Streaming music attached to 'Devices' (virtual iPod)

Just like the real-world, I want to have an iPod in SL. I want to be able to create object that is capable of personal audio streaming that I can carry with me and play no matter where I am. Yes, you can attach music streams to parcels. But, I want to attach music streams to objects that I can give/sell to people. These objects with streams would be like a CD player or iPod. This way, users can each carry their own musical devices and listen to them at will no matter where they are (these objects should override the parcel's streaming music).

I am a musician and I would like to be able to give copies of my music to people inside SL that is attached to an object. I know that this may be contentious (as far as copyright issues go). But, I'm sure that Linden can force people who want to create streaming music objects to sign some kind of agreement making the user responsible for any copyright infringement that may result as well as any mature content streams. My music, of course, has no mature content. I have my own music that I've written and which own all of the copyrights, so this is not an issue.

Please vote and/or comment.

Thanks.

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Brian Wright (Expanding Cosmos)\

*Thumbs up*
Would make SL radio stations more radio stations than "concert halls." I can listen to whatever streaming music/radio station I want to by wearing their iPod-like device.

It would also open up the market for universal radio objects that can be customized to hold MANY radio stations, or if someone had the knowhow, one that can "scan" for available stations (i.e. there'd be a HTTP request to a database that contained a ginormous list of streaming data and the object would set its URL to one and if it didn't exist it'd either automatically or by user intervention be able to ping the server with 404 and the URL would be removed, and the user would be able to add new URLs to the database by a chat command).

Put the URL in your own computer's music player.

Yeah, I don't really understand this. Streaming music is there for a parcel owner so they can run a club or something like that. If you want to listen to your own music, there's software for that.

>Kalemika Dougall said:

>Yeah, I don't really understand this. Streaming music is there for a parcel owner so they can
> run a club or something like that. If you want to listen to your own music, there's software
> for that.

1) If you're on a computer where the SL client is loaded but you don't have your own music player or music handy (or the computer prevents installation of additional software), this gives each SL player a way to listen to radio stations or Internet music of their choice without having to download or install player software or music files.

2) This gives the user the choice of music to which they want to listen in-game rather than being relegated to listening to the parcel owner's choice of music.

3) A portable music object gives the user the ability to carry their own music with them in the game no matter who's computer you happen to be on (sort of goes back to #1). You only need the SL client, you don't need to install external music software or download music.

4) An in-game player could be controllable by scripts in the area (raising / lowering volume or other functionality as necessary) where an external player application is not controllable by SL. This means that if you enter an area where you need to hear something specific in the game, a script in the area could request streaming music devices volume briefly turn down or off.

Basically, this gives the user the choice of music to which each user wants to listen rather than listening to the choice from parcel owner. If this is supposed to be a virtual reality or 'Second Life', then it should allow the user the choice of music from which to listen. Yes, you can load music and listen to your own player (Winamp or whatever) when you're on your own computer.

However, if you happen to be on a computer where your music isn't, then a portable in-game player lets you listen to your own music in-game without needing to load players or music on the computer itself.

This goes back to what the Linden vision is. This SL software is supposed to be flexible and usable for everyone everywhere. Not everyone will have a computer that is completely open and flexible to install everything. An in-game streaming music object allows the SL client to do the work without needing additional external software or files.

One other point I'd like to make regarding SL. I thought this point needed its own response even though it's a fair bit forward thinking.

Linden's vision, at least as I understand it, is to eventually port SL to additional devices besides the PC, Mac and Linux. For example, porting to devices such as the XBox, PS3, Wii or even the PSP. These devices don't offer multitasking or allow running external music players while playing a game. With these devices, an in-game portable player would be the _only_ way to listen to music other than parcel music. You can't listen to an external player as these devices do not mutlitask.

I would personally love to have a PSP SL client to use over Wifi so I can SL anywhere there's a hotspot. But, at the same time, I would also like to have an in-game player to listen to my own music. Granted, these additional clients do not exist at this point. But, in the future they may and the music issue will become a lot more important. Even still, having this feature now is useful and, at the same time, plans for future devices as mentioned above.

Thanks.

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Brian

I think that as has been suggested already; you should be able to attach audio streams to objects which will only play for the owner of the object, and will over-ride the audio stream of the parcel.

That’s as far as it should go though, it would use too much bandwidth to stream multiple audio feeds if people had "boom boxes" out in public and stuff.

So a virtual "iPod" is a kool idea!

Yes, I guess I didn't explain that fully. The iPod idea would be for personal listening only. Not public broadcasting. For public broadcasting, there's llSetParcelMusicURL (or whatever that function is called). But, there's currently no personal streaming of any kind in SL. So, yes, the music attached to a device would only be heard by the person carrying the 'iPod' device.

Thanks.

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Brian

I hate to tell you guys this, But I've made a working audio player that works anywhere in Sl that you wear it's called MPod and it's been out since Oct

Great, but how long are the songs? If longer than 10 seconds, have they been broken up?