March 2008, PC Advisor, quotes and excerpts from
the review:
"Avanquest Software has launched an updated version of its
Radiotracker software that legally retrieves your favourite music from internet
radio stations and downloads the tracks in MP3 format direct to your hard
drive.
We found Radiotracker Platinum 4.0 easy to use and within minutes
of installing it, we had a folder full of MP3 files. Radiotracker searches a
database of 15,000 internet radio stations, which you can narrow down by genre
and then press Autorip which starts the process of sorting through the stations,
identifying the songs and then ripping them to MP3 files which can be in the
audio player software on the righthand side of Radiotracker.
Users can
create playlists in Radiotracker Platinum 4.0 and change the order of tracks
within the list. They also have the ability to cut each individual file, change
where it starts and ends and even add effects such as fading in or out. I was
particularly impressed with the artwork box that displays the cover of the album
the song comes from as well as the ID3 tag (which in our experience was very
accurate although it can be easily altered if it’s incorrect). You also get the
lyrics so you can sing-along, or in my case means wail out of tune!
The
files can also be accessed through your My Music folder should you wish to play
them again at a later date through another programme, or drag-and-drop them you
digital music player. Alternatively burn a CD through Radiotracker Platinum 4.0
or even create a ringtone from the MP3. The software allows you to choose which
part of the file you want as a ringtone, add effects such as fade in and out and
even save it in one of three different format: MP3, AMR or MMF.
The Taste
in Music function will also look at the files you play most and then rip tracks
from all 15,000 internet radio stations, designed to suit your music tastes.
Meanwhile the Filter option ensures tracks you already have ripped will not be
repeated in your library. Radiotracker Platinum 4.0 also allows you to specify
which podcasts from the internet stations you would like to download.
Verdict
Radiotracker Platinum 4.0 is
value-for-money software which will suit those looking for a huge range of
cost-free music to play on any device."
Overall rating:
Radiotracker 4 workshop:
"There's a world of content available online, but knowing what
to look for and where to look for it can be a problem. The following tutorial
will show you how to record radio content and set presets for stations you
enjoy.
1. RadioTracker enables you to build an MP3 music
collection from internet radio. It scans radio stations for tracks by selected
artists or in certain styles and downloads them. In a few hours, it can build a
set of tracks that fits your tastes.
2. RadioTracker’s interface is busy, but it’s not too difficult
to understand. Along the lefthand side of the main screen there are controls for
ripping music and a list of stations being scanned. On the right there’s a list
of ripped tracks and transport controls. The simplest way to start is to select
a genre and click Autorip.
3. To control the choice of tracks more tightly, click
Stations. The Manage Stations dialog will pop up to display a list of genres and
stations. As you listen to RadioTracker’s output, you’ll work out which stations
play the music you like most and can delete stations from this list that don’t
produce the goods.
4. Another method of selecting tracks is to use MusicFinder.
Click the MusicFinder tab and the panel to the left will display a wishlist of
artists. Click Search Catalog, followed by the names of any artists you want to
add to the list. An icon appears next to their names in the list on the
right.
5. Click on an artist’s name and a list of their tracks appears
in the panel below. Click the track titles to add specific tracks to the search
list for an even more targeted search. Bear in mind, however, that obscure
tracks may take a while to find, even though RadioTracker users scan thousands
of stations.
6. Click the downloaded tracks on the righthand side of the
MusicFinder or Radio screens to play them. Besides not being to your taste, some
tracks may include irritating station ‘idents’ – a good reason to remove the
track and have RadioTracker search again."
