And so it goes. Back from a weeks beer break in Belgium. Bought about 6 items around 8 a.m. UK time and then it starts misbehaving and has now disappeared from the web. Plus ca change as they don't say in Brugge.
I turned on the gravatar plugin, so if you don't have a picture set already in the forum or on gravatar, it'll use a default that seems to come from vanilla.
I've tried leaving eMusic several times, but the addiction keeps me coming back after a period on hold. Last time I went on hold this summer I hoped I'd come back to new or returned jazz labels - of course that was being very hopeful. I really am struggling to download things that I want to keep, rather than things I'd maybe happy to listen to once or twice. So many of my recent downloads fall into this category. I might as well listen to those on Spotify or Amazon Prime, and spend the money I'd spend with eMusic elsewhere. I've got one month's worth of credits to spend and then that is it for good. It has been good knowing eMusic, but the time has come to break that addiction.
Here's a feature request I posted on the subreddit asking them to support uploading of m4a and possibly other formats. I know they talked about doing so a while back, but it got lost in the shuffle.
I finally got round to leaving eMusic yesterday. I'd struggled to find anything that I really wanted from my last refresh so that I ended up downloading what are in effect Bruce Springsteen bootlegs. I also needed to change my payment card, as we are changing accounts, so I decided enough is enough. Of course I have had the £25 credit to remain email, but it also mentioned an Open Access Plan for £3.99 a month allowing you to buy boosters at their sale price as and when needed. Anyone know anything about this or used it, given that the cost of boosters is now less than my very good deal grandfathered plan? I've asked for more information but so far no reply.
There is no point in the Open Access plan. If you want boosters, just join up, get your free bonus credits, buy a bunch of boosters, then cancel. Collect your cancellation bonus, and repeat.
I'd feel about it, but... well, they have to know that's what going to happen.
I’m on a $6.49 a month plan which is probably close to £3.99; I get about one album a month which is mostly perfect, and I can get boosters whenever I want.
My plan is on hold for three months. Yet I notice that the "buy extra credits" button is still live and I can select a booster pack amount... so it looks like I can buy boosters while on hold? Would I be able to spend them I wonder? Not much I want right now (hence the hold) but I am curious. Has anyone else seen this?
They referred to us using the phrase "our eMusers and Reddit communities," implying that they have a bit more influence here than they actually do. (AFAIK they don't have any direct influence here at all.) Not that this should bother anyone, particularly given that they seem to have improved over the last couple of years... I was even thinking about going back at some point.
BTW, I cancelled all the way back in July 2011, so I've now been cancelled longer than I was ever active there, and I've been on eMusers far longer than I was active on eMusic. Huzzah, I guess?
I think the "open access" plan is their attempt to shift from fixed monthly subscriptions to just a "pay to join a club where you can get access to discounted music" approach. The fact that they are (so far) only promoting it to those leaving might mean they are test marketing the concept before considering rolling it out to everyone. And the concept is not unheard of in modern retail - look at Kate Hudson's "Fabletics" company. They market a VIP program that sounds a lot like the old BMG music clubs. You get a 50% discount for becoming a VIP member, but then have to accept or skip an outfit shipped to you each month. Assuming - and this is a big assumption - they can keep interesting content while offering open-ended discounts, then I can see where the open access plan would be more broadly marketable for them (as the monthly commitment to join is lower, but you can buy as much or as little as you want, all at a discount).
I still contend the bigger issue for eMusic is finding a value proposition that is win-win for both listeners and labels/artists (and, of course, eMusic). Straight up discounts alone may be attractive to consumers, but lead to the mass defection of labels we keep seeing. I think there are better models available, and perhaps they are starting the new year with a bit of innovation on their end, too.
This is the first time that I have been on a three-month hold and it has not been an exercise in self control (though I am only half way in). I think the biggest difference has been that I have set myself the goal of having no music in my collection that has not been listened to in the last 36 months. I started with the threshold at the last 5 years and have worked my way so far down to just over 39 months. As I am nearing the end of that exercise I have been preparing a playlist of everything I added to my collection last year, with the aim of giving it all another couple of listens - that alone is a few hundred albums, it turns out. So I do not have much time right now to listen to new stuff.
One of the things I have realized in the course of this is that the experience is not that dissimilar to buying new music from emusic. My collection has reached a size where I can go to it for albums that I have not listened to in so long, or listened to so few times, that they might as well be new. And I can explore a lot of different genres. It occurred to me that if I could set up a website just like emusic and upload all of my existing music and have it allow me to download six to ten albums a month to listen to it would be close to as much fun as buying new stuff. I have my own version of the online store, except it only contains things I like and they are all paid for already.
