about compulsory licensing schemes. Most of the debate has been about music. But what happens when any file can easily be converted into a sound file and back again? Can shareware authors convert their software to digital music and get paid for sharing it? Can pornographers get paid for turning images into sound? Scott Matthews has written a program (Ka-Blamo) that does the conversion. LawMeme looks at some of the issues. This raises the question, what should count as music and why?"

A Challenge

[hondo77]

If he can convert the new Metallica album into music, I'll be impressed.

Okay, I'll Bite On This...

[tds67]

Can pornographers get paid for turning images into sound?

Yes, but just remember, it's not the size of the song that counts. Even a short song like this could deeply penetrate P2P networks.

Re:Hmmm....

[spektr]

Perhaps it has to sound different if played backwards to be music?

Nowadays that's an outlawd technique. Decrypting satanic messages by playing tracks backwards is prohibited by the DMCA (Demonic Message Comprehension Act).

Re:What counts?

[AnimeFreak]

cat /dev/sda > /dev/dsp

That's much more fun.

A whole new world for obfuscated code ...

[IntelliTubbie]

Wow, I think obfuscated code is pretty 1337 now (e.g. Perl code in the shape of a camel [perlmonks.org]), but I'll be seriously impressed when someone writes a "Hello, World" program that converts to an audio file of them saying "Hello, World." Any takers? :)

Cheers,
IT

M$ Music

[WebMasterP]

I imagine if you converted Windows into music it would probably be a pirates tune with some background singers saying things like 'World Domination'.

wahoo!

[Joe the Lesser]

Boy bands aren't musically talented, so they're music must be free! ... Wait, that doesn't help us at all!

Re:Music is Music

[Houston_(WeHaveAprob]

"Making a software program and converting it into an audio file is idiotic" I beg to differ. Following in the footsteps of the world renowned Books on Tape, I have founded Software on Tape. My company specializes in transferring software developer's favorite listings into audio. With optional extras like regional accents. Our latest new line "IBM Direct Access Storage Devices of the late 60's" is apparently a winner with insomniacs. In future I would appreciate it if you would refrain from referring to my enlightened endeavors as idiotic!

this is the best argument i have heard yet

[circletimessquare]

this is the best argument i have heard yet against this scourge on the face of humanity:

The OpenBSD 3.4 Song: Theo Sings Back-up [slashdot.org]

Re:nonsense

[iNetRunner]

Or just get say 15 people, and ask them is that music or noise :). If 14 of 15 say it's noise, then ban it :)

Wouldn't that ban all boy bands? .. Oh yeah.

Re:Transacting the undefined

[HeX86]

You're a horrible geek you know that ;)

it's 0 (zero), not 'o' (oh)

(^_^)

Ahead of my time!

[JUSTONEMORELATTE]

Back in '82 I found someone throwing out their collection of Apple ][ cassettes. Up the street, someone was tossing a cassette player that still had batteries in it.
My friend and I walked the rest of the way to school with 6502 machine code playing from our impromptu boombox.

Little did I know.....

--

This is easy...

[_aa_]

Music must be in 4/4.
Music must have lyrics.
Music must consist of a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, and a vocalist.
Music must last no less than 3, and no more than 5 minutes.
Music must be: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus.
Music must be accompanied by a video.
Music must be about love.
Music must have a 30 second instrumental intro for the DJ to talk over.
Music must rhyme.
Music must be able to be danced to.

Simple

[statusbar]

If it is copyrighted by a RIAA member company, it is music. If it isn't RIAA, then it is not music, and would be illegal to listen to.

--jeff++

Re:Transacting the undefined

[buttahead]

nope... it's 'not' not zero.