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Domain: magnatune.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to magnatune.com.

Comments · 660

  1. Re:As a musician... by magnatune · · Score: 2, Informative · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?
    Getting 50 % of the profit is nice and all, but if you don't get any money to record the music in the first place it's kinda pointless.

    Most musicians who come to me already have a self-released CD, so it's not an issue.

    However, I also:

    -john

  2. Re:As a musician... by magnatune · · Score: 2, Informative · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?
    Getting 50 % of the profit is nice and all, but if you don't get any money to record the music in the first place it's kinda pointless.

    Most musicians who come to me already have a self-released CD, so it's not an issue.

    However, I also:

    -john

  3. Re:This sounds interesting, but... by magnatune · · Score: 1 · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?
    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but independent labels--in my experience--are no more likely (and perhaps less so) to ever actually PAY you.

    I totally agree -- the 50% that indie labels refer to is always on the *profits*, not on gross sales, so no money ever arrives, because they either a) don't make any money, or b) assign expenses from money-losing acts to the money-making acts, so again there are no profits.

    See http://magnatune.com/info/why for my story, about my wife who got one of those deals from an indie label and never saw a penny.

    FYI, with Magnatune I give 50% of *gross* sales, with *no* expenses subtracted. That's the "not evil" part...

    -john (the Magnatune guy)

  4. Re:Weak offer when compared to CD Baby by Psychic+Burrito · · Score: 1 · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?
    Actually, no.

    If take a look at their website:

    [Magnatude is] NOT ABOUT buying you studio time: you have to figure out how to get a good quality recording yourself.
    So, you have to make the recording yourself, and then you can contact Magnatude. Pretty lame.
  5. I want to preview without violating US patent law. by jbn-o · · Score: 1 · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?
    Everything plays with open-source Freeamp/Zinf. If you care.

    I think Magnatune's idea is a fine one, and I look foward to being able to preview their music. But right now I would have to violate US patent law to do it. I don't have a license for playing MP3s and I want to do so with my Free Software system but still be able to leverage the freedoms of Free Software. The MP3 decoders available to me (such as LAME) don't appear to be a legal option for US users without MP3 patent licenses (such as me).

    It's an interesting conundrum:

    • I want to hear good music and abide by the law.
    • I want to preview music before purchasing it.
    • The MP3 format is popular, but I'm guessing most United States GNU/Linux users are violating US patent law by distributing and using LAME.

    So, Magnatune's offer is asking me to violate patent law to take advantage of Magnatune's generous copyright licensing. I asked Magnatune if they would consider Ogg Vorbis tracks for previewing (their plan page talks about "allow[ing] purchasers to download highest-quality VBRs as well as WAV files, and Ogg Vorbis files." with no word on Ogg Vorbis preview tracks).

  6. Weak offer when compared to CD Baby by Psychic+Burrito · · Score: 3, Interesting · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?
    What's the point in signing on to this "good" label if they don't promote me outside their website?

    All they offer is a website to listen to the songs and then buy them. If I need that service, I'll use CD Baby, where I don't sign the rights to my music away. And boy do they have many artists already!.

    Additionaly, CD Baby takes a flat amount of $4 (CDs) or 9% (iTunes music store), all without signing my rights away. I think I know which one I'm choosing :-)

  7. Re:*THIS* is what i've been waiting for by Nucleon500 · · Score: 1 · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?
    On the information page, they say they may offer downloads in Vorbis. As someone who's bought from them, do they do this yet?

    Since they must store their music as WAV, they're in a unique position to choose formats. If I were them, I'd offer both LAME MP3 and -q3 Vorbis streams (or lower-bitrate Vorbis for dialup streaming) to the masses, and your choice of formats (FLAC, WAV, MP3, Vorbis) at any quality when you buy the album.

  8. Re:It may be non evil... by epiphani · · Score: 2, Informative · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?

    I'm playing around with their selection now. Be aware that any label just starting out isnt going to be producing stereotypically popular artists immediately.

    I am enjoying this group however. It vaguely reminds me of a combination of dylerium and dead can dance mixed in the style of hybrid.

    There is one thing thats good about this label thus far - they're not going for the stereotype. They're looking for artists that produce a unique sound, which is the only place to put your label on the map.

  9. Rapoon by jeffehobbs · · Score: 1 · on Magnatune - a Non-Evil Record Label?


    Rapoon is very good indeed.

    ~jeff

  10. magnatune, anyone? by Foresto · · Score: 1 · on Open Source Music

    A related site
    I hope to see more of these popping up on the web soon.