Country free mp3 song

Bring out the stereo in your home computer

Who says PCs can't jam? With live concerts and downloads of hit songs on the Internet, computers are giving people new ways to hear their favorite music.

There is a slew of new software and hardware that takes advantage of the PC's new role. By making it easier to store songs, organize them for playback, and improve the sound, these technologies can make a home stereo out of your personal computer.

Music fans simply curious to hear how their PCs handle the beat can try out "jukebox" software that creates digital files of songs. Those yearning for rock-concert volume can get a tuner-amplifier that integrates a PC with other audio gear. Or they can take a listen to amplified PC speakers that produce symphonylike notes.

The sound isn't the only attraction of these technologies. Some of the options are free, while others range upward in price to $500, giving music fans affordable ways to upgrade their sound. "There are a lot of PCs in bedrooms and living rooms now," says Eric Schmitt, a technology analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in Cambridge, Mass. "If the machine is already there, why not use it to play music?"

The cheapest way to turn a PC into a sound system is by downloading free software. Commonly known as jukeboxes, software programs such as Winamp (www.winamp.com) and MusicMatch (www.musicmatch.com), were initially popular because they play music stored in the MP3 format, a digital compression technique that enabled easier downloading of music from the Web.

Handy and hassle-free. The real appeal of these programs, however, is the ease with which they manage music collections. Anyone who has tried to use a real stereo CD jukebox, a gadget costing around $300 that stores hundreds of compact disks ready for instant playback, knows it can be clumsy at best.

But on a PC, just insert your favorite music disk into the computer's CD-ROM drive. The software lets you create your own MP3 versions of the songs and then stores them on your hard drive. The new MP3 tunes can be labeled with song title, artist, and album, and the information is displayed in an easy-to-read way on your computer monitor. Sometimes, as with RealJukebox (www.real.com/ jukebox) this information is even installed automatically.

All three of these jukebox programs are effective. But get this: Deciding which one to use often depends on how the software looks on your screen. For example, Winamp gives your playback window the distinctive look of Japanese animation while Real Jukebox offers a Claymation-style design.

However you decide, it will quickly become apparent that all this music sounds tinny coming from your PC's standard-issue speakers. Never fear--tech companies have moved quickly to offer stereo add-ons, from tuner-amplifiers to flat-panel speakers that can rattle the walls.

In the past, difficulties matching the different audio and PC connectors have made hooking your computer to the stereo a job best left to the neighborhood Alpha-geek. A new gad- get is bridging the divide between hi-fi audio and PC sound. The Yamaha RP-U100 ($500) tuner/amplifier powers the speakers for your CD player or audiocassette deck. Though it stands vertically, like a computer tower, the U100 has buttons such as "DSP" and "Tuner" more common to stereo gear. You connect the U100 to your computer through a USB port, but you plug your compact disk and cassette players in as you would with any other tuner. (Computers without USB connections will need an audio cord to plug into the "PC In" jack.)

What's enticing about the U100 is that it is a full-fledged amplifier, easily enabling connection to high-end audio speakers. This provides surround-sound effects on computer games and realistic ambience for Webcast concerts, in a full-bodied 30-watts-per-channel volume.

The U100 has some shortcomings. It can't store Web radio stations in its presets as it does broadcast stations. It also lacks a remote.

If you prefer to skip connecting your computer to your stereo altogether, you can still upgrade your PC's sound for a small sum by replacing the speakers. About $80 will buy a PC speaker system that includes a subwoofer for that rumbling boom.

Particularly impressive is Labtec's new LCS-2416 flat-panel speaker system ($80)--two thin satellite speakers and a cube-shaped subwoofer. The satellites--each offering 5 watts of volume--can attach to the sides of your monitor, projecting sound toward your ears, not your chest. The 15-watt subwoofer offers solid, thumping bass.

Whichever route you choose, it's likely you'll come to think of your PC as more than a box to do spreadsheets.

WHERE TO GO

Once you've made a stereo system out of your PC, you'll want to wake your neighbors with the sound. Here are some Web sites offering hot tunes:

Netradio.com offers more than 120 channels of streaming audio broadcasts from show tunes to alternative country.

Riffage.com is where to look for the next R.E.M. or Kid Rock. The site features streaming audio and MP3 downloads from independent artists.

Pseudo.com produces slick audiovisual programs ranging from rap music to NFL football.