Snowtape: Makes recording internet radio [relatively] easy
Snowtape offers an easy and free way to take what you listen to on the Internet and automatically record and export it to iTunes. Snowtape’s not the first application to do this, but it might be easiest and it’s definitely among the least expensive (ie free).
Snowtape beta 3 is most recent release and the developer is now saying that the application is now feature complete, offering system wide hot keys (⇧F5 play/pause, ⇧F6 record); the ability to manage and browse stations by genre, bandwidth, etc; RadioURL.com and iTunes Store integration; mini controller; one-click export to iTunes; etc.
This application plays and records Internet radio with automatic track boundary cuts and direct track export to iTunes. Moreover, you can add stations by simply dragging them from iTunes or importing via bookmarks or favorites (.pls, m3u) list.
A nifty little feature is the mini controller, which floats above all other windows. So, if you just wanna keep an eye on track, etc information or you prefer the mouse over hot keys, Snowtape is always front and ready.
All in all I like Snowtape, but it could use some polish and then a little. For example, whether you’re using the full or mini controllers (both of which are beautiful), clicking the play button works just fine, though the pause button is grayed out and non-functional. Similarly, once clicked, the record button becomes unresponsive. Yes, the system wide hot keys work, but it’s important to make a distinction between feature complete and fully functional.
In this category, both AudioHijack and RadioShift are excellent and both are priced at (coincidence?) $32. Snowtape is still a bit rough around the edges, but it is free, and offers iTunes Store integration, which is a sweet feature for those times when convenience trumps cost.
Are you recording Internet radio? Obviously, there’s always more than one way to skin a cat and I know the three methods mentioned here cover the subject. Tell us about the tools and methods you are using and why in the comments below…
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