Next month, after years of Mac exclusion and a need to expand its reach, Ruckus will begin offering a streaming music service compatible with Apple computers.
At the same time, the number of Mac users on campus is rising rapidly, with just under half the freshman class using Apple computers.
Students with Macs are still in the minority at Brown, said John Brougher '06, computer education specialist at Computing and Information Services. For every 70 students with PCs, there are 30 with Macs, Brougher said. "But that's really changing fast," he said, adding that the freshman class has a 55-to-45 PC to Mac ratio.
As that ratio has changed, Ruckus is moving to capitalize on Mac users' music demand. In March, the company plans to unveil a service that will allow Mac users to stream - but not download - music. "You'll be able to build playlists, profiles, and it will be stored on the site," said Chris Utah, Ruckus's director of campus sales. "We use Windows' (digital rights management) to secure our files, and Apple just doesn't recognize it," Utah said.
As of now, the service is only compatible with PCs, leaving Mac users without any free and legal way to download music.
Using the Windows version of Ruckus, students can legally download an unlimited number of songs for free. They can keep the songs until they graduate; after graduation, the songs expire unless students pay monthly for an alumni account.
Ruckus is Brown's second attempt to provide an alternative to illegal downloading of music. The University became affiliated with Ruckus two years ago, after funding for Napster ran dry, said Rosario Navarro, project manager for the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services. The service is free to Brown.In turn, Brown agrees to market Ruckus, which is supported by advertising, to students. Navarro said she tells students about Ruckus by sending out mass e-mails and talking to Residential Peer Leaders, who are supposed to advertise the service to students in their units.
"I certainly do think that if the institution is telling students that copyright violations are not acceptable then we ... have a responsibility to provide alternatives and options," Navarro said. "I think it is a great service, and I think it has a lot of kinks to work out, but it's a great start."
Providing services for Apple users is just part of the company's efforts to reach more students. On Wednesday, the company sent an e-mail to all its members. "We need more members to continue to offer the music for free," the e-mail read. "Help us save your music."
But Utah denied that there was any immediate danger of the company shutting down, saying that the drive for numbers was more important for the non-affiliated schools.
"This campaign is more to get the numbers up so we can keep it free for affiliated schools," Utah said. "In the worst case, we're going to cut off open access for the unaffiliated schools. Brown is fine."
Utah said that as of Monday, Brown students have downloaded 1,217,634 tracks. Navarro said that 2,663 Brown students are registered to use Ruckus. Several students interviewed by The Herald in the Sciences Library said they don't use the service, and many were unfamiliar with the service.
"I think I got something about it in my Brown Morning Mail," Molly Hawksley '09 said.
"Most of the people that I know that download music use Limewire," Michael Lezcano '09 said.
Compatibility issues aside, students cite advertisements and ease of use as reasons they don't use the software. "I appreciate being able to access music without paying for it, but I prefer free music services without so many advertisements," Alex Campbell '10 said.
"I use iTunes ... usually because it's more familiar. It's more convenient," Helen Segal '10 said.
"I do think that any resource for students to have free access to things is a good idea," said Assistant Dean of Student Life Yolanda Castillo-Appollonio. "I don't know how much students know about it, so I'm not sure how much students are using it."
Students are still downloading digital content illegally, though. Castillo-Appollonio, who deals with the non-academic discipline system, said that 512 instances of illegal downloading, including movies, TV shows and music, were brought to her attention last academic year - more than double the number of people that received Emergency Medical Services attention for alcohol and drug abuse the previous year.
A first offense can result in a letter of warning, and second and third offenses in hearings or sanctions, which could result in probation and temporary internet loss, among other things, Castillo-Appollonio said. The consequences outside of Brown are more severe: Several Brown students have been sued by the Recording Industry Association of America for copyright infringement.
"There are so many legal ways to get music and movies, and the consequences can be beyond what happens at the University. The consequences can be so great that it really isn't worth that one more song or one more movie," Castillo-Appollonio said.