Which is not to say I will not want some new albums eventually - I am adding some notable releases to the wishlist and expect to start buying again some time in March. And I did find some used CDs in Vancouver the other day. But I think my changing relationship to emusic is at this point more to do with how much music I already have than with anything emusic is doing right or wrong.
The technology to do what you are suggesting GP is probably not that difficult for someone who understands such things! Maybe, that's what eMusic are planning to do.....
I'm certainly not missing eMusic at the moment - I'm discovering 'new' music that I already own.
So I just had a hard time spending my last 15 credits (or equivalent), which incidentally left me with a 0.00 Euro balance, and then put my account on hold for 90 days. We'll see if they have any music left by June 22.
That place isn't fun any more. Last month, for the first time ever, I didn't use up my credits (accidentally, but also because I really have a hard time finding anything worth downloading these days). And then I noticed that I'm up for renewal in a few days, and I don't think there's enough music left right now worth the 150 or so Euro.
Going to make better use of my lifetime Magnatune account for now.
Well, sure, you expect THOSE threads... or any music thread... to be much longer. It's just this one has a title that makes it seem like everything will soon be over. Instead... here we are.
Well, sure, you expect THOSE threads... or any music thread... to be much longer. It's just this one has a title that makes it seem like everything will soon be over. Instead... here we are.
Yeah, I really think they should be renamed eZombie, because they have been the walking dead (or is it undead?) for quite some time now. I guess when you avoid pesky expenses like actually paying labels or artists anything, it's easier to keep giving away music from a website and pretending you are a viable business. But we know better...
Well, I think that it is almost the end for me. I've been on hold several times over the years. I even left last year for 7 or 8 months before returning. I'll probably go on hold again, but many of the labels that have sustained me over the last few months, like Brownswood, now appear to be gone. There really is little to keep me any longer.
More work than pleasure finding things I am interested in, could use that money elsewhere. Hopefully things look better in three months, feels like breaking up with an old friend.
It is, and it is hard. I've tried and never fully succeeded, but the reasons to return diminish over time. Unless things change drastically I can see less reasons why my latest hold won't be my final one.
I first joined emusic in 2011, but I cancelled my membership last May because finding enough downloads every month was more like a chore than fun. I miss what emusic used to be, but I'm not missing what it is.
Well, there you have it - went on 90 day hold before my refresh. First in 14 years of membership. They essentially have next to nothing I want that I don't already have, and I fully expect the situation to remain that way. Cancellation next stop unless something dramatic happens there, and there's only one dramatic thing I can see in their future - failure. Sad, but I sure am glad I hunted and bought like a fiend when we had the chance. It was a golden era of downloading whose like we shall not see again in all likelihood.
Comments
I'd feel about it, but... well, they have to know that's what going to happen.
You all need to transform your celebrity status into cold hard cash!
BTW, I cancelled all the way back in July 2011, so I've now been cancelled longer than I was ever active there, and I've been on eMusers far longer than I was active on eMusic. Huzzah, I guess?
I still contend the bigger issue for eMusic is finding a value proposition that is win-win for both listeners and labels/artists (and, of course, eMusic). Straight up discounts alone may be attractive to consumers, but lead to the mass defection of labels we keep seeing. I think there are better models available, and perhaps they are starting the new year with a bit of innovation on their end, too.
One of the things I have realized in the course of this is that the experience is not that dissimilar to buying new music from emusic. My collection has reached a size where I can go to it for albums that I have not listened to in so long, or listened to so few times, that they might as well be new. And I can explore a lot of different genres. It occurred to me that if I could set up a website just like emusic and upload all of my existing music and have it allow me to download six to ten albums a month to listen to it would be close to as much fun as buying new stuff. I have my own version of the online store, except it only contains things I like and they are all paid for already.
Which is not to say I will not want some new albums eventually - I am adding some notable releases to the wishlist and expect to start buying again some time in March. And I did find some used CDs in Vancouver the other day. But I think my changing relationship to emusic is at this point more to do with how much music I already have than with anything emusic is doing right or wrong.
I'm certainly not missing eMusic at the moment - I'm discovering 'new' music that I already own.
That place isn't fun any more. Last month, for the first time ever, I didn't use up my credits (accidentally, but also because I really have a hard time finding anything worth downloading these days). And then I noticed that I'm up for renewal in a few days, and I don't think there's enough music left right now worth the 150 or so Euro.
Going to make better use of my lifetime Magnatune account for now.
Jay !
It is, and it is hard. I've tried and never fully succeeded, but the reasons to return diminish over time. Unless things change drastically I can see less reasons why my latest hold won't be my final one.
I have not yet looked into it . . .
ETA: It looks a bit strange with this producer / composer thing . . .(?)