Just testing to make sure that this will in fact pick up LINKS FROM COMMENTS. I pray that it does.

TESTING, TESTING, 1-2-3

excellent, thanks!

Fascinating technology. Of course, even though I am an aspiring songwriter, I would never consider just posting a link without any request... aw who am I kidding?

This won't piss anyone off? Just wondering since you are sort of directly linking to someone's file rather than directing traffic to their site.

The ideal thing to do is identify the artist and song and tell where the file came from.

Alright in that case. Artist: Antennasia. Song: Dub Handles. Visit them at: www.antennasia.com.

This ID thing shouldn't even be an issue, because any band distributing MP3s should be including track tags embedded right in the file with artist name, album, websites, etc for display in my player window. This would take them all of what, 30 seconds to put into the files?

Besides being good for something like this, it is the only thing that's going to be useful in the normal course of events. I'm downloading this DubHandle thing right now, but when I get around to listening to it a day or two from now, I'm not going to go looking for the web page where I found it.

What they want is exposure for their band. Let's cut to the chase. A known person (virtualsimplicity) recommends the track. I'll listen to it. If that gets my attention, THEN I might be motivated to bother with a web page.

Webjay has a bunch of features to direct traffic back to MP3 hosts. They're fairly imperfect, but usually the do the job.

Hey Lucas, we're testing the waters a bit here. We will launch something formal soon. Thanks!

Do you GOT THE TIME for a power pop classic?

Will it throw this Joe Jackson rm file into the mix?

I must be missing something. I see a lot of ways to track back to this page, but no way of accessing the mp3 hosts, except for direct downloading of the songs. It's not really an issue with me, I'm with Al on it, exposure is exposure. I'm all about listening to recommendations from people. However, I bet there are people out there who would have an issue with this.

Anyway, it seems to work great. Can't wait till the formal one gets launched. Oh and by the way, will it be done in the same way? (via comment) If so, what's to prevent something inappropriate from being posted? (then again that's an issue with everything...)

Oh and one more thing. Not sure if this is possible now or will be in a future update, but is there a way to randomize the playlist? That would be a nice feature (maybe it already is and I just can't seem to figure it out, in that case, please ignore).

You really need to HEAR THIS classic rarity.

VS- What I'm saying is that they should routinely have their label and artist info built into the mp3 files, so that when you routinely play the track on your computer, it displays artist, song title, website, lyrics, bio, more.

Hell, you could probably load a whole damned novel into the track tags. It don't take that much to add a url to all your mp3 files before you turn them loose.

Al, I knew what you meant. Despite the site exposure etc... there is still the issue of usage of bandwidth for the hosts.

visualsimplicity --

About randomization, up until this moment I didn't realize anybody but me wanted it. :)

About what to do if somebody links to an unuauthorized tune, that's a long conversation about the security of things like Webjay. What it comes down to is three things: unauthorized material gets knocked off the public web fast, when I see obviously unauthorized material I ask the person to take it down, and rights holders (or site operators) can use the tattlematic at http://webjay.org/tattlematic to have URLs blocked.

About ways to ways to track back to the source page for an MP3, assuming Webjay knows the source page it will direct you there from a click in RealPlayer while a song is playing; there is a [site] link next to songs in the HTML; and scraped pages have a big link back to the source in the upper right.

VS- I fail to see the issue. If somebody doesn't want people downloading their file, don't publish it with free availability on the web.

I don't know about anybody else, but I WANT people to download the stuff I sponsor at morethings. That's why I have it up there.

I don't know about you, but I've visited quite a few pages where the site would post media files and allow people to redistribute them, but by way of uploading it to their own server and not direct linking. It's a matter of over using the bandwidth, possibly suspending the account etc... Something to that extent. Webjay seems to be just like redistributing the file through direct linking and if popularity soars, load is multiplied. Of course I could be all wrong on this as I'm not as knowledgable about this as I make myself sound, but it seems like a legitimate issue.

Well, if bandwidth use becomes an issue for this or some other little obscure listing of mine, I'll be co-operative. Hell, "co-operation" is practically my middle name.

vs -- Webjay does its best to get users to visit the original page, so that people who post MP3s to draw traffic to, e.g., a Buy page can make good on their investment. That's about the best anybody can hope for.

Woops, I just realized I was playing devil's advocate. I didn't mean to be all negative about certain things. I like what webjay is doing. The intentions are wonderful and I can't wait for blogcritics to launch an official station.

That's right "The Mascara Snake"
Fast 'n bulbous
Tight also
Ella Guru
She got something for me
She got something for you

Again, just hitting THIS LINK will pull you up for an increasingly groovy playlist from this page, including rare STUFF LIKE THIS.

I'd never heard of such a thing as a Modest Mouse before.

John Vorhees- Good work! I'm digging on "Undercover Maggie." That's a real song you got there.

Rooting amongst your goodies, I'm also digging on "The Movie." That's worth a second listen, too.

I'm not above striking a Lowe blow.

It just gets better.

Crazy, man, crazy.

A vaudeville version of "1999" by the Asylum Street Spankers. What the hell is wrong with these people, anyway?

Mr. Voorhees, I too like your tune "Undercover Maggie." Excellent guitar playing in particular, and nicely recorded.
Bravo!

New venue for aspiring songwriters. Submit bands, photos, songs.

Alas, Webjay is now owned by Yahoo and has been closed.