University of Maryland students, faculty, and staff today have access to Ruckus, a digital entertainment service that offers more than 3 million legally downloadable songs, as well as television shows, movies, and a robust social networking component.

Here are just some of the benefits of the Ruckus service:

• Free access to songs in the Ruckus music library, which are available for download and playback on up to two computers
• Social networking features like playlist-sharing, and University of Maryland-specific download popularity lists
• The option to purchase and permanently own individual tracks for 79-99 cents or full albums for about $9.99 so you can keep your music after graduation or transfer them to CDs or compatible MP3 players
• Low-cost subscription programs that allow you to have permanent download/burn access to unlimited music and movie downloads

Maryland students, faculty, and staff can begin using the service immediately by visiting www.ruckus.com, clicking on “Join Ruckus” and entering a umd.edu e-mail address (DirectoryID@umd.edu). (If you don't know your Directory ID, click here.)

Pricing Information

* Unlimited music downloads on up to two computers:

• Students = free
• Faculty/Staff and Alumni = $8.99/month (billed on a term basis)

* Ruckus To Go (offers portability to "playsforsure" branded Windows Media portable devices)

• Students = $20/term (fall, spring, and summer)
• Faculty/Staff and Alumni = $20/term (fall, spring, and summer)

Ruckus offers trial periods to alumni and faculty for the monthly subscription for tethered downloads, and to all customers for the Ruckus To Go premium service. Signing up for a trial service requires customers to provide credit card information. If you fail to cancel or decline the service at the end of the trial period, please be aware you will be rolled into the subscription and the appropriate fee will be charged to your credit card.

FAQs

If I had signed up for an individual Ruckus account before the Maryland service started, do I need to make any kind of change?
No. If you used your umd.edu e-mail address to sign up, you will automatically be given access to all the University of Maryland-specific features that are available.

Does the Ruckus service work with iPods and Macintosh computers?
The Ruckus Web page at http://ruckus.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ruckus.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php offers information about Ruckus/Apple compatibility. Click on the "iPods and iPhones" link on that page.

As far as having an Apple-compatible service at Maryland, the university will soon be offering iTunes U services alongside its Ruckus service. Stay tuned for more details!

I tried to install the new Ruckus player but got a network error message. What should I do?
The error occurs when the Ruckus installer tries to connect to Microsoft to download Windows Media Player 11. If you do the WMP 11 install manually (see www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/AllDownloads.aspx), then restart the Ruckus installer, everything works fine.

Why can’t I transfer the songs to my MP3 player or burn them to a CD for free?
Because you don’t own the license to the songs. Digital media entertainment services operate by charging for use of copyrighted content. The services are paying the publishers (record labels) for the various uses they are making of the music (streaming samples on the site, offering tethered downloads, or providing premium subscription programs). These charges are passed on to the consumer. Based on this business model, subsidizing students’ entire portable music collections was not an affordable option for the university to offer.

What this means for your portability needs is:

• Tracks downloaded with the Ruckus To Go premium subscription can be transferred to "Playsforsure" branded Windows Media portable devices (see www.playsforsure.com for a list of compatible MP3 players).
• Individual tracks or full albums can be purchased from several online stores to burn to CDs or transfer to portable devices. Please be sure to choose a store that offers tracks in a format compatible with your device (WMA for "playsforsure" branded Windows Media players; AAC or FairPlay for iPods; MP3 not specific to a type of player). The formats vary between different services, and sometimes even between different songs from the same service.

What happens to songs I’ve downloaded when I graduate or let my subscription lapse?
The tracks you have loaded into the Ruckus player are not deleted; they continue to appear in the Ruckus Player. However, if your subscription is not active and the song licenses have not been renewed by connecting to the Ruckus network, they will not play until your subscription is renewed with your alumni status.

What does “billed on a term basis” mean regarding the Ruckus subscription services?
The Ruckus services that have fees associated to them are billed on a term basis. The terms are as follows:

• Fall = August 15 - December 15
• Spring = December 15 - June 15
• Summer = June 15 - August 15

Can I access Ruckus services from home, or do I have to be on campus?
You can access Ruckus services from any computer connected to the Internet.

I am a university instructor and would like to use Ruckus tracks as part of my class materials. Do I have to sign up for a paid subscription to get access?
If you are interested in using Ruckus to support class activities, you can be granted access to the system for free. Please contact Ellen Borkowski (eyb@umd.edu) for more information.

What’s the University of Maryland’s history of offering music downloading?
In 2005, student and administrative task forces considered a number of digital music providers (including iTunes) before selecting a service. Service selection was based on the breadth of the product and competitive pricing. Using these factors, Cdigix was the clear choice. Later in 2005, the University System of Maryland pursued a procurement process for a system-wide service. Cdigix was announced as the selection for the system in March of 2006.

In April 2007, Cdigix discontinued its music service, so the university began work to find a replacement. The University System of Maryland procured Ruckus for its schools, and in July 2007, Ruckus came online here at Maryland. Soon, iTunes will also join the university’s legal downloading offerings.

Are any student or university funds paying for these programs?
Only to the extent that a small number of university staff are dedicating a portion of their time to this program instead of other projects. The university has not incurred any additional fees.