(This is an excerpt from today’s update to PERFORMING SONGWRITERS UNITED WORLDWIDE (PSUW) on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110532175707&ref=mf
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BLOGGER TO BLOGGER…ON OWNING VERSUS STREAMING MUSIC
I share my response to a UK-based music biz blogger/activist/artist Sybil of FMfirstmonday.com (a link that goes nowhere, thus far).
Her newsletter this week touched me at a point when I was grieving the loss of my friend and web designer Dan Nash (as I told you last week) and as I was considering the future in Doha, Qatar (where I am moving in September, as I also told you last week).
Beware the bee-u-tee-ful linguistics:
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SYBIL:
Hello, good evening and welcome
I’m a bit of a purist me. I don’t like adverts on the radio. Not mad keen on the TV either but at least it’s a good time to pop to the loo or make a brew. But when I’m listening to an album, I don’t want to have the album I’m listening to interrupted but over excitable pseudo funny people telling me how I can’t live without their car/bank/snack. Which mostly I can.
It’s why I’m a big fan of BBC radio. I know I’m only going to get one song at a time. And there will be talking in between. But I know when it’s coming and mostly the DJ’s banter fits in with the time of day and style of music. Radio 6 being my station of choice for daytime and hallelujah for the arrival of Lauren Laverne who was on top form in today’s show (her arrival made all the better by bumping off George “Stratospheric Ego” Lamb). And Radio 3 or Radio 4 to kick the day off or bring it to a close. Anyway, advert free stations with ego-less DJ’s – that’s what makes BBC Radio so good.
Then I got into Spotify. I gave up within a week – because I hated the adverts. Not just that they existed but that there were, when I first joined last year, only about 3 different ones on the whole system. Repeated endlessly. Like audio Groundhog Day – painful.
But I wasn’t flush enough to keep buying new music and I wasn’t getting any freebies (ahem – subtle hint there) so I decided to give it another go as I wanted to hear what was new. And I’ve lasted longer this time. They have a very small number of new ads so it’s only slightly less painful than before. But I still hate the interruption. And, yes, I know I can pay a £10 for an advert free service but I’m not in the market for that. Because most importantly, I won’t own any of the music. Which is what’s important to me.
But last weekend, I got some money back from HM Revenue and Customs. Result! Not enough for a holiday you understand. But enough to think I could treat myself. So, I bought an album online I’d been listening to on Spotify. And wanted to hear without interruption. It was Fever Ray. And if you haven’t yet got involved, I strongly recommend you do – it’s utterly stunning (thanks Henry for the recommendation) http://feverray.com/. Thing was, I was so caught up in the music buying process, I ended up buying 6 more albums whilst I was on the site (all £5 or less apart from one current release).
Am I just old school? Is this what is meant to happen? I don’t want just to stream my music. I want to own the stuff I really love. And I will pay for it. I don’t file share – I actually don’t know how to. If someone lends me an album to listen to, if I really like it, I’ll buy it. I don’t think I’m alone. I hope not.
Because as long as we are buying music, our business will survive. All of it. The artists. Writers. Pluggers. Agents. Managers. And until such time as people decide to give us houses, clothes and food for free, people need to be paid for things they do to buy the things they need.
Just thought I’d share.
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ME:
Sybil,
I’ve enjoyed this post, more than many, and I think it’s because you touched a nerve today – I RELATE COMPLETELY with this idea of owning my own music, but also finding it a bit of a struggle to prescreen enough music to KNOW what I want to own. I’m busy. We’re all busy. We’re all f*ckin’ busy. And listening to music, much of the time, has become a chore. How gross is that? Except when I’m driving. Then the radio takes on such a significance, and I am frustrated as hell because I don’t know (now) where BBC Radio 6 is on the dial, but you’ve got me promising myself I’ll look. I love the radio, and hate it. For the obvious reasons: I love it because I’m listening at a time when I’m dedicated to only multi-tasking two things, not five. I can concentrate on what I’m listening to, and it gives me pleasure. I hate it because I have to keep flicking the station to hear good music ‘all’ the time. And when I really get fed up, I put in my iPod, though I’m lazy to upload songs these days, and so that feels ‘old’, the selection there.
Back to your point. I relate to you, and don’t know how many others do, but I suspect a lot. We are ALL sick of commercial interruptions. I’m becoming RABID about it now. And I, personally, want to own my music. Streaming, for all of its strengths, just creates another technical hazard to maneuver. I’m sick of learning new tech things. Well, la di da. That’s the way of the world. But I know I’m not the only one somewhat struggling to un-plug. I want my quality of life back, and some days I find myself deliberately thinking: it ain’t on the ‘net. But it isn’t in the past either. So, I get very Buddhist in my perspective, time out for a bit, [consider the moment], then come back fresh.
Your post was like talking to a friend. I thank you. Your letter…cuts to the bone for me. Through all the above bullsh*t, the bottom line is: I love my CD, and I love a good CD by others. Finding the damn exciting ones is the problem/challenge. There…we have no answers. But maybe TV and radio still have relevance there. For me, they do.
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AND A SIDE NOTE, RE. PERFORMING SONGWRITERS UNITED WORLDWIDE (PSUW) AND OUR CAMPAIGN FOR SONGWRITERS
The 2010 goal for PSUW = 10,000 members. We’re at 2830+, and at 10,000 we will be providing an additional resource (TBA) for this group that I hope will serve you. Thank you for spreading the word to friends and local organizations for songwriters.
As my tour guide in Agra, India said to me when I walked through the gates towards the Taj Mahal…
“Feel da love.”
Lorelei Loveridge
Founder/Rabble Rouser
Performing Songwriters United Worldwide (PSUW)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorelei-Loveridge-World-Travelling-Songwriter/142530793312
(To know me, please join me on my Facebook page, above, and say hi. I welcome authentic requests for friendship.)
