Audio fingerprinting may be an interesting technology and may even be useful (to some extent) for IDing recorded music that hasn't been mucked with, but... What about trying to identify bootlegs and such? How accurate can an algorithm like this possibly be?
I agree. But on the other hand, there is some great underground music today and the Internet is helping to spread that through sites like mp3.com, the now-defunct riffage, loudwerkz.com (shameless self promotion), etc.
If you're into metal/hardcore/crossover stuff like I am, there are plenty of crap-mainstream bands such as Limp Bizkit and Creed -- on the other hand, there's some great stuff that also happens to have become quite popular (Incubus, Deftones). But some of the best music goes relatively unnoticed: Boy Sets Fire, Nothingface, Chimaira, Thumb, Snake River Conspiracy, One Minute Silence are all somewhat lesser-known major label acts that really rock. And there are tons of unsigned indie acts that are incredible...
Just turn off commercial radio, forgive popular opinion (everyone always just seems to like what MTV tells them to anyway), and check out some of your favorite internet music sites...
Well, I must say at very least it will be interesting to see how this proceeds.
I'm actually a believer that micropayments could work if the system is set up properly and the servicing is executed right. I think we can all agree on one thing here: subscription based or micropayments for downloads, either way is better than paying for a streaming service like the one Universal is testing out right now.
My vision of the future of music distribution is that a net-based distribution service should be analogous to a record store in the physical world: you should be able to strut in and put any music you want in your shopping cart, go to the register, and cash out (but this time the fee would be very, very minimal since you're not buying physical media). It seems to me that BMG will be the only major label to buy into this Napster bullshizit -- if that's the case, it just won't work. I don't want to go to Napster to get BMG material, XXXserv for Sony's stuff, etc, etc. I want it all at a centralized location. And the way I see it, this is a wonderful promotional tool (allowing a small number of tracks to be donwloaded from each new album for free with publicity information may encourage users to buy the rest of the album).. but that's another topic altogether. There are so many great possibilities here [with digital music distribution] that no one seems to be exploring yet...
I'd love to get into this game (I actually have a business model worked up even, but no balls to send it anywhere;)... but... well, there's always a but i guess...
anyway, my money is on Napster failing unless the rules of the game change. either way this works out nicely for bertelsmann. But i guess we'll have to wait and see...
I've checked out Fairtunes as well as MojoNation and I don't really think that either of these approaches will be a real "solution" to the problem in the end. Something decisedly different is required here.
I agree with a system that works on the honor system but I also believe that that system should be administered by a company that is set up to partner with the record labels and artists. For now, artists have no recourse but to manage their business dealings through the record labels due to the structure of their contracts.
In the future, perhaps the truly smart musicians will take the opportunity to rework the section of their contract that deals with electronic distribution of music but I don't really see that happening. Record labels will always want a piece of the distribution pie, no matter what the means.
For now, these crude and unorganized efforts are a stab in the right direction but in order for this to truly work and gain mainstream acceptance the record labels will have to be involved in some manner or another. Sorry, but it's the truth.
I propose a unique method of on-line music distribution that would (a) partner with the record labels and/or artists to deliver electronic music, and (b) provide a low-cost solution to users wanting to download a track from a band (a couple cents is all it would require if the system worked and gained a wide audience). A distribution network such as Napster that uses a pay-a-small-fee-per-download system through an intermediary service is the way to go... not subscription services.
Sure, there will always be people who will get this stuff through other means/channels. But this happens right now in the "real" world (thievery, copying of CDs via CD burners, etc)... MOST people will have enough respect for their favorite artist to contribute.
I've actually worked up what I think is a decent business plan for the service and that "intermediary company" but I haven't had the balls to do anything with it..:)
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Audio fingerprinting may be an interesting technology and may even be useful (to some extent) for IDing recorded music that hasn't been mucked with, but... What about trying to identify bootlegs and such? How accurate can an algorithm like this possibly be?
I agree. But on the other hand, there is some great underground music today and the Internet is helping to spread that through sites like mp3.com, the now-defunct riffage, loudwerkz.com (shameless self promotion), etc.
If you're into metal/hardcore/crossover stuff like I am, there are plenty of crap-mainstream bands such as Limp Bizkit and Creed -- on the other hand, there's some great stuff that also happens to have become quite popular (Incubus, Deftones). But some of the best music goes relatively unnoticed: Boy Sets Fire, Nothingface, Chimaira, Thumb, Snake River Conspiracy, One Minute Silence are all somewhat lesser-known major label acts that really rock. And there are tons of unsigned indie acts that are incredible...
Just turn off commercial radio, forgive popular opinion (everyone always just seems to like what MTV tells them to anyway), and check out some of your favorite internet music sites...
Well, I must say at very least it will be interesting to see how this proceeds.
;)... but... well, there's always a but i guess...
/.-like music news & community!
I'm actually a believer that micropayments could work if the system is set up properly and the servicing is executed right. I think we can all agree on one thing here: subscription based or micropayments for downloads, either way is better than paying for a streaming service like the one Universal is testing out right now.
My vision of the future of music distribution is that a net-based distribution service should be analogous to a record store in the physical world: you should be able to strut in and put any music you want in your shopping cart, go to the register, and cash out (but this time the fee would be very, very minimal since you're not buying physical media). It seems to me that BMG will be the only major label to buy into this Napster bullshizit -- if that's the case, it just won't work. I don't want to go to Napster to get BMG material, XXXserv for Sony's stuff, etc, etc. I want it all at a centralized location. And the way I see it, this is a wonderful promotional tool (allowing a small number of tracks to be donwloaded from each new album for free with publicity information may encourage users to buy the rest of the album).. but that's another topic altogether. There are so many great possibilities here [with digital music distribution] that no one seems to be exploring yet...
I'd love to get into this game (I actually have a business model worked up even, but no balls to send it anywhere
anyway, my money is on Napster failing unless the rules of the game change. either way this works out nicely for bertelsmann. But i guess we'll have to wait and see...
Loudwerkz.com :
damn, beat me to it :)
Betcha didn't know about this ;)
I work at MIT... I wonder if they'll let me out early enough to catch the 5:00pm talk. Hehe...
I agree with a system that works on the honor system but I also believe that that system should be administered by a company that is set up to partner with the record labels and artists. For now, artists have no recourse but to manage their business dealings through the record labels due to the structure of their contracts.
In the future, perhaps the truly smart musicians will take the opportunity to rework the section of their contract that deals with electronic distribution of music but I don't really see that happening. Record labels will always want a piece of the distribution pie, no matter what the means.
For now, these crude and unorganized efforts are a stab in the right direction but in order for this to truly work and gain mainstream acceptance the record labels will have to be involved in some manner or another. Sorry, but it's the truth.
I propose a unique method of on-line music distribution that would (a) partner with the record labels and/or artists to deliver electronic music, and (b) provide a low-cost solution to users wanting to download a track from a band (a couple cents is all it would require if the system worked and gained a wide audience). A distribution network such as Napster that uses a pay-a-small-fee-per-download system through an intermediary service is the way to go... not subscription services.
Sure, there will always be people who will get this stuff through other means/channels. But this happens right now in the "real" world (thievery, copying of CDs via CD burners, etc)... MOST people will have enough respect for their favorite artist to contribute.
I've actually worked up what I think is a decent business plan for the service and that "intermediary company" but I haven't had the balls to do anything with it.. :)