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I completely disagree with the article.

"...music downloaders are not going to switch to using a service that costs the same as using BitTorrent or Limewire, but comes with abominable disclaimers or advertisements..."

They will if they know that they will eventually be sued for it. I am currently a student at a prominant midwestern university, and not too long ago the RIAA sent hundereds of emails to the university (which were promptly forwarded to students using the network) telling the students to pay $3000 to settle or they will be sued (and eventually forced to settle for even more money). I haven't done any serious downloading since I was a freshman and using the network, but I was sitting by my inbox praying that I didn't recieve one of those emails.
This first hand experience changed the way that I listen to music. Since I don't like most of the popular music in the US today, I listen to music online. Downloading music does hurt the RIAA because it makes their product less valuable, but that's THEIR fault for switching to a medium that is so easy to copy. Downloading royalty free music (which is VERY EASY TO FIND, if you look for it) ALSO hurts the RIAA, but they can't sue us for it. That's because it still forces them to try to change their business model, and that is our goal, people.
Fighting the system is a waste of energy. Simply use a better one.

spinner.com has a pretty amazing variety of music. I would go there first. Also, participate on messageboards for your favourite artists, other fans will give you ideas of what's cool and new, etc.

Then I got bored.

With your own music (or MP3s), you tend to listen to everything ever released by the bands you know and then little else. You see, the point of radio, for a lot of people, is that it exposes you to new music. Granted, with the Clear Channel monopoly, that's happening less and less, but the concept is still there.

My work hard drive died about two months ago, wiping out everything I'd gone to the trouble of ripping. Since then I've installed Spinner and ripped maybe two or three albums. I now choose a genre I like so I don't have to listen to a load of junk that I'll never enjoy, yet I also get exposed to a lot of new music.

Just the contrary, actually. The problem with American radio today is that 90% of the stations are owned by a handful of companies, and they all play the same pop or classic or country or rock'n'roll songs. The potential for satellite radio is to have a hundred stations broadcast across the continent, reachable from anywhere, and each one targeting a specific niche. One station could just play 80's hits, another grunge metal, another baroque classical, another NPR news, another guitar jazz, and another electronica. If you've ever enjoyed Spinner radio, you've already seen a glimpse of what satellite radio can offer.

Myself, then, I'm all for it. I'd gladly pay $10 a month for the chance to listen to exactly the music I want, rather than music I can tolerate which was compiled by a bunch of suits in New York City for consumption by the masses.

Spinner. It has lots of different channels based on genre, and it's still working today... Of course, it's a Windows-only product, but...
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