Looking
for a fresh idea for your dad this year on Fathers Day?
Instead of
ties and cologne, how about a compilation of his favorite tunes that show you
took the time to think about his taste in music? Surprise him instead with a download
of Styx or Stones that will transport him back in time.
Click over to our
listings of Father's
Day Music if you want to find songs that talk about Dads. For an idea of the
popular music
of the 1960s and the 1970s
musical hits visit the Pop Culture section.
Whether you're looking
for music hits or movie moments, sports clips or news reports, more and more people
are turning to the Internet. This is due in part because it is so readily available
-- 24/7 -- and because there's a growing bank of rich multimedia content on the
Web.
In fact, according to an Arbitron/Edison Media Research survey, the
monthly Internet video audience way back in 2005 was estimated to be approximately
35 million people, with a weekly online video audience of nearly 20 million. Not
only does the Internet give the MTV generation a whole new way to access their
videos, it also allows them to surf for their favorite songs and stations. The
numbers have increased since then and most web users are watching videos with
their favorite musicians and groups.
But with so much audio and video content
available on the Web -- thats not always organized -- how can people efficiently
find the songs or movie clips they're looking for? And, are there quality MP3
files of songs that are still free and legal?
The answer is yes; there
are specialty search engines on the Web, like Singingfish.com, that are designed
to "crawl" the World Wide Web and deliver only search results with audio
and video content.
Just type in a search at www.singingfish.com, click
"Fish It" and off you go. To make results more relevant, Singingfish
lets you narrow your results by selecting audio only, video only, or both. It
also lets you narrow your search by format, such as Quicktime or MP3 -- so that
your search results only display the type of file format that you want.
For
those looking to take a sentimental journey of sorts, audio/video search sites
can be quite useful for consumers looking to reel in those music and movie memories:
Miss those love songs that put you head over heels? From Barbra to Beyonce,
your favorites are quick-click accessible. Consider downloading a song or a collection
of favorites and surprise someone with musical mail during the day.
Or,
send a trailer of your favorite romantic movie. Excerpts from classics such as
Casablanca or a more recent flick, Shakespeare in Love,"
can give you a nice break in the day. Once you start searching, youll find
yourself discovering all sorts of film clips that you had forgotten about over
the years.
So the next time you have a few minutes to kill in between classes,
chores, or meetings, let the Net be your personal fishing pond for catching
the best in music, movies and more. You just might uncover some special memories
or make a new discovery.