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I love Imprecation, but that's probably not what you mean.

Oh well. Bummer.

Some works are going to be greatly assisted by automation, others not at all, and some only slightly so.

I've certainly found this to be the case with music. For certain genres, I can use Band In A Box to do a good 3/4 of the work of creating the accompaniment. I can even let it come up with multiple melodies and instrumental solos, and then edit them into one "take" that I like by stitching fragments together and maybe shifting them in range to make them transition better. For some tracks, though, I can't use BIAB at all. Either it has no idea how to handle the genre, or it's just too far outside the mainstream, like covering Metallica with a string quartet. BIAB can do Metallica, and it can do string quartets, but it can't really grasp how to merge the two without someone making a MIDI file "explaining" how it is to do that, or creating a custom style.

Sometimes software is responsible for the majority of composition, and I just basically edit, orchestrate, and render it. Examples: 1 | 2 | 3. On the opposite end, on many tracks the computer is little more than a digital instrument and a tracker that tells it when to play, while all instruction is input by me personally. Examples: 4 | 5 | 6. Which one is better? I'm convinced I write the tunes with greater replay value, but when scoring for a game, that's not always the highest concern. Sometimes what is desired is outside my wheelhouse, but I know software can handle it, like example 3. Sometimes it's a genre where I'm merely competent, and good automation (directed by me) has value in coming up with ideas, as in the case of example 2. But other times I want to do something different, like example 4 and its shifting time signatures and 5-tone equal temperament. I don't know of any software that generates microtonal or xenharmonic music like this. (Perform it? Yes, but not WRITE it.)

Which are better? Generally, the ones I put the detail work into are the better ones. If the automated stuff sucks, I just kick the software until it spits out something I like, so either I'll eventually get a decent result, or no result at all. But all of them have a place -- not every moment in a game calls for high art in the soundtrack. Sometimes it only takes two chords to set up a mood.

Some works are going to be greatly assisted by automation, others not at all, and some only slightly so.

I've certainly found this to be the case with music. For certain genres, I can use Band In A Box to do a good 3/4 of the work of creating the accompaniment. I can even let it come up with multiple melodies and instrumental solos, and then edit them into one "take" that I like by stitching fragments together and maybe shifting them in range to make them transition better. For some tracks, though, I can't use BIAB at all. Either it has no idea how to handle the genre, or it's just too far outside the mainstream, like covering Metallica with a string quartet. BIAB can do Metallica, and it can do string quartets, but it can't really grasp how to merge the two without someone making a MIDI file "explaining" how it is to do that, or creating a custom style.

Sometimes software is responsible for the majority of composition, and I just basically edit, orchestrate, and render it. Examples: 1 | 2 | 3. On the opposite end, on many tracks the computer is little more than a digital instrument and a tracker that tells it when to play, while all instruction is input by me personally. Examples: 4 | 5 | 6. Which one is better? I'm convinced I write the tunes with greater replay value, but when scoring for a game, that's not always the highest concern. Sometimes what is desired is outside my wheelhouse, but I know software can handle it, like example 3. Sometimes it's a genre where I'm merely competent, and good automation (directed by me) has value in coming up with ideas, as in the case of example 2. But other times I want to do something different, like example 4 and its shifting time signatures and 5-tone equal temperament. I don't know of any software that generates microtonal or xenharmonic music like this. (Perform it? Yes, but not WRITE it.)

Which are better? Generally, the ones I put the detail work into are the better ones. If the automated stuff sucks, I just kick the software until it spits out something I like, so either I'll eventually get a decent result, or no result at all. But all of them have a place -- not every moment in a game calls for high art in the soundtrack. Sometimes it only takes two chords to set up a mood.

Some works are going to be greatly assisted by automation, others not at all, and some only slightly so.

I've certainly found this to be the case with music. For certain genres, I can use Band In A Box to do a good 3/4 of the work of creating the accompaniment. I can even let it come up with multiple melodies and instrumental solos, and then edit them into one "take" that I like by stitching fragments together and maybe shifting them in range to make them transition better. For some tracks, though, I can't use BIAB at all. Either it has no idea how to handle the genre, or it's just too far outside the mainstream, like covering Metallica with a string quartet. BIAB can do Metallica, and it can do string quartets, but it can't really grasp how to merge the two without someone making a MIDI file "explaining" how it is to do that, or creating a custom style.

