Disabling "save target as" for MP3's

How do I prevent people from saving MP3's intended for streaming only?

[MetalBoy]

I maintain my band's website and I want to disable the 'save target as' right-click function for MP3's intended to be streaming only. I am aware that someone with a slight amount of practical knowledge could possess the files; however, I do not want the average visitor to our site to be able to own our music without actually buying a CD. I do, however want them to be able to hear it. Thanks in advance for your help...

[Iguana]

Streaming doesn't work well with large filesize MP3s (I'm still on dial-up) so you could just offer MP3s in 32K stereo or even mono - they will stream better and you can encourage people to download them, email them to friends. ANyone who likes it will long for a better sounding copy (make sure you put details of your website in the MP3 file info). An alternative would be to get a copy of RealProducer and produce file in .ram format for RealAudio.

But I wouldn't try and discourage people from downloading them - it's so negative and will turn people away from you immediately.

[Iguana]

Sorry I forgot to say Welcome to Webmasterworld [webmasterworld.com]. It's a good place to be.

[dragonlady7]

I think Iguana has a good point. Most small bands tend to offer one or two sample mp3s available for free download. A singer-songwriter friend of mine had a mailing list and she'd send links to the mp3s right out, with instructions to download them, burn them to mix cds for all your friends, upload them to audiogalaxy and kazaa and morpheus and napster.
She didn't put her whole album up on the site, just a few of her most popular songs. The idea was that publicity is publicity, and the more people hear your song, the more likely they are to come and buy your stuff. I know I personally don't care if I have a pirated mp3 of the latest platinum top-40 single, but if I have an mp3 of a song I love by someone who I know sells her own albums out of her guitar case on the subway platform, I'm much more likely to go and buy her CD even if I already have all the mp3s of it I want. Just because I know that it matters.

So that's an approach I'd recommend, letting people have one or two of your songs. Iguana's suggestion to include your website info in the mp3s information is crucial.

But I can see how you might not want to just give your stuff away. I don't have much to offer on the technical aspects of streaming mp3s, but an approach I've seen on the websites of more commercially-successful bands has been to simply offer short clips for streaming or downloading. That's another option.

Good luck!