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Freecddb.org is up and Running
mkaiser writes "Many people complained that CDDB has changed its licence. Freecddb (Website is here) is an approach to replace CDDB in a free manner. This means that you do not need a licence to access the server, the service is - and will remain - free.
As I am using an old cddb-archive, I need submissions.
If anyone is interested in keeping up another free service,
please send submissions to freecddb-submit@freecddb.org or
configure your CDDB-aware CD-Player accordingly. "
There are numerous projects like this now. Glad to see it.
The current problem is that the company that currently owns the CDDB database (yes, I know that's redundant) has declared that the contents of that database are their intellectual property and have put together a license with various terms for using their database. Access may not cost anything, but it's not _FREE_. For more details, check out a previous Slashdot story on the subject.
--Phil (#define _FREE_ free(as in speech)
355/113 -- Not the famous irrational number PI, but an incredible simulation!
The Freecddb people might want to look at coordinating with the CDIndex people. For one matter, both projects look like they're aiming to accomplish the same goal. For another, CDIndex has as a stated goal, "Create GPL like license to cover the data that is inside of the CD Index. (If the GPL can't cover the data.)" I like that setup much better, as it would insure that no one could buy up the database and claim that they owned the freely submitted data and could do whatever they wanted with it.
--Phil (Besides, I think CDIndex is going with a better protocol than CDDB.)
355/113 -- Not the famous irrational number PI, but an incredible simulation!
While I'm all for a new format, development seems to have stalled. Meanwhile, the best thing to do is support the free CDDB servers. If a new format comes along, the free CDDB data can be transferred over.
As an application author, I declined to sign Escient's license agreement. My cd-player apps ( Grip and GCD) now come configured to use freecddb.org for lookup/submission. Does anybody know if there are any other free CDDB servers?
If the CDDB people want to play nasty, they will introduce a few subtle typographical errors, unusual capitalization, or false records into their data. If they can then show that FreeCDDB has these same errors, they've got you.
(This is an old trick used by mapmakers to catch copyright violations: they make up a few little alleyways that don't actually exist).
You'll need to make sure that people don't download data from the proprietary database and upload it to the free one.
The main reason that I see to re-invent CDDB is to improve on it. CDDB has been stuck in the same form for two or more years.
The database quality at CDDB is not great. It ould be a lot better. Because different pressings have different IDs there is a ton of duplication in CDDB. Ever try to stamp out some typos or poor quality entries in CDDB? Try searching for a popular CD in cddb and see how many different versions of the same entry come back.
Can't we cooperate on coming up with something newer and better that addresses the needs we have today instead of the needs of 3 or 4 years ago?
I think it would be best if:
- Some serious thought was given to the database design and requirements. It's time to think of a slightly different problem -- what would help the people who use both MP3's and CD's? What about devices such as the empeg, the rio, cd megachangers like the ones from Sony.
- I for one would like to tie my MP3's to the CD's that they came from so I always had all of the details available. Which version of this song is this? What year was this recorded? What other artists are on this track?
- There is a lot of data available at the sites that sell CDs. They often have the UPC code of the CD which could be used to help tie different
databases together.
- While it presents a different set of copyright info if you have the UPC id you can often get things like the cover art off the CD selling sites. Because of copyrights you wouldn't want to store it in the CD database but a local user might want to choose to store the image.
- Same thing for lyrics. A consolidated database that had all of the lyrics might cause copyright trouble but what if you had the option to add it to your own database?
- CDIndex should have a cddb interface for existing players to be able to use it. There is no better code than the code that is already out there.
- We need a proxy server existed that could help populate the new database from the old CDDB db.
- See http://www.nirvis.com/ for an example app that controls Sony CD megachangers and integrates MP3's. (I have no affiliation with Nirvis.)
well.. yeah.. except with free beer they don't usually make you tatoo the beer company's logo on your forehead or tell you that you can't drink any other beer if you drink theirs.
It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
I have written a client that can read CDDB info as well as CDIndex info. Also, it can generate data files containing the info you need to put a CD in the CDIndex. e-mail me via the link at the page I mention below for the secret key :-)
Point to my 'Audio utilities for the blind' to find the latest executable.
It's called PlayCD (duh!).
I'm sorry, I didn't update the source yet (I just had enough time to compile and upload...)
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