Q about hosting songs in background of website

[cyberkid]

I'm making my website and wanted to automatically play songs in the background.
Now these are copyrighted songs, but in no means am I linking directly for the user to download. I'm playing full enbedded mp3's which I do have the original CD for.
My question is: is this method legal?
Take this page uses the same method I'm using http://martin.blow.googlepages.com/technical2.html
I want to use songs instead of the sound effect he uses.

If I have to pay copyright fees, how much are we talking about?

Thanks for any replies,
Steve

[drunken monkey]

I say don't do it.
Most people I know can't stand background music.

Just so you know, owning the CD doesn't mean squat when it comes to its use like this. Any form of public broadcast, which this is catagorised as, will fall under the remit of any such costs. What you pay for, isn't copyright fees but a fee for public broadcast. I've only ever dones this for bars and restaurants and we pay yearly (can't remember how much because I have a guy who takes of that). I have no idea how this works when it comes to websites or how well they are enforced.

There are also those incredibly widgets that plays songs that are already hosted, like those you find on the typical emo blog/myspace/whatever pages that thankfully allows us to stop the track. Not 100% sure on their legitimacy though but if yours isn't a business website, it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

[Oz]

I agree with the comment that most people can't stand background music.

The only time I don't mind it is when the web page has something to do with music in the first place.

I have no idea about the legality of it.

[-Davo]

I can't stand music other than from my iTunes. I hate myspace pages that have crap emo songs playing, they piss me off, and I ate those stupid sites that have banners that play music when you mouse-over, I nearly destroyed my computer because of them.

What happened to the old days of midi in pages ><