A few days ago, the almighty Limewire was forced to shut down by the US Federal Court. However, while this marks the end of one saintly service’s run, it also opens the door for a flood of new free music services.
Let’s face it. These days, not many people are willing to spend a dollar per song to craft libraries of two or three thousand tracks; it’s just not practical. That’s why Limewire was such a runaway success and likewise, why it was the prime target for a mega-lawsuit. Still, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) can’t shut down every last file-sharing service that becomes available for download. So as new revolutionaries see the notoriety that Limewire has gained, free music services will obviously begin to pop up fervently in the coming weeks.
And I know that as soon as the end of Limewire was pronounced, millions of people around the world asked, “What will I do now?” And I also know that never did paying for music ever cross their mind (sorry, recording industry). So I’ll be interested to see what sorts of fresh applications and online services join the action, and how existing services will promote themselves with the dawn of this new age.
I’ve already seen Limewire alternatives, many under the keywords “Limewire shut down”, heavily advertised on Google searches. But while this may be a great way to gain quick publicity and a throng of new users, creators have got to keep in mind that the more openly they promote their product, the more easily the recording industry will find it. If they’re smart, those pesky RIAA dudes will be circling like vultures around the internet in the next few weeks.
We’ll just have to see who the next victim of this organization is and after the dust has settled, who the next Limewire will be. Or better yet, will Limewire make some sort of miraculous return as totally legal software, like some rumors are hinting at.
But just to tell you, don’t worry. There’ll never be a catastrophic point in time where you’ll have to pay for music. It’s your job to find out how to avoid it.
