Here is the RIAA's position:

"Online piracy is the unauthorized uploading of a copyrighted sound recording and making it available to the public, or downloading a sound recording from an Internet site, even if the recording isn't resold. Online piracy can now also include certain uses of "streaming" technologies from the Internet. Because of the nature of the theft, the damage is not always easy to calculate but not hard to envision."

Source: http://www.riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php?content_selector=pira...

Just to clarify the above, the RIAA's position is not a legal definition, just what the RIAA wants. Therefore the "Online piracy is..." section is inaccurate, replace that with "The RIAA considers Online piracy as..."

and no, I'm not a lawyer.

Is it wise to contact the RIAA and ask them if what I'm doing is legitimate?

I wouldn't contact the RIAA, they have a notoriously bad reputation (assuming you could actually get to anybody reasonable).

I'd go the route of the current mp3 search engines. Do some research on Fair Use Copyright and DMCA. Also check out the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation).

good suggestion. Thanks!

I suspect if you have to ask them, the answer is a big-time "no".

Talk with a lawyer. Some things are under copyright, some aren't, and in some cases it isn't clear, for various definitions of "not clear".

Gather your content appropriately.

Also, find out what your obligations are if someone brings a complaint.

Design your processes appropriately.

The way the system works now, is if some large business interest says you're infringing, you won't have the power or money to fight them.

Great system we got going here.

Lawyer?

Also, if the music clips are newer than "ancient" you're probably infringing.