MP3 (non-music) files - should I let Google index them?

Would this help or hurt?

[HughMungus]

Right now I have disallow for the folders that contain user-created MP3 files. Does it matter one way or the other if I let Google index it?

[dirkz]

Only if you can make 100% sure that none of the files is a copyright infringement. But if not 100% sure, you could get severe problems anyway independent from Google and whether they can be found easily or not.

[HughMungus]

So you're saying that as long as there are no copyright issues, it would help?

[dirkz]

You never know that those people (called users) in front of their computers search for. The more (potential) exposure your site has to Google, the better IMHO.

[ciml]

The .mp3 files will be listed unless they're linked to from a Web page (or PDF or Flash) that's in Google.

Even if they are listed, I think only the incoming anchor text and the URL will be indexed.

[korkus2000]

I would be careful. You will be opening your site up to more scrutany than you may want. I find it a very poor trade off. Personally I don't allow engines to view mp3 even with 100% copyright complience.

[dirkz]

To get it right: Do you link to your mp3s from other pages?

[HughMungus]

Thanks everybody.

No copyright issues since these are user-created files (specifically, user-created voice message files).

Regarding linking, they're linked to not from the site where they "live" but are linked to via web pages from the users' websites (typically as a direct link to the .mp3 file).

[dirkz]

I agree with Ciml, only the anchor text will be indexed by Google. It probably won't make any difference whether to grant Googlebot access to the MP3s themselves or not.