A Thread for Spotify and other music streaming sites like,, rara.com??

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/57299000/jpg/_57299055_57299054.jpg

Their target audience are a few thousand pensioners who live in London?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16168384

Any Flanagan and Allen tracks up on there?

i've become pretty addicted to Spotify, especially for test-driving new releases, but it feels like there's already a more limited selection in the US than there was a few months ago as labels start to pull their catalogs or hold back big releases. is there any good backup site (preferably legal) to stream albums that might not be on Spotify?

Or one that works in Canada? I've used Grooveshark a bit but it's a little inconsistant. Darn my small market and spotify's lack of interest in taking on our royalties-czars.

I am listening to grooveshark right now! I'm a fan, but sorry to hear about their recent legal probs.

Part of the fun of following Robert Fripp's online diary is the ongoing lols at DGM backing Grooveshark into a corner so relentlessly that eventually their only move is going to be to shoot themselves in the head.

I would expect more from Robert Fripp's online diary tbh :-/

i guess you did say it was only part of the fun
i have searched for that king crimson thread on multiple occasions to for repeated lols at that interview with him where he talks about his exploits with the maidens of the new world

every time i try to have a go on spotify i'm like, half the things i want to listen to aren't here

you realize that means half the things you want to listen to are there and FREE FREE FREE, right?

shhhh

what do ppl think about new iTunes cloud? something like $25/year and you can access all your music thru the cloud

I love Rhapsody, don't mind paying 10 dollars a month for no adds. Spotify and Rara seem more of the same. And I have no qalms regarding Rhapsody's selection, either.

I didn't realize that many labels have pulled their catalogs off Spotify (and maybe rhapsody - haven't noticed) in the past 5 months. Seems like they're not happy with the amount-per-play they're currently receiving.

Hopefully this isn't a trend that eventually kills legitimate streaming sites.

RARA OOH LA LA

Hopefully it is a trend that means that legitimate streaming sites are forced to pay something reasonable to artists (and labels, I guess, whatever). The fact is, I don't mind a good honest illegal and free download of my music if you're interested in listening to it. I do mind people paying money to a site that rips people off as their business model.

Hopefully it is a trend that means that legitimate streaming sites are forced to pay something reasonable to artists (and labels, I guess, whatever). The fact is, I don't mind a good honest illegal and free download of my music if you're interested in listening to it. I do mind people paying money to a site that rips people off as their business model.

^^^^

Spotify doesn't pay for shit impe

you guys ever seen this before? http:// www.youhavedownloaded.com/

Hi. We have no records on you.
This means you are using a private torrent tracker or, of course, you may not be a torrent user at all! It happens.

yeah i got that too

Has anyone posted this?

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2010/how-much-do-music-artists-earn-online/

It's really ridiculous what Spotify pays artists. For example, I'd guess even a CD I liked a whole fucking lot I'd be unlikely to listen to over 100 times. Assuming it's 10 tracks, that's 1000 plays, which comes to about $1.60.

well the real question is 'how much do they not pay artists' - I haven't read up much on their business model but I'm wondering how much of their profit goes into paying artists. and, although I have no idea ehat the figures are, I'd imagine even if it were 100% it would still not seem like very much.

paying for mp3s is total bullshit, go fuck yourself if you think they sound "ok"

Hi. We have no records on you.
This means you are using a private torrent tracker or, of course, you may not be a torrent user at all! It happens.

Go seedbox!

how about wavs?

well the real question is 'how much do they not pay artists' - I haven't read up much on their business model but I'm wondering how much of their profit goes into paying artists. and, although I have no idea ehat the figures are, I'd imagine even if it were 100% it would still not seem like very much.

― iatee, Thursday, December 15, 2011 5:03 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Permalink

I'm not sure I get your point, but I don't think I agree. Even Spotify premium is only like $10 a month, and for a lot of people it replaces buying a significant amount of music. So I don't think it's just about how much of their profit goes to artists, but what their effect on artists is.

My guess also is that Spotify can't maintain that service for that price forever, and like eMusic, it will eventually raise prices. Then something cheaper and more advanced will come to the forefront and replace them and the cycle will continue. I guess recorded music as a revenue stream is mostly dead for most artists anyway.

I wasn't arguing that spotify is good or bad but it's probably the model that's going to take hold in the long-term and even if it becomes fairly profitable and gives a healthy % to the artists it's prob not gonna seem like they're getting much

The spotify iOS app has gotten a lot better in the last few releases.

I am unwilling to shell out for ad-free spotify and I just got a mascara commercial in my Wooden Shjips. Do they target ads based on gender?!

its all that glam metal youve been playing

Just sayin.

listening to Cinderella has consequences

I love Rhapsody, don't mind paying 10 dollars a month for no adds. Spotify and Rara seem more of the same. And I have no qalms regarding Rhapsody's selection, either.

yess

^good points above about artists not getting enough. I'm wondering what a good pay-per-play ratio would come out to? I figure the people who pay are the more hardcore users, spinning hundreds of songs per month, and the vast majority don't pay, so...

I'd be willing to pay more per month if I knew that extra was going to the artists (but probably no more than 25 dollars a month; I'm already spending at least $80 a month buying CDs + emusic downloads).

xxxposts -- I think the current Netflix situation is throwing a monkey wrench into the idea that content models like this are "inevitable" -- at some point labels may simply demand more money or pull out. At that point the question will be whether people are willing to pay more for services like spotify and/or whether some other system will come along.

Ok, I just got another makeup ad -- this time for "eyeshadow blast"
So now I am going to be advised to pony up my $5 to get them to stop eyeshadow blasting me?

Q1: Are any male free spotify users getting makeup ads?
Q2: Is there a place where I can remove or change my gender in the settings?

I read that as "Are any male-free spotify users getting makeup ads?"

that's not what i meant :-/

but i am genuinely curious.

I've been without a subscription for a while, but I have not had any adds for "eyeshadow blast"... Which insults me for as a man I can use that too, you know?

Srsly, I wonder when/if I/you ever gave them our gender. If it was during sign-up, I will have forgotten about it.

me too
i just checked in my account, and tried to unmark my gender (which they did indeed ask for) and "neither" is not a choice, nor is leaving it blank.

so i changed my gender to male
let's see if i get eyeshadow blasted again

No option for "agender" either!

;)

xp Ha, that's show them!

that'll

jez

I mean the whole reason they have a free service at all is basically to target advertising to generic 'you's, so

spotify users aren't generic though
at the very least advertisers know that they like music -- why not sell them stuff related to that?

Cuz some eyeshadow company gave them money and said "I want x number of women ages y to z to hear this" and they were like "thank you for your money"

yeah i know
it's just lame, that's all

it was both maybelline and cover girl btw

update: i just got the mascara ad again!
i guess this is equal opportunity makeup advertising. i approve of that.

nah, i listen every day and never get make-up ads. i doubt a setting change will make any difference. is it linked to ur facebook acct?

nope

it probably knows from your girly typing then

i bet it just remembers your ad history or something. it's weird, i haven't had any ads for the last hour or so. \o_O/

i'm kinda paranoid about spotify because of the ads they run about themselves... creepy borg-nerd voices against pomplamouse music *shudders*

lol @ girly typing

your indecisive searching and listening habits were flagged by their algorithm as "flighty"

Billboard has been reporting that the current Spotify rates are much higher than some have said. This article says the typical payment is 0.3 cents per stream. For 100,000 listeners each playing a ten-track album ten times (over the course of time), that's $30,000 in payments.

The question for artists is going to be what the standard will be for how much of that money goes to the label. Without manufacturing and distribution costs, labels have significantly lower overhead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/16370352