The fastest way to create a music video from a song. Upload an MP3 to YouTube in HD.

In his new book, Mp3: The Meaning of a Format, McGill University professor Jonathan Sterne exhaustively and eloquently traces the history of the mp3 from the initial hearing model developed in Bell Labs to the current debates about piracy. As the author argues, each time we rip a CD to our hard drives, we're not only saving space in our living rooms or ensuring we have the appropriate gym soundtrack, but also reaffirming a fundamental idea about the limits of human perception.

“Beets is the media library management system for obsessive-compulsive music geeks. The purpose of beets is to get your music collection right once and for all. It catalogs your collection, automatically improving its metadata as it goes using the MusicBrainz database. It then provides a bouquet of tools for manipulating and accessing your music.”

Great free releases. Post-pop, lo-fi, experimental, etc. etc.

Fantastic collage/ambient label whose releases are mostly free.

A fantastic music blog, with expertly crafted thematic mixes, often centered around certain periods in music. A great source for inspiration and knowledge for the music-obsessive.

Thanks, as always, WFMU. "Here my friends are 100 tracks to burn on 4 discs to play at your next social gathering."

Up to 2GB storage, pretty good battery life, stylish and very useful design. Gift idea: buy one, put a personalized mix on it before giving.

An excellent playlist that subtly funhouse-mirrors each track of "In Rainbows", exploring and expanding on themes, influences, and directions. This is awesome.

"If I was in a band I would write a slow song with an 808, reverb, and a female vocalist, and call that song 'Zach Braff’s Eyes Reflected in My Nano.'"

Remix album free for download after cease-and-desist drama. It's okay.

An excellent post on Vampire Weekend from Sean at StG. He gets "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" just right. I _love_ this kind of music writing.

"Toneshared is the world's most interesting collection of mobile phone tones made by well known musicians and artists working in the electronic and alternative music scenes." Free, short, sweet. Inclues Caribou, Faux Pas, Califone...

With a rundown of each slider.

Works very well.

A Japanese musician and composer's free anti-war MP3s.

Incredibly awesome. Ahhh!

On the shaky relationship between music blogs and record companies.

A turning point.

Most of the Daytrotter sessions are fantastic, but this set of four tracks is absolutely amazing. (Here began my discovery of the genius that is Will Oldham.)

Transcendental at points.