Author Topic: Does Music Bee 'Phone Home'  (Read 4212 times)

Starionx

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I'm using a PC with Win7. I have a desktop gadget that shows live Internet usage. I've only just noticed that every 10 seconds, Music Bee seems to 'phone home'. As soon as I close the program the internet access stops. This happens even when I'm just listening to mp3s in the library (all of which have album art and lyrics), so I don't understand why it needs to access the internet.
Here's what it looks like - http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q67/Starionx/MusicBee/Image2.jpg

Any ideas why this happens?
Last Edit: February 17, 2015, 01:08:42 AM by Starionx

Zak

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MusicBee certainly doesn't phone home or anywhere else in the malicious sense of the term. However, it does request information from various internet services.

Even if you already have album artwork and lyrics it might still be looking for artist images or biographies, scrobbling play progress to Last.fm, getting a list of similar artists if you ask for a recommendation... etc.

I'm pretty sure MusicBee only does that when the current view or playing mode requires it, but without knowing exactly where the traffic is going it's hard to suggest exactly which feature it might be.

It was discussed in more length in a thread about twelve months ago, but I can't find it.
Bee excellent to each other...

Starionx

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MusicBee certainly doesn't phone home or anywhere else in the malicious sense of the term...

Sorry. I certainly didn't mean to imply anything nefarious.  :-[
I was just curious as it is always every 10 seconds on the dot... even when there is nothing playing.

Zak

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MusicBee certainly doesn't phone home or anywhere else in the malicious sense of the term...
Sorry. I certainly didn't mean to imply anything nefarious.  :-[

That was clear, but other people asking a similar question have been less... open-minded.

I was just curious as it is always every 10 seconds on the dot... even when there is nothing playing.

I didn't realise it was doing it even when nothing is playing. That does seem unusual but you'll probably have to wait for the developer to get a more enlightened explanation. Can you find out where the traffic is going to/coming from?
Bee excellent to each other...

Starionx

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I didn't realise it was doing it even when nothing is playing. That does seem unusual but you'll probably have to wait for the developer to get a more enlightened explanation. Can you find out where the traffic is going to/coming from?

Ummm... errrrrr... what now??
Unless someone can tell me how to find that out, we'll never know.  ;D

Steven

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the only call MB makes is on startup if you have "check for updates" enabled. Otherwise it will be plugins you have installed or lyrics/ artwork search functions for missing lyrics/artwork calling various websites as configured.
If its any more than that i expect you have installed this from a download website where they have "enhanced" the installation.
You can easily see what the calls are using fiddler or wireshark
Last Edit: February 17, 2015, 07:27:44 AM by Steven

redwing

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Also it could be your security apps (especially cloud-based ones) or some background processes in your system. In such cases, running MB could be considered as a new activity just as running any other apps.

Starionx

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If its any more than that i expect you have installed this from a download website where they have "enhanced" the installation.
You can easily see what the calls are using fiddler or wireshark

I do remember that I downloaded MB from a review site. I've downloaded now from this site, but the filesize and name are the same. Nevertheless, I've uninstalled (backed up the profile and settings files) and installed the official version. Looks like the internet access seems to have dwindled, and is much more random (as opposed to access every 10 seconds).

Wireshark looks very interesting, but the captured file doesn't mean much to me (apart from the constant reference to my PC's IP address).

Thanks for indulging my curiosity Steven. I think we can close this thread. (do I do that by using the lock/unlock button at the bottom?)

Zak

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There's no need to formally close the thread.
If there's no further conversation it will eventually fall down the list.
Bee excellent to each other...

Starionx

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There's no need to formally close the thread.
If there's no further conversation it will eventually fall down the list.

Okily Dokily.  ;D