Sometimes software is responsible for the majority of composition, and I just basically edit, orchestrate, and render it. Examples: 1 | 2 | 3. On the opposite end, on many tracks the computer is little more than a digital instrument and a tracker that tells it when to play, while all instruction is input by me personally. Examples: 4 | 5 | 6. Which one is better? I'm convinced I write the tunes with greater replay value, but when scoring for a game, that's not always the highest concern. Sometimes what is desired is outside my wheelhouse, but I know software can handle it, like example 3. Sometimes it's a genre where I'm merely competent, and good automation (directed by me) has value in coming up with ideas, as in the case of example 2. But other times I want to do something different, like example 4 and its shifting time signatures and 5-tone equal temperament. I don't know of any software that generates microtonal or xenharmonic music like this. (Perform it? Yes, but not WRITE it.)

Which are better? Generally, the ones I put the detail work into are the better ones. If the automated stuff sucks, I just kick the software until it spits out something I like, so either I'll eventually get a decent result, or no result at all. But all of them have a place -- not every moment in a game calls for high art in the soundtrack. Sometimes it only takes two chords to set up a mood.

Some works are going to be greatly assisted by automation, others not at all, and some only slightly so.

I've certainly found this to be the case with music. For certain genres, I can use Band In A Box to do a good 3/4 of the work of creating the accompaniment. I can even let it come up with multiple melodies and instrumental solos, and then edit them into one "take" that I like by stitching fragments together and maybe shifting them in range to make them transition better. For some tracks, though, I can't use BIAB at all. Either it has no idea how to handle the genre, or it's just too far outside the mainstream, like covering Metallica with a string quartet. BIAB can do Metallica, and it can do string quartets, but it can't really grasp how to merge the two without someone making a MIDI file "explaining" how it is to do that, or creating a custom style.

Sometimes software is responsible for the majority of composition, and I just basically edit, orchestrate, and render it. Examples: 1 | 2 | 3. On the opposite end, on many tracks the computer is little more than a digital instrument and a tracker that tells it when to play, while all instruction is input by me personally. Examples: 4 | 5 | 6. Which one is better? I'm convinced I write the tunes with greater replay value, but when scoring for a game, that's not always the highest concern. Sometimes what is desired is outside my wheelhouse, but I know software can handle it, like example 3. Sometimes it's a genre where I'm merely competent, and good automation (directed by me) has value in coming up with ideas, as in the case of example 2. But other times I want to do something different, like example 4 and its shifting time signatures and 5-tone equal temperament. I don't know of any software that generates microtonal or xenharmonic music like this. (Perform it? Yes, but not WRITE it.)

Which are better? Generally, the ones I put the detail work into are the better ones. If the automated stuff sucks, I just kick the software until it spits out something I like, so either I'll eventually get a decent result, or no result at all. But all of them have a place -- not every moment in a game calls for high art in the soundtrack. Sometimes it only takes two chords to set up a mood.

Some works are going to be greatly assisted by automation, others not at all, and some only slightly so.

I've certainly found this to be the case with music. For certain genres, I can use Band In A Box to do a good 3/4 of the work of creating the accompaniment. I can even let it come up with multiple melodies and instrumental solos, and then edit them into one "take" that I like by stitching fragments together and maybe shifting them in range to make them transition better. For some tracks, though, I can't use BIAB at all. Either it has no idea how to handle the genre, or it's just too far outside the mainstream, like covering Metallica with a string quartet. BIAB can do Metallica, and it can do string quartets, but it can't really grasp how to merge the two without someone making a MIDI file "explaining" how it is to do that, or creating a custom style.

