For this assignment I chose sites that deal with three different types of media: music, TV shows, and games.
Last.fm: this is my favorite streaming music site. Last.fm serves as both a database for music, updated constantly as users scrobble the tracks they listen to, and as source for custom Internet radio stations. To make money, Last.fm uses advertising and offers an optional subscription for extra site features. The music on Last.fm is streaming, and can only be played on Last.fm's player. Users can play custom radio stations that play certain genres (or "artists like so-and-so") but they can not choose specific tracks to play, nor can they download the songs.
Hulu: a streaming video site for TV shows and movies. Hulu is the legal counterpart to other streaming video sites that allow users to upload and share TV shows and movies. It is owned by NBC Universal and News Corp, and only they decide what content to upload (i.e., users can not upload videos). The content is high quality and on-demand (meaning that users can choose whatever they want to watch, whenever they want) but it can only be played within the site. The site is funded by advertisements that are embedded in the content -- just like normal TV commercial breaks.
Orisinal: this is an example of a particular artist sharing his work online for free. Orisinal is a flash game site with all original artwork and music by Ferry Halim. The games can be played online, and there are no ads and no subscription model. The site is clearly not intended to make money, though the author does sell merchandise in an online store (currently down for maintenance).
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