Audiogalaxy Satellite 0.608
Editors' note: Due to legal action by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Audiogalaxy has been essentially shut down as a file-sharing service. It still hosts tracks from mostly unsigned bands, but that's only a small fraction of what it previously offered. Members can opt to join private groups within the site, then exchange files with other group members.
Audiogalaxy is one of a vast array of peer-to-peer file-swapping services that let you share music and video files with other online users. (Most of them have appeared since the rise and fall of Napster.) Audiogalaxy's Web-based service works with any operating system, but the file-sharing helper app, Satellite, which you need in order to download most songs, is for Windows and Linux only. Audiogalaxy employs copyright restrictions to keep you from downloading most popular songs but heavily pushes independent artists and unknown bands. So if you thrive on the mainstream beat, turn to LimeWire or KaZaa. Otherwise, Audiogalaxy is a fast, easy, no-frills file-swapping service.
Get this party rockin'
Installing Audiogalaxy Satellite is simple but involves some piggyback programs you may want to avoid--namely, Gator and Webcelerator. After installation, you can't begin using Audiogalaxy until you register via the Web site or within the Satellite application. Fortunately, the registration asks you for only a username, an e-mail address, and your city and state-- nothing too personal.
Satellite transmissions
Most of your experience with Audiogalaxy takes place on the Web site, which lets you search for files and review the results. However, you need the Satellite app to actually swap files with other Audiogalaxy users. The program has virtually no menus or controls--in fact, you use the Audiogalaxy Web site to control most Satellite functions. For example, to stop a transfer, you must go to the Web site and hit Stop instead of using the Satellite app. This setup makes for a small download when you install Satellite and is an unintuitive scheme.
Scanning the galaxy
Audiogalaxy offers two ways to search for files: Music Search and FTP Search. We prefer Music Search, which scans active Audiogalaxy users' collections. The more complex, less reliable FTP Search looks for FTP sites containing the files you want. To search for files using Music Search, enter the song title or artist into the search field that sits at the top of nearly every page on the Audiogalaxy site. Audiogalaxy maintains an index of all files shared by its users, so it returns search results in record time. Once the search locates the best results, it lists them by popularity or lets you re-sort them by song name (but no other criteria, such as bit rate or size).
Each search result lists a file's availability, the method you can use to download it (directly from a Web site or using Satellite), the artist, and the song name. Once you find the song you want, click the song name, and Audiogalaxy prompts you to select a version of the file. This screen can be confusing, but we found it most effective to choose, "Get most popular version." If the file is currently available (that is, the user is online), Satellite kicks into action and begins the download. One Audiogalaxy trait we love: if the file you desire is not online, Satellite will continue to search for it and will begin the download automatically once the file is available.
Audiogalaxy has developed a clever, albeit annoying, method to dissuade leeching. Like other file-swapping apps, Audiogalaxy opens specific parts of your hard drive to other users, and vice versa, unless you choose not to share your own files. When you use Audiogalaxy, however, you must share at least 25 files before you're allowed to download more than one song at a time. This stops users from hoarding their own music and taking what they want from others. However, sharing all those files can drain your bandwidth.
No stars at your fingertips
At first glance, Audiogalaxy returns an impressive depth and breadth of search results--but it's deceptive. Audiogalaxy strictly complies with music copyright law and therefore won't let you download every file your search turns up; this is especially true for popular music. You might get 1,000 search results for Britney Spears's "Oops, I Did It Again," but it's virtually impossible to find a match that you're allowed to download. But Audiogalaxy's main objective is to promote independent artists and no-name bands, which are prominently featured on the site's home page and often have no download limitations. That makes Audiogalaxy an excellent resource for indie music buffs. You'll have to get your mainstream kicks at LimeWire or KaZaa.
Click anywhere for help
The Audiogalaxy Satellite app and Web site are relatively stable and error-free. Even so, the Web site sports well-organized, comprehensive online help. Like most free apps, though, the service doesn't offer e-mail or phone support, but Audiogalaxy does host a slew of user groups and bulletin boards. You're sure to find an answer somewhere.
Step out of the mainstream
If you're an indie music fan or are just looking for the next up-and-coming band, Audiogalaxy could be your new best friend. It's a stable, relatively simple service that'll have you telling your friends you bought that CD way before it started getting all that radio play. For more traditional music fans, though, this service is a mirage; you can see the goods, but you can't get your hands on the songs you want.
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