Sometimes software is responsible for the majority of composition, and I just basically edit, orchestrate, and render it. Examples: 1 | 2 | 3. On the opposite end, on many tracks the computer is little more than a digital instrument and a tracker that tells it when to play, while all instruction is input by me personally. Examples: 4 | 5 | 6. Which one is better? I'm convinced I write the tunes with greater replay value, but when scoring for a game, that's not always the highest concern. Sometimes what is desired is outside my wheelhouse, but I know software can handle it, like example 3. Sometimes it's a genre where I'm merely competent, and good automation (directed by me) has value in coming up with ideas, as in the case of example 2. But other times I want to do something different, like example 4 and its shifting time signatures and 5-tone equal temperament. I don't know of any software that generates microtonal or xenharmonic music like this. (Perform it? Yes, but not WRITE it.)

Which are better? Generally, the ones I put the detail work into are the better ones. If the automated stuff sucks, I just kick the software until it spits out something I like, so either I'll eventually get a decent result, or no result at all. But all of them have a place -- not every moment in a game calls for high art in the soundtrack. Sometimes it only takes two chords to set up a mood.

Some works are going to be greatly assisted by automation, others not at all, and some only slightly so.

I've certainly found this to be the case with music. For certain genres, I can use Band In A Box to do a good 3/4 of the work of creating the accompaniment. I can even let it come up with multiple melodies and instrumental solos, and then edit them into one "take" that I like by stitching fragments together and maybe shifting them in range to make them transition better. For some tracks, though, I can't use BIAB at all. Either it has no idea how to handle the genre, or it's just too far outside the mainstream, like covering Metallica with a string quartet. BIAB can do Metallica, and it can do string quartets, but it can't really grasp how to merge the two without someone making a MIDI file "explaining" how it is to do that, or creating a custom style.

Sometimes software is responsible for the majority of composition, and I just basically edit, orchestrate, and render it. Examples: 1 | 2 | 3. On the opposite end, on many tracks the computer is little more than a digital instrument and a tracker that tells it when to play, while all instruction is input by me personally. Examples: 4 | 5 | 6. Which one is better? I'm convinced I write the tunes with greater replay value, but when scoring for a game, that's not always the highest concern. Sometimes what is desired is outside my wheelhouse, but I know software can handle it, like example 3. Sometimes it's a genre where I'm merely competent, and good automation (directed by me) has value in coming up with ideas, as in the case of example 2. But other times I want to do something different, like example 4 and its shifting time signatures and 5-tone equal temperament. I don't know of any software that generates microtonal or xenharmonic music like this. (Perform it? Yes, but not WRITE it.)

Which are better? Generally, the ones I put the detail work into are the better ones. If the automated stuff sucks, I just kick the software until it spits out something I like, so either I'll eventually get a decent result, or no result at all. But all of them have a place -- not every moment in a game calls for high art in the soundtrack. Sometimes it only takes two chords to set up a mood.

Hilarious :) no doubt named after the kiwi song - https://flightoftheconchords.b...

not for those making a killing. There are tons of people creating great videos (or other works) out there on the internet that are just trying, and often failing, to make a living from it; those people I have a lot of sympathy for. People like the two guys behind Cool Ghosts, who amongst other things have put out perhaps the best video game review 'TV' episodes of all time.

By contrast, people that are making enough they could easily retire and live an extremely comfortable life for the rest of their days? Those I don't have sympathy for. They aren't actually stuck in any real rut, and their artistic output tends to be a lot less laudable anyways.

It's an age-old problem and dichotomy. It brings to mind the song "Coup D'etat" by Sleepless Nights, about the music industry:

Who killed Sam The Record Man?
Music fans with blood-stained hands
"God damn, Celine sold less Greatest Hits this year"
The only hearts that beat close to mind
Are the casualties of the retail line
Part time artists, Scraping bottom and barely getting by

Brace yourselves, here comes the Coup D'Etat
There goes the old dead world
Rebuild, rebuild, rebuild, rebuild, now
Brace yourselves, here comes the shakeup shift
Golf carts are crashing hard
And I could really give a shit

For old Gene Simmons and tin-can Lars
Need their hands on my money like a hole in the heart
Art needs to suffer, not drive expensive cars
Aluminum and plastic, and more plastic still
Making mountains of ephemera in the county landfill
I remember when rare sound wasn't just a ratio kill

Brace yourselves, here comes the Coup D'Etat . . .

