take advantage mp3 technology

If you're not hip to mp3s yet (I know you've heard of them, they're making a big buzz), what follows is a road map to the mp3 experience.

First, you'll need software on your computer that can play files encoded in the mp3 format. Many are available and any will do, but I use and recommend WinAmp. It is free, easy to use, and won't bog down your computer's performance.

To get it, go to winamp.com and follow the directions they provide to download and install it.

Once your machine is ready to go, there are a few ways you can build your collection of songs stored in mp3 format. One is to run your search engine for mp3s on the web in general, hoping to find somebody's illegal posting of a Top 40 song. A utility called Napster has become popular as a way to facilitate this search- visit their site for details. To my experience, this method is not easy and you'll have to put up with lots of obnoxious advetisements for pornography sites.

Some forward thinking popular artists (such as the Beastie Boys, David Bowie, Todd Rundgren, Thomas Dolby, and Public Enemy) have legally posted their material in mp3 format. Maybe your favorite artist has, too.

You can turn songs on CDs that you've purchased into mp3 files and save them on your computer. If you want to do this, you'll need a program called a CD Ripper. Many free ones are available- feel free to search the web to find one that works for you.

But try this first- go to mp3.com and "listen to the best music you've never heard." Tons of great unsigned artists post their music free on mp3.com. If you first visit my.mp3.com, the site will keep track of your musical preferences based on the music that you download. You simply enter your email address and a password to sign up.

Your very next move should be to find the Search box in the upper right hand corner of the screen and type in the name of your favorite popular artist (e.g. Santana). You'll get, among other things, a list of artists who claim to be similar to that artist and links to their sites.

Go there and listen to lo-fi plays of the music that they post, and if you like what you hear download it to your hard drive.

Soon, when you visit my.mp3.com they will tell you "based on the style of the music you've been downloading most, and on who is most popular within that style, we think you'll like this!" and you'll get a link to another artist site. In this way you will quickly develop a collection of great songs in mp3 format, and you'll be supporting unsigned artists whose material is every bit as good as what you hear on the radio.