Sampod4u.com is Now Songsandmemories.com: Enter the Whole World of Entertainment

Jan. 9, 2013 - PRLog -- When the website began, its primary function was to provide podcasts or various themed recordings to which a listener could click and listen for anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, and sometimes more.  Some sample programs included: "Doris Day and Frank Sinatra: Two Icons with Similar Careers", "Canaries and Crooners - A Salute To The Big Band Era", "Turn Back The Hands of Time: A Tribute to Eddie Fisher" and other similar themed shows.  The name derived from the PODcasts and the SAM part stood for "songs and memories".  Initially, this worked out fine, and listeners enjoyed the shows. But then the copyright laws changed and internet podcasts  (which were at the time legal) were now liable for the very pricey copyright licensing fees  for broadcasting music which belonged to anyone else.

The Digital Milennium Copyright Act, passed in 1988, meant that anyone who broadcast music would have to pay licensing fees to BMI, SESAC and ASCAP, to cover the fees for not only performing artists, song composers and lyricists but also to copyright owners, usually held by various companies including record labels. Licensing costs also vary, based on the number of listeners that a station has, as well as other factors such as the number of songs played, the number of broadcast hours, and whether tracks are dubbed to a digital playout system. Podcasts were still legal until 2010 when they, too, came under the umbrella of the DMCA.  Suffice it to say that the "little guy" one more time got a kick in the rear.

And so, Sampod evolved. It became a place where people could log on to find lots of information on and  links to various places where they could hear  some great music.  The links expanded to include movies, tv and other forms of entertainment. Because they were legal (and still are), youtubes were either embedded or linked on the website, and folks could spend hours clicking away. And although it was never advertised as such, the site became a great place for Doris Day fans, because the Website Team are all fans of that wonderful actress, singer and animal activist, and much information is highlighted about Miss Day, who appreciates the efforts and has said so.

And then, recently came the question "What is a Sampod anyway?" This led the Website Team (Mike DeVita, Janet Moore, Christie Sietos and Carol Johnson) to discussions about a name change, especially since the website is beginning to take on a new look with some really contemporary features ("21st Century Movers & Shakers", "Singing Legends" and "Rock Legends 60's-80's).  The domain name was available, and so now sampod has become songsandmemories.com. (Frequent visitors to the site from the past who click on sampod will be directed to the new site.) This is also the case on facebook where the page is gaining popularity.

A new forum tops off the new look at songs and memories, and the team members hope you will like what you see and also hope you will visit often and comment on the forum. The motto remains: Sit Back, Relax, Enjoy.