Every breath you take,
Every move you make,
Every bond you break,
Every step you take,
I'll be watching you.
Sting

Try The Hymn of Acxiom for a more direct take by Vienna Teng. If you can someone singing into a fan, anyway:

The Hymn of Acxiom

somebody hears you. you know that. you know that.
somebody hears you. you know that inside.
someone is learning the colors of all your moods, to
(say just the right thing and) show that you’re understood.
here you’re known.

leave your life open. you don’t have. you don’t have.
leave your life open. you don’t have to hide.
someone is gathering every crumb you drop, these
(mindless decisions and) moments you long forgot.
keep them all.

let our formulas find your soul.
we’ll divine your artesian source (in your mind),
marshal feed and force (our machines will)
to design you a perfect love—
or (better still) a perfect lust.
o how glorious, glorious: a brand new need is born.

now we possess you. you’ll own that. you’ll own that.
now we possess you. you’ll own that in time.
now we will build you an endlessly upward world,
(reach in your pocket) embrace you for all you’re worth.

is that wrong?
isn’t this what you want?
amen.

I've done "random notes" -- specifically, I set out to mimic the style of the Crazy Bus theme. But the only reason it holds together and isn't just an annoying series of blips is because of the bass line and the drums, neither of which are random. The thing about random is that it will never improve on its own.

That's an interesting definition of "entirely".
I would say "partially" is a better word.

I'd be inclined to agree. I'd say this is as "entirely" produced by AI to the same degree as my own work has been for years, and many others as well. It's called Band In A Box, which has been around (though not with all the features it currently has) for almost 30 years.

I also have tracks where the entire composition was done by cgMusic, and I did all the arrangement and production, like this one, or where the computer did 80% of the composition, such as this or this.

To musicians in my position, who create their tracks from the ground up all the way to mastering, none of this is even remotely new. We've been doing it not for years, but for decades. It wasn't called AI, and "expert system" is probably more appropriate, but it doesn't change the way it is used or the results obtained.

That's an interesting definition of "entirely".
I would say "partially" is a better word.

I'd be inclined to agree. I'd say this is as "entirely" produced by AI to the same degree as my own work has been for years, and many others as well. It's called Band In A Box, which has been around (though not with all the features it currently has) for almost 30 years.

I also have tracks where the entire composition was done by cgMusic, and I did all the arrangement and production, like this one, or where the computer did 80% of the composition, such as this or this.

To musicians in my position, who create their tracks from the ground up all the way to mastering, none of this is even remotely new. We've been doing it not for years, but for decades. It wasn't called AI, and "expert system" is probably more appropriate, but it doesn't change the way it is used or the results obtained.

That's an interesting definition of "entirely".
I would say "partially" is a better word.

I'd be inclined to agree. I'd say this is as "entirely" produced by AI to the same degree as my own work has been for years, and many others as well. It's called Band In A Box, which has been around (though not with all the features it currently has) for almost 30 years.

I also have tracks where the entire composition was done by cgMusic, and I did all the arrangement and production, like this one, or where the computer did 80% of the composition, such as this or this.

To musicians in my position, who create their tracks from the ground up all the way to mastering, none of this is even remotely new. We've been doing it not for years, but for decades. It wasn't called AI, and "expert system" is probably more appropriate, but it doesn't change the way it is used or the results obtained.

I've been using cgMusic as a source of compositions for a couple years now. I don't turn to it often, but it's good when I need something that doesn't fall into my own tropes. (It has its own limited set of tropes though.) I then handle the arrangement and the engineering, and do a bit of editing to the composition itself, all of which is simple because the program outputs MIDI files.

Here are three examples.

I've also used other procedural generators to take existing music and re-mix it, such as this. I had to do quite a lot to get a useful song out of this though, as the original procedural output was more of a joke than a finished product.

I've been using cgMusic as a source of compositions for a couple years now. I don't turn to it often, but it's good when I need something that doesn't fall into my own tropes. (It has its own limited set of tropes though.) I then handle the arrangement and the engineering, and do a bit of editing to the composition itself, all of which is simple because the program outputs MIDI files.

Here are three examples.

I've also used other procedural generators to take existing music and re-mix it, such as this. I had to do quite a lot to get a useful song out of this though, as the original procedural output was more of a joke than a finished product.

