Re: Why not a Looper's Delight Podcast ?

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

> On 01/04/07, Todd Pafford <calenlas@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Regarding iTunes, I've been a long time podcast listener and I've
>> never used iTunes to get them.  I recommend we keep it simple to  
>> allow
>> access to the largest potential audience:  all tracks should be  
>> mp3 so
>> they can be played on any system or device.

On 1 apr 2007, at 12.29, Os wrote:
> Agreed. While I use iTunes for my music collection, I distribute my
> podcast as mp3s - although the quality is inferior, it does mean
> people using something other than an ipod to listen on can play it.
>
> It also reserves the option to re-release podcast stuff on cd with the
> tagline "you've heard it as a ropey mp3, now own it in full quality".
> Cynical, moi? :)


I definitely agree about going with the mp3 compression for an  
eventual LD Podcast. Another reason is that mp3 offers a better  
tagging then AAC. There's an awful lot of text information an artist  
can cram into an mp3 file. An mp3 file can also be tagged with a  
picture (as can also be done with AAC files). Such song specific text  
data (i.e. the id3 tag data) and "cover art" picture will not be  
passed with the podcast (if not duplicated in the podcast's rss  
document) but whenever a single mp3 file is targeted and downloaded  
outside the podcast it's nice to have that tag data to show the  
listener where it originally comes from as well as the picture  
decided by the artist.

Suggestion:  It would be cool if everyone that submits an mp3 file  
for the LD Podcast could write the Loopers-Delight URL into the files  
id3 tag's "comments" area?

Regarding the "ropey mp3" I suggest compressing at least at 192 kbps.  
Short songs can go with 256, it just sounds better. I think people  
will buy CDs because they want CDs, not because the want a certain  
audio fidelity. And I also think that ropey mp3's are less inspiring  
for "getting the CD", if you happen to be a person that likes having  
CDs piling up around you. (128 kbps definitely sounds bad even in  
AAC. I just found out that the one and only album I have bought on  
iTunes Music Store sounds really bad compared to a 256 kbps mp3. So I  
ended up deleting my purchased music and replaced it with illegally  
shared 256 kbps mp3 files I downloaded from the internet).

The only reason I can imagine for using AAC is if the ambition is to  
make enhanced podcasts that make use of synchronized pictures, like  
in a typical Powerpoint show.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)
http://tinyurl.com/fauvm (podcast)
http://tinyurl.com/2kek7h (CC donationware music releases)