Dick, in a sense yes, but the clips as they now exist (at least in the amazon music/cdnow type of format) are too short to convey to a listener what I regard as the essential "tune, 1st verse and chorus"/1st runthrough of instrumental complete. Maybe that's different at Smithsonian; I'll go look.

Perhaps my idea is altogether unrealistic, and I'm sensitive to the comments to the tune of "Somebody has to pay, and you want a free ride." I just think maybe there's a way that benefits everybody all around and STILL allows for lengthier music samples.

I may be wrong, but I see this as a teaching/learning tool. Sure it must guard against freeloading, but it should be designed as a promo, so that the performer, company and seller benefit as they should.

Oh, and to WYSIWYG, Digitrad has thankfully not bothered its head in the least whether something is "folk" or not. For instance, the DT includes quite a number of pop songs that happen to appeal to folkies, and no harm done. I can't think of any good reason we should get ourselves hung up on definitions.

Unless of course it is P.D. vs. copyright issues you're thinking of, and those seem to be pretty much evaded throughout the web, even where complete song soundfiles are concerned, so long as nobody's making a bundle. And very few are.