Previews and Hotlink Protection

Last week I implemented Flash-based previews for most of the releases in the free music section. Now visitors can get a feel for a release before downloading the entire thing! I thank Davey Boom for the idea and tip my hat to members of the BOMelakiesie forum for reminding me that broadband access is by no means ubiquitous.

On another note, I have been forced to tighten up server security and cut down on “hotlinking” and other forms of bandwidth theft while addressing the recent abuse chronicled here and here. Outside links to free music hosted by Ektoplazm will now redirect to the associated post for a given release. This is unlikely to affect most visitors; nothing will have changed if you download music direct from the Ektoplazm web site. For those of you that like to share music from Ektoplazm, please remember to post links to the actual release page—not the files themselves. Thanks!