Wanderer has stepped in to remind everyone that having tons of major label releases is better than having the ones you actually want. All is right with the world.
@thom, Wandy is a bag of rotted cocks and reminds me of every fucking politician I have every met, listened to, or read. Seriously, fuck that guy sideways with a rusted chainsaw. He pisses me off more than eMusic's braindead business plans.
@thom, Wandy is a bag of rotted cocks and reminds me of every fucking politician I have every met, listened to, or read. Seriously, fuck that guy sideways with a rusted chainsaw. He pisses me off more than eMusic's braindead business plans.
I'm on annual through July, and I don't think I'll have a problem enjoying my subscription value-wise through then. But if limewire is still around then, and the departing labels still gone, I'll probably switch to limewire (and may sub there before then anyway). I like a lot of the music on the departing labels - my downloads don't focus on them, but they make a nice resource. They were certainly a differentiating factor between emu and limewire (in terms of one-stop shop), gone now.
Business value propositions come and go of course. Life goes on. This particular change stinks because it seems eMusic deliberately changed terms for the indies for the worse to service the majors. Given that, I'm glad the labels stuck up for themselves and do hope eMusic feels the resulting pike. I am very skeptical that eMusic had to screw the indie terms just to please UMG, it looks more likely a pathetic rollover for pompous UMG execs throwing their weight around. I won't be sad if eMusic tanks now.
amclark, I'm with you in lamenting the absence of Sucklechimp in the Wanderer flack* thread. At the very least, we could have had Wanderer's take on SC's claim to have the biggest dick in Oklahoma City.
*Actually this should be "flak." Flak refers to anti-aircraft fire, and by association any kind of hostile response or criticism. "Flack" means press agent, or as a verb, the stuff press agents do. Thus "flak jacket," not "flack jacket." Who says you can't learn anything hanging around on music message boards?
I wish I had something witty, or, failing that, heartfelt to say about the Decline and (seemingly imminent) Fall of eMusic, but I can't stir up any emotion other than relief that my always-precarious finances not only precluded my investment in an annual subscription but forced me to put my monthly sub on hold a few months ago--a hold which became an outright cancellation shortly after I received the infamous Cathy HN email. Anyway, nature--and commerce--abhors a vacuum...
Well now I feel sorry for Cathy cos Adam Klein has put up some blather on 17 Dots but has closed comments, so now her message board post alerting us to Klein's post will instigate another massive pile on. Take your own damn comments, Klein!
Klein, another name for craven. Closing comments clearly demonstrates he cares not one whit for his customers. From his bio, "He later went on to obtain both an M.B.A.(1979) and Doctorate (1987) in change management from Harvard Business School, where he also lectured on strategy and general management." Hmm, change management by arrogance and antagonism, sounds like the 80's to me.
Daniel, Esq if the Beggars and Merge statements are disingenous what's your take on the real reason they're leaving? Taking their bat and ball home because they don't have the whole field to themselves anymore?
So...who here is still going to be an eMu member? Anyone?
It depends on what other labels defect and how much dis-loyalty eMu offers on my 2 accounts. My account with an annual re-ups the first week in December, so I don't have much time to make a choice on that one, but I'm leaning toward cancelling it because I can't see being locked into a year so I can get stuff that is already on Amazon (who frequently sends me MP3 "coupons" for buying other stuff on the site") or iTunes. Not that I'll ever pay for anything on iTunes, but it's just the principle of the thing.
Daniel, Esq if the Beggars and Merge statements are disingenous what's your take on the real reason they're leaving? Taking their bat and ball home because they don't have the whole field to themselves anymore?
i don't know. it's really strange. i mean, i'm sure all of us see corporate statements all the time that don't seem to have the ring of truth; but that's usually a matter of interpretation. but here, the statements from the labels and emusic are -- while polite and measured -- directly at odds. someone isn't being honest. i have no idea who.
and as long as i'm just speculatin', let me report something i said over on the boards:
how can any of us speak for "emusic's customers"? of the 400K, maybe 1.5K, at most, post to the boards or blog during these big changes. since we're just speculating, my guess is that emusic's customer base includes (a) far fewer "hardcore indie fans" than many posters here seem to believe and (b) far more casual music fans that subscribe, don't find that much of what they want, and unsubscribe shortly thereafter (so group (b) subsidizes the service for group (a)'s benefit). but who knows?
i wish there was a way to test this. maybe an analysis of the attrition rates for emusic's subscriber base, plus an analysis of the artists/songs most often searched for (not actually downloaded) would answer the question, but again, who knows?
i don't know. it's really strange. i mean, i'm sure all of us see corporate statements all the time that don't seem to have the ring of truth; but that's usually a matter of interpretation. but here, the statements from the labels and emusic are -- while polite and measured -- directly at odds. someone isn't being honest. i have no idea who.