I've been using cgMusic as a source of compositions for a couple years now. I don't turn to it often, but it's good when I need something that doesn't fall into my own tropes. (It has its own limited set of tropes though.) I then handle the arrangement and the engineering, and do a bit of editing to the composition itself, all of which is simple because the program outputs MIDI files.

Here are three examples.

I've also used other procedural generators to take existing music and re-mix it, such as this. I had to do quite a lot to get a useful song out of this though, as the original procedural output was more of a joke than a finished product.

I've been using cgMusic as a source of compositions for a couple years now. I don't turn to it often, but it's good when I need something that doesn't fall into my own tropes. (It has its own limited set of tropes though.) I then handle the arrangement and the engineering, and do a bit of editing to the composition itself, all of which is simple because the program outputs MIDI files.

Here are three examples.

I've also used other procedural generators to take existing music and re-mix it, such as this. I had to do quite a lot to get a useful song out of this though, as the original procedural output was more of a joke than a finished product.

Artists deserve to be compensated more fairly for their work. Something that might encourage people to pay artists, not because they *have* to via music streaming revenue, but because they know that the majority of their payment will actually (gasp!) go to the artist, would definitely be something I'd take part in.

So head on over to https://bandcamp.com/. They got free streaming through their website and app, and if you want to buy the release (digital or physical) they take a 35% cut, the rest goes entirely to the artists.

Artists set the minimum price on releases, but you can pay more if you want to.

Lots of interesting artists, and they got a weekly podcast showcasing lots of different music, which can be a great way to explore new territory.

Not affiliated, just a happy customer.

Not with Bandcamp it doesn't:

From bandcamp.com/pricing:

Artist accounts are free. We make money through our revenue share on sales, which is 15% for digital, 10% for merch. We also offer Bandcamp Pro (our premium tier for artists), and Bandcamp for Labels, both for a monthly fee.

Or http://bandcamp.com/ That said, some people still want a physical thing and Bandcamp will allow you to sell anything next to the digital download.
This can be records, Special CD versions and what not. However these items will most likely be more expensive and can be look at more as collecters items. At low enough sales, they can be made individually.
When volume picks up, production prices will drop.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

From my list of recent purchases:

https://welkinrecords.bandcamp... (They have a new album out called "Bloom", which isn't on Bandcamp yet, but it's amazing)
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp...
https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com...
https://exmortus-official.band...
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/...
https://perihelionship.bandcam...
https://agoniarecords.bandcamp...
https://seasonofmist.bandcamp....
https://agentfresco.bandcamp.c...
http://listen.20buckspin.com/a...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://sirensmetal.bandcamp.c...
https://powerprog.bandcamp.com...
https://windfaerer.bandcamp.co...

And my wishlist is enormous. I pretty much only buy music on Bandcamp or directly from bands at shows anymore.

You are complaining about things that are hard to find. Well, perhaps they don't want to sell it anymore.
You can't blame them for loosing your physical music.

Just because they have it, they have no obligation to sell it.

A solution for you might be bandcamp. Often you pay what you like or a reasonable sum or nothing. You can verify pricing here http://bandcamp.com/pricing so you know how much goes to Bandcamp and the rest goes to the copyright holder. On Bandcamp that is often the band itself.

Not sure if you are able to re-download your music, but then YOU are responsible for your download that you bought, so take backups. I am not going to the store and ask for new stuff just because my old stuff got destroyed.

And quality? Download in Flac or Ogg Vorbis or anything else.

The downside for me is that they use Paypall and finding music is not easy. Filtering is not fine enough for the amount of music available.

Anyone remotely serious about their music - and, equally, their willingness to pay for a decent service and support the artists they like - could do a lot worse than checking out Bandcamp.

Pay only for what you want, download FLACs (plus many other formats) and stream everything you've ever bought via their app if you'd rather not download any files. They're also far more artist-friendly than the likes of Spotify; I've got a fair amount of music on Spotify and have never seen a cent from them whereas Bandcamp give you a significant percentage of any sales.

