Google Cracks Down On YouTube-To-MP3-Ripping Sites – 303 days old

[ZemaTalon]

The free ride may ending for people who rip YouTube music videos to MP3s through youtube-mp3.org and similar sites.

YouTube's lawyers have sent cease-and-desist letters to the sites, threatening “legal consequences” to those that don't comply, TorrentFreak reports. Youtube-mp3.org also claims that its servers have been blocked by YouTube, preventing any more conversions. (At the time of this writing, however, the site's MP3 extraction tool worked for me.)

Over the years, YouTube has struck deals with record labels such as Warner Music Group and Universal to host music videos on the site. Although the music is always free, most videos have links to buy the songs on iTunes, Google Play and AmazonMP3. The video is supposed to be promotional, but conversion sites provide a way to take the music with you at no charge -- a practice that surely riles copyright holders.

In an open letter, “Philip” from Youtube-mp3.org argues that Google, which owns YouTube, is being hypocritical, noting that the company scanned out-of-print books into digital form without permission, and shows news snippets from online publications on Google News at no cost, even as some publishers demand payment. Likewise, Philip argues that his site is bending the rules to serve the needs of users.

From PCWorld.

[floppybootstomp]

I know that 'Download Helper' (Firefox Plugin) records Youtube Vids and recording the audio part of it is relatively simple using free available software - often the native soundcard software.

I rarely grab either video or audio from Youtube though as FLV files are pretty poor quality. Only scenario I'd use Youtube Audio is when I absolutely can't find what I want elsewhere, and elsewhere includes torrents and paying for it.

[Grogan]

I use downloadhelper to snag the video, and I just watch it with mplayer (rather than convert the shitty .flv to mp3... running it through destructive compression algorithms yet again etc.) The only time I convert is usually to .wav (avoiding another lossy encoding that way as well), to make audio CDs for the car. Yes, I know, it's not exactly audiophile quality but some of that shit is rare anyway. It's just a factory car stereo.

Sometimes I sit there for quite a while watching my saved videos. The sound quality is usually good enough for computer speakers. (I have half decent ones, nothing fancy but subwoofer and 4 satellite style. Shit sounds good enough for me.) Some of the music I've taken to on youtube I never would have crossed paths with if not for youtube and it probably isn't anywhere else easily found, or sometimes not that particular version of it.

Google won't be able to stop stuff like Downloadhelper. If they change it to make it more difficult, it would just adapt. Sites, on the other hand, can be shut down.