Just when you thought you were completely au fait with downloading music from
the Internet, they go and change the system. The music industry is finally
accepting the Net as a way of delivering music, and it wants to use something
better than the MP3 format. The German giant Bertlesmann (owner of Arista and
RCA, among others) is now working with former enemy Napster to try to make money
from music file sharing. And Universal (A&M, Motown) is in partnership with
MP3.com (http://progress.mp3.com). Both Bertelsmann and Universal have signed up
to use the successor technology to MP3, a system called Advanced Audio Coding
(AAC).
The great news for music fans is that AAC lets you download tracks in half
the time鈥攐r download at the same speed as MP3 but get twice the sound
quality. You can find out how it works at www.aac-audio.com/technology. Although
MP3 and AAC are incompatible, most sites will offer both formats. PC users don鈥檛
even need to know they are using AAC, because music sites prompt an automatic
download of the new player software. Here鈥檚 the snag: although MP3 personal
stereo makers have developed AAC-ready portable players, existing MP3 players
won鈥檛 play AAC files.
Universal and Bertelsmann are already selling AAC-format music over the
Net. So anti-piracy measures are high on the agenda. The new version of the
AAC-capable MusicMatch Jukebox player software (www.musicmatch.com/plug-ins)
includes digital 鈥渞ights management鈥� software designed to stop people getting
music for free.
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