.

Muxtape Shut Down For "Brief Period" By RIAA

By Daniel Kreps
August 19, 2008 12:02 PM ET

Mixtape generator site Muxtape has been temporarily shut down as it "sorts out a problem with the RIAA." Launched in March 2008, the site immediately became popular with nostalgic music enthusiasts, allowing users to craft their own mixtapes (comprised of a stream of MP3s) which they could pass on to friends or listen to mixtapes organized by other listeners. Muxtape's purpose, besides allowing people to relive the lost art of making mixes, was to introduce listeners to new music, which might inspire them to buy what they were hearing via Amazon.com links throughout the page. Site founder Justin Ouellette said in interviews that record labels were initially excited by the prospect of the site introducing listeners to new music. But as the message on the downed Muxtape site now reads, the RIAA was less than enthused, shutting down Muxtape for what the site claims for a "brief period." It's been a bad week for online music aggregators, as Web radio site Pandora may be shutting down because of skyrocketing royalty fees.

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