Download &to=http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/361/16515_Stanev.html' target=_blank>music from file-swapping networks these days and you risk getting slapped with a copyright lawsuit.
But what if you could simply listen to the songs stored on other music lovers' computers without actually downloading them?
That's exactly what a service called Mercora IMRadio lets you do _ and for free. It comes close to recreating the experience of the original Napster and similar file-swapping programs, all the while keeping you out of the music industry's doghouse.
Part Web radio, part online community, Mercora lets participants be DJs, queuing up playlists of their own crafting. Listeners can tap into a single DJ's mix or jump around.
A single stream can be enjoyed by multiple listeners, just like an &to=http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/14910_solar.html' target=_blank>Internet radio broadcast. Mercora's offerings are thus limited only by the number of users on its network and the extent of their music collections.
Mercora executives say 10,000 to 12,000 Mercora users "stream" music at any given time on roughly 60,000 channels or virtual stations.
The company estimates its users have more than 3 million unique tracks, though it's unlikely all those offerings are available at any one time.
Still, that's better than the roughly 1.5 million to 2 million tracks available from most commercial outfits like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes or Napster Inc.'s own offering, among others. Satellite radio Web sites might offer a wider selection _ but for a fee.
Mercora does have its drawbacks, reports AP.
O.Ch.
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