• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Napster shutting down on Dec 16th.

Bob Clobber

Bob Clobber

Quid carmen vultis audire
I just got an email informing me that Napster in Canada will be shutting down its service on December 16th. Too bad, it was great way to explore new music on the Squeezebox Touch.

Can any of my fellow Canucks here suggest another service?
 
Register to hide this ad
I didn't know Napster still exists, but you guys have it rough up there for streaming. Does Songza work? Not with the SB I guess. I wonder if the Last.fm squeezebox app works up there? What about Slacker?
 
Last.fm doesn't work, for some reason when I selected that app for the Squeezebox I got Absolute Radio UK. Never played around with it, because Napster worked so well.
There's nothing I know of other than Grooveshark.com where I can go and listen to an album on demand, but PC only.
I just signed up on the Spotify website to be contacted when their service is up and running in Canada. I'll check out Songza, but I think that for now I'm pooched.
 
Apparently, my Napster account will be migrated to Rhapsody.

http://blog.napster.com/2011/11/02/update-on-rhapsody-napster/

What marketing genius decided to send an email to subscribers about the service shutting down without letting them know they would be migrated?

Rhapsody still has some of us Canucks pissed off because they bought Yahoo Music and then shut it down. I know I was left with some DRM'ed files that were usesless to me.

Oh well, let's see what they do this time.
 
Rhapsody used with a squeezebox is an awesome combination. I've been using them together for years and have nothing but loved it. Don't knock it till you try it.
 
aidynphoenix said:
i thought napster was shut down a long time ago when that lawsuit with metallica happened.
or were they just sued??
Click to expand...

The file sharing version of Napster got sued out of existence, but a new version emerged a few years ago. One of the last sites that I know of that was selling files with Digital Rights Management. Gee, I wonder why?

elgato8905 said:
Rhapsody used with a squeezebox is an awesome combination. I've been using them together for years and have nothing but loved it. Don't knock it till you try it.
Click to expand...

AFAIK Napster was the Canadian equivalent. Awesome, but only as long as the service exists. I'm not throwing away my LP's and CD's yet.

Amcrebelfan said:
Can you got spotify in CA?
Click to expand...

Not yet.
 
Internet music and CDs/DVDs are a flash in the pan as was cassettes. You'd better run out and buy a good turntable and reel to reel. In about 5 years when the last iPod battery has died you'll wish you took my advice. :) Next week I think I may finally accept that a car works better if it has fuel pump. Oh, this last one may be showing my age and beyond many here.
 
Brian said:
Internet music and CDs/DVDs are a flash in the pan as was cassettes. You'd better run out and buy a good turntable and reel to reel. In about 5 years when the last iPod battery has died you'll wish you took my advice. :) Next week I think I may finally accept that a car works better if it has fuel pump. Oh, this last one may be showing my age and beyond many here.
Click to expand...

I believe internet music is here to stay. I do not believe this one is a flash even internet tv is a revelation.

BTW the guy who was responsible for napster got a nice piece of Facebook.

If you are a jazz fan try this: www.jazzradio.com
 
reggaenaut said:
If you are a jazz fan try this: www.jazzradio.com
Click to expand...



I like the way they provide url's for their various streams on the Settings page. It's always frustrating when stations use flash based players on their web pages and keep the url's secret.

The SBT has a pretty good selection of internet radio stations, but once in a while I come across something that is not on their list.
 
I've listened to internet radio when I was in the hospital and a bit since being home on a decent set of phones and well, I am not impressed. Possibly if I fed the feed through my 2-channel system and listened through the Bozaks or ADS L-300s I'd be more impressed.
 
I have a all in one Gateway computer with inbuilt speakers. The music, especially jazz, coming from these speakers, although not loud, sounds like Hi-Fi. I was going to get involved with DAC and all that stuff but changed my mind.
 
As a Napster subscriber, I have concerns about the catalog change when Rhapsody is forced upon me.

EDM genres have tons of little labels. Getting those rights can be a real chore. My existing rock and stuff should be fine as most of that comes from the big labels.

Of course, if its truly good, I still go through the trouble of getting a CD.

With most of these services, audio quality can be lacking. It all depends on the track whether the artifacts are readily audible. For example, Metallica's Death Magnetic is such a terrible recording anyway that I cannot tell the difference....this is not the case with S&M or Justice For All.

But in general....
Classical....often obvious impairments, particularly with opera.
Modern Rock...few obvious impairments
Pop....rarely ANY discernible difference. (which is to say the recordings are usually crap!)
EDM....subgenre specific. Dubstep is usually OK if low freqs. are preserved, vocal trance is almost always degraded somewhat.
 
Update: The link I posted saying that Napster accounts will migrate to Rhapsody appears to have been from the U.S. site. I just saw this:

"NOTE: International Napster Members are unaffected by this change and continue to enjoy Napster in Canada, Germany and United Kingdom."

Unaffected?!? Yeah, sure. Until they shut it down.

I signed up for Rdio, it works in Canada, but the search function leaves a little to be desired. They have apps for Roku, Sonos, but no Squeezebox.
 
Up until a couple of years ago (maybe the Best Buy buyout?) Napster had a great search function. You could search by artist name, album name, or song name. I wish Rhapsody would go back to that.
 
John James said:
Up until a couple of years ago (maybe the Best Buy buyout?) Napster had a great search function. You could search by artist name, album name, or song name. I wish Rhapsody would go back to that.
Click to expand...
I used to have Rhapsody and I am pretty sure it allows searching by Artist and Album...not sure about songs, but I thought it did that, too.

I switched to MOG for better audio quality (320kbps), but I don't think it is available in Canada.
 
Yeah, no MOG in Canada. Life goes on. I'm checking out the Walkabouts on Rdio, great band! Rdio has a Sonos app, hoping for a Squeezebos app soon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom