Similarly, MP3 doesn't quite deliver CD-quality sound. But Net users have been willing to put up with a small loss in quality in exchange for the ability to squish songs into files they can swap online. Most people use MP3s to store their music collection online or to download popular songs others have posted. It's also possible to make your own MP3-based radio programs available to anyone on the Net. Instead, it serves as a sort of record label for thousands of unsigned performers.
Bands usually offer a handful of songs that can be downloaded by prospective fans free of charge.
The site also sells plenty of banner ads. Instead, the site comes off like a particularly pathetic music club - the sort where you might have trouble finding 10 CDs worth your penny. The Top 40 list of alternative rock songs, for example, don't include anything from the Smashing Pumpkins, Hole or Marilyn Manson. Instead, it featured the likes of Red Delicious, Fat Amy and the Streaming Streaming Geeks. That's not the sort of lineup that sells Lollapalooza tickets.