All three have good reason to be evasive. Neither eMusic nor the labels have given any indication how they work together and what each gets out of the sale of music. That hasn't changed due to their falling out. They all maintain their silence about how the business works, and consequently their individual statements seem incomplete and collectively incoherent. The only person who has been honest and open about how he works with eMu is Bissie. I think Merge and Beggars have offered more of an explanation of the falling out, relating it to changes made in the wake of the UMG deal. Their statements are subject to scrutiny, of course. However, eMu's statement has merely been as soft-pedaling of the split, suggesting that it may be temporary and emphasizing what will be gained. Encouraging subscribers to download more of their music while they still had the chance seems conciliatory on the surface. Merge and Beggars are saying their mad. eMu is saying c'est la vie.
I'll just say that there isn't really much reason for the labels to lie, or even to be disingenuous. Sure they may be a little vague as they also have no reason to be specific. eMusic has to make it appear as everything is just fine and they are not at fault so that their customers will go along with this "inconvenience". But as for the labels - is anyone going to NOT buy their music because they had a falling out with eMu?
In the process of expanding our catalog and making the changes necessary to serve our members and ensure the long-term sustainability of our business, a few labels have chosen to exclude themselves from the new comprehensive eMusic offering. We are treating all labels equally and therefore we believe fairly. We will greatly miss their artists and their music and trust that they will find their way back to our members soon.
Maybe if we substitute that last we with eMusic subscribers will greatly miss their artists and their music and trust that they will find their way back to our members [who will all be leaving Big Label Bonanza to follow their favorite artists and labels] soon.
I think treating all the labels equally is inherently not fair because of (a) the enormous difference in competitive power and (b) the majors didn't invest the time at incredibly cheap rates that Merge and Matador have. So it's not really a lie from either side; it's a difference of opinion about what's fair.
Just to reference Daniel's comment on the number of MB posters per total customer base, I have to admit that even as a serious downloader who reviewed and made lists and all, it was about 2 years before I even was aware there was a Message Board over there. Doh!!
I knew it was there. I just didn't visit it regularly until around October 2006. And those visits were to read, not to post. My first post was prompted by the vagaries of the Download Mangler.
Me too, although I find myself venting more than talking about music. :shame:
It could be worse though. Wanderer seems to appear when his special talents for being an eMusic apologist and/or conventional wisdom contrarian are least needed.
Comments
You know who I feel sorry for in all this? jedwardk
/rant
Totally agreed. All of the writers/editors really.
Business value propositions come and go of course. Life goes on. This particular change stinks because it seems eMusic deliberately changed terms for the indies for the worse to service the majors. Given that, I'm glad the labels stuck up for themselves and do hope eMusic feels the resulting pike. I am very skeptical that eMusic had to screw the indie terms just to please UMG, it looks more likely a pathetic rollover for pompous UMG execs throwing their weight around. I won't be sad if eMusic tanks now.
*Actually this should be "flak." Flak refers to anti-aircraft fire, and by association any kind of hostile response or criticism. "Flack" means press agent, or as a verb, the stuff press agents do. Thus "flak jacket," not "flack jacket." Who says you can't learn anything hanging around on music message boards?
I believe he has expressed a preference to quantity over quality.
Ba-da-bing!
Good old Wikipedia.
Somebody tell me more about Limewire.
me, i think.
It depends on what other labels defect and how much dis-loyalty eMu offers on my 2 accounts. My account with an annual re-ups the first week in December, so I don't have much time to make a choice on that one, but I'm leaning toward cancelling it because I can't see being locked into a year so I can get stuff that is already on Amazon (who frequently sends me MP3 "coupons" for buying other stuff on the site") or iTunes. Not that I'll ever pay for anything on iTunes, but it's just the principle of the thing.
i don't know. it's really strange. i mean, i'm sure all of us see corporate statements all the time that don't seem to have the ring of truth; but that's usually a matter of interpretation. but here, the statements from the labels and emusic are -- while polite and measured -- directly at odds. someone isn't being honest. i have no idea who.
i wish there was a way to test this. maybe an analysis of the attrition rates for emusic's subscriber base, plus an analysis of the artists/songs most often searched for (not actually downloaded) would answer the question, but again, who knows?
Exactly where is the truth?
It could be worse though. Wanderer seems to appear when his special talents for being an eMusic apologist and/or conventional wisdom contrarian are least needed.