Admittedly, Bandcamp doesn't have the breadth of music on there that some other options do - many artists need to do a better job of uploading their libraries, myself included - but right now it's by far the best option for both listeners and artists out there (though I'd absolutely be interested to hear of others). It's unquestionably a better alternative to any option that either gives zero support to the artist, provides a poor service to listeners, or both.

Try bandcamp.

Here, I'll start you off with some premium grade-A smokey music. Nope, that's not marijuana (though if that's your thing, it should still work out for you). Inhale again and you'll realize it's mesquite. I suppose the two are similar, because smelling this music gives me the munchies, except I don't wanna settle for anything less than slow-fuckin'-cooked brisket.

What's so terrible about Bandcamp (which is the digital music service I love)?

They seem to be doing pretty good, they're growing as well as being profitable.

Best part (IMO) is that they also have lots of artists saying they appreciate Bandcamp. Here are some comments from that blog post:

Bandcamp is the greatest platform for independent artists. I am glad to be a part of it, without it getting new fans would be difficult.

We release small independent music compilations since three years here on BC. We worked together with more than 200 artists in these years. The most of them publish their music on BC too. I can confirm: More people buy the music on BC. That is what the musicians say in talks. And even our pay what you want releases have a really good perfomance.

I've bought a lot of really great music on Bandcamp, the artists like it. So yeah, what's so terrible again?

If people want that DRM-free model to succeed, I would recommend buying your games from such non-DRMed outlets, rather than DRMed ones like Steam. I've seen some games release on both GOG and Steam simultaneously, and the Steam version with DRM outsold the GOG version without DRM by 5:1 or more! That is sending the message that people prefer DRM.

If you want companies to release more DRM-free stuff, you need to reward the ones who do, and punish the ones who don't.

And slightly off-topic, the same goes for music. If you want ownership, buy ownership and not a subscription. Music sellers Bandcamp posted a nice item on their blog on the music industry's confusion over the difference between streaming and subscription based services. Bandcamp grew 35% last year - DRM-free music ownership is alive and kicking.

Try http://bandcamp.com/ that will have music you never heard for cheap and sometimes free,

Streaming is free.

Hint: You most likely wont find them on sites like http://bandcamp.com/

The only way that this will change, is when musicians follow the path of software developers. Release your work for free on the Internet and good work will get noticed. Good artists will build a profile then can then start charging for their work.

https://soundcloud.com/

There's no reason why Artists can't deal with the likes of Spotify or Apple Music directly, but unlike developers who tend to be smarter than average, artists tend to be at the stupid end of the spectrum, and hence will continue to be taken advantage of.

https://bandcamp.com/

I think the change has already taken place. Except for a very tiny slice of working artists, the old corporate label model has been dead for some time. Because innovators gonna innovate.

Concerts and merchandise is how musicians make a living. The labels don't see revenue from these ventures, This is why it is important to support people by going to their live shows and buying their merchandise.

And use https://bandcamp.com/

The article seems to have neglected to mention what kind of music Kirkley actually found. He released a few volumes of "Music from Saharan Cellphones", which can be purchased here: https://sahelsounds.bandcamp.c...

I quite like some of it, and the hipster cachet it conveys is pretty considerable as well.

One of the better middlemen is Bandcamp.

"Music to Code By" was released in 2013 by Bestovitch: http://bestovitch.bandcamp.com/album/music-to-code-by

From the site:

Bestovitch has taken a departure from his usual cut up hip hop style on this one. With a more introspective feel and simpler structures this is definitely an album designed to accompany you as you work into the small hours on your computing device.

this is what i've been digging lately for computer work...it has no words but is not 'ambient' proper...if you want to get technical, this sub-genre is known as 'chillwave':

http://comtruise.bandcamp.com/

Everything, including the crackdown on encryption, is indeed happening in 2015: http://ytcracker.bandcamp.com/...

Who's Neals? Or rather, how many Neals are there among us?

Yes, I definitely would.

I use Steam, Humble Bundle and GOG for games.

I use http://bandcamp.com/ for music

If I can find a DRM free source for Movies and Television, I'd never need to "acquire" anything again. GOG's prices are a little high ($6 would be the most I'd pay for most movies) but provided they do sales where they slash prices 50% or more, I'd buy movies through them.