Just wanted to rec M+6. First the numbers. In two months, I've gotten nine albums, two EP's, and some singletons. Out of that collection, one single and one EP got immediately deleted. I'm definitely a fan of experimental/electronica that the labels tend to go, and musically, that's some of the best paid for-enjoyed listening ratio of my musical consumption.
Many of the labels are fun for a month or two, but Domino and M+6 will stay until I just get burnout from their style or can't keep up.
M+6 is great, although I'm having trouble even keeping up with them. In particular I love the new drip from Tape & Wells and also that Alahuta release. Some really beautiful music.
I'm also back on Cantaloupe. I needed some more outsider, contemporary classical type music. Cool thing was they sent me an e-mail welcoming me back and asking if I had any requests. I said I had really enjoyed everything from So Percussion they dripped and was digging some samples from Icebreaker's Cranial Pavement. A day or so later they update their upcoming releases with So Percussions' S/T release and the Icebreaker album. Awesome.
Also back on Stones Throw. Out of the blue they dripped Madvillain's Madvillainy and Quasimoto's Talkin' Shit.
Drip did a redesign and was shut down for a few days. Other than being a little slow at times, I like the new design. You can now see all the albums they have released, and better yet, they gave me three back catalog downloads to be used in whichever service you want.
Sort - Is it any of the services even if you aren't a member? Both the labels I'm a member of I've been a member since they launched, so the back catalog downloads wouldn't be worth anything to me.
That redesign is kind of puzzling, and seems like it would be completely baffling if you didn't know how drip worked. I see no info anywhere on currently available releases for the labels. (Just all releases, which are "locked.")
Thinking about re-upping on Drip with M+6 or trying Cantalope. I like what they put out more or less and sometimes its fun to have music I don't know much about. And of course, it's hard to beat the price!
The unlocking of back catalog is actually done by service. So when they rebooted their system, I got a total of six new downloads. I was a member of M6, so I got three back catalog openings, and 3 for Secretly Canadian. That makes me assume that when you join a new service, you don't just receive their three latest or three releases that they choose. You might actually be able to go through their entire catalog released previously on Drip and decide.
I'm not sure, but if that's the case, the greedy version of myself would think you could just quit and join every other month and rack up tons of back catalog. So not sure how that works either.
If you dig the electronica and avant-classical of M6 and Cantalope, those are two of the best drips.
M6 became more miss than hit for me, so I'm leaving it alone for a while - I had a month recently in order to get the Otto Totland album, but almost all the other albums that month I didn't like.
Anyone on the fence should wait for Drip to take care of all the changes. I quit Secretly Canadian before their update, had a month added the account, got three free album DLs, and then had all those albums denied access to, and my account to them unpaid, but still on the account. Meanwhile, I joined Jagjaguwar but don't have access to most of my old downloads. They have where you can stream any of the songs and Paypal, but neither are working.
If they can actually get their proverbial ducks in a row, the service will be better, especially now that when you join, you can cherry pick from all their releases, and they're trying to add more ways to get back catalog DL's.
In the meantime, they've annoyed their core customers who already had the entire back catalog. How unexciting to see you have three free unlocks in a collection you've already completely unlocked.
I know a few of you keep up with this service. Subpop arrived with a slue of download possibilities if you join. Also, a single artist joined, intriguing. For five bucks, you can download three of Christopher Willits back catalog. A few other minor labels joined as well.
When a customer subscribes to a label (or artist, now, apparently), that customer gets one album. The customer gets another album (or item) each subsequent month. And with each month the customer subscribes to that label/artist, the customer accrues an additional album/item... a "loyalty bonus," so to speak. Then, on the twelve-month anniversary date from when the customer first subscribed to that label, Drip counts up how many of those months the customer remained subscribed to that label/artist, and the customer gets that number of extra albums/items from the label/artist. Then it starts all over again for the next twelve months. This way, people who stay subscribed get the most love.
Seems like there should be some sort of extra annual bonus in place for people who remain subscribed to a particular label/artist for 24 consecutive months (and more)... perhaps Drip could cover that extra annual bonus by allowing, say, a person who has been subscribed to a label for 24 straight months to download a free album from another label that they're not subscribing to, which would be nice for the customer to get a no-risk look at another label, and it might entice them to subscribe, too.
Under the above scenario, Drip would require that all labels/artists have 24 albums/items available to distribute before even being allowed to offer their music... that way a customer knows they're guaranteed not to lose out on their "loyalty accrual." It would also alleviate the fears of customers that they'll subscribe for months where nothing drips... each month they'll get something for their subscription, and the label/artist will benefit because a system is in place that motivates customers to continue subscribing, and Drip will benefit because of all the previously mentioned items, but also because I am certain that a huge issue they perpetually grapple with is whether to require customers to subscribe for a minimum number of months versus scaring potential customers away because of a contract-type structure.
I am still intrigued by this model. Some artists and labels are already doing stuff like this, but those are just tiny islands in a big sea of the internet. That Drip is attempting to serve as a hub for this kind of model is promising. Of course, they're not too big themselves... maybe they're Guam in the internet music sea, but, still, that's something.
Drip does do the loyalty bonus album each month - at least I think all Drips do that. Drip is actually the founder of Morr Music's own Internet Startup. And Drip is trying to construct additional bonus ways, and Ghostly International does tons of back catalog releases for current customers. You still have labels that only drip one a month or so, and I have a hard time hanging around for those - patience in this format is not encouraged. Ninja Tune drops all sorts of stuff - albums and remixes and singles. M6 gets credit for giving away the most amount of music, but it's a certain type, not electronica for the masses.
There is a (new?) Sub Pop drip - ! They are offering any 3 albums at signup https://drip.fm/subpop. Probably a lot of you alt/indie listeners already have the albums you want, but this seems like a tempting deal to me
I stopped Dripping for a little while, but several labels are quite worthy. M+6 continues to deliver label worthy ambient and experimental albums at a high clip. Domino has almost always been worthy, and Ghostly works great if you dig their catalog. The Drips that do one album every month or so, a fair amount actually, I can imagine are doing that well.
Fat Cat Records is leaving Drip, but doing so in style. They gave me their final month for free and two free downloads additionally. Make sure you log in if you were a member.
Then I ended my Domino subscription after a month. They're not very good at telling you what's coming up in the coming months at least not compared to M+6.
Domino has a tendency to be boom and bust. After nothing for a couple weeks, they'll drop a couple singles and suddenly show 6 albums coming soon. And sometimes it just takes a member to comment on the forum about nothing having shown up and suddenly the entire Orange Juice or Sleater-Kinney back catalog appears. They just dripped an album from V-Twin (who I had never heard of) and have upcoming an old Kills album and new ones from Villagers, Bob Moses, and Lower Dens.
Since others might be interested, Light in The Attic (lots of reissues - most well known being Rodriguez's Cold Fact) and Bedroom Community (of Ben Frost fame) have joined up and been fantastic Drips. There's also a few artist Drips including Mike Doughty, ESKMO, and the TMBG Dial-A-Song subscription.
Ha! You're right. I was thinking of them dropping the Go-Betweens comp. recently - which I was hoping would lead to more of their back catalog. Sub Pop has been a fantastic Drip, too.
Thom, that was my impression from reading their discussion forum. Basically a label's drip and value is only worth it if someone stays at the faucet spigot.
Comments
Sweetness.
Craig
Craig
Many of the labels are fun for a month or two, but Domino and M+6 will stay until I just get burnout from their style or can't keep up.
I'm also back on Cantaloupe. I needed some more outsider, contemporary classical type music. Cool thing was they sent me an e-mail welcoming me back and asking if I had any requests. I said I had really enjoyed everything from So Percussion they dripped and was digging some samples from Icebreaker's Cranial Pavement. A day or so later they update their upcoming releases with So Percussions' S/T release and the Icebreaker album. Awesome.
Also back on Stones Throw. Out of the blue they dripped Madvillain's Madvillainy and Quasimoto's Talkin' Shit.
Craig
I'm not sure, but if that's the case, the greedy version of myself would think you could just quit and join every other month and rack up tons of back catalog. So not sure how that works either.
If you dig the electronica and avant-classical of M6 and Cantalope, those are two of the best drips.
If they can actually get their proverbial ducks in a row, the service will be better, especially now that when you join, you can cherry pick from all their releases, and they're trying to add more ways to get back catalog DL's.
In the meantime, they've annoyed their core customers who already had the entire back catalog. How unexciting to see you have three free unlocks in a collection you've already completely unlocked.
When a customer subscribes to a label (or artist, now, apparently), that customer gets one album. The customer gets another album (or item) each subsequent month. And with each month the customer subscribes to that label/artist, the customer accrues an additional album/item... a "loyalty bonus," so to speak. Then, on the twelve-month anniversary date from when the customer first subscribed to that label, Drip counts up how many of those months the customer remained subscribed to that label/artist, and the customer gets that number of extra albums/items from the label/artist. Then it starts all over again for the next twelve months. This way, people who stay subscribed get the most love.
Seems like there should be some sort of extra annual bonus in place for people who remain subscribed to a particular label/artist for 24 consecutive months (and more)... perhaps Drip could cover that extra annual bonus by allowing, say, a person who has been subscribed to a label for 24 straight months to download a free album from another label that they're not subscribing to, which would be nice for the customer to get a no-risk look at another label, and it might entice them to subscribe, too.
Under the above scenario, Drip would require that all labels/artists have 24 albums/items available to distribute before even being allowed to offer their music... that way a customer knows they're guaranteed not to lose out on their "loyalty accrual." It would also alleviate the fears of customers that they'll subscribe for months where nothing drips... each month they'll get something for their subscription, and the label/artist will benefit because a system is in place that motivates customers to continue subscribing, and Drip will benefit because of all the previously mentioned items, but also because I am certain that a huge issue they perpetually grapple with is whether to require customers to subscribe for a minimum number of months versus scaring potential customers away because of a contract-type structure.
I am still intrigued by this model. Some artists and labels are already doing stuff like this, but those are just tiny islands in a big sea of the internet. That Drip is attempting to serve as a hub for this kind of model is promising. Of course, they're not too big themselves... maybe they're Guam in the internet music sea, but, still, that's something.
Those were my thoughts.
/monies
Craig
Also noticed that Smalltown Supersound is now on Drip too. Also a cool label.
Craig
Craig
EDIT: And now they've added the Remastered One Beat! The announcement of a Sleater-Kinney box set appears to be benefiting Drip subscribers.
Fat Cat Records is leaving Drip, but doing so in style. They gave me their final month for free and two free downloads additionally. Make sure you log in if you were a member.
Since others might be interested, Light in The Attic (lots of reissues - most well known being Rodriguez's Cold Fact) and Bedroom Community (of Ben Frost fame) have joined up and been fantastic Drips. There's also a few artist Drips including Mike Doughty, ESKMO, and the TMBG Dial-A-Song subscription.
Craig