The internet is going to "disappear".

[Music Lover]

Consumers prefer streaming and prefer ad-supported models. That’s the way of the world in 2015. Consumers might not necessarily go for a revised Beats/iTunes subscription service. They didn’t the first time Beats offered that. Just because iTunes is on board now, doesn't mean that consumers will necessarily be convinced to pony up and pay. It’s possible we’re still in a maturing phase and subscription vs. Freemium will ultimately be dictated by market forces and not label executives.

 

[vchimpanzee]

There's nothing complicated about it, you just install the plugin and it does the rest.

Not to you.

 

[TheBigA]

It’s possible we’re still in a maturing phase and subscription vs. Freemium will ultimately be dictated by market forces and not label executives.

Here's what one millionaire says about that:

http://time.com/3554468/why-taylor-swift-spotify/

 

[landtuna]

Convenience is a huge part of why people have gotten hooked on streaming. Much easier to tune in on your mobile device than lugging a bunch of CD's around everywhere.

There are devices such as the Sansa Clip that are about the footprint of a common letter stamp that will function both as an FM receiver and store many thousands of MP3's. CD's are great for storing your music library (although mine resides on several hard disks as well) but they are no longer needed otherwise.

 

[Music Lover]

Taylor's thinking—which is symptomatic of the music industry at large—is problematic for two reasons: It mischaracterizes those who support the streaming model as believing music has no value. It also unfairly accuses artists who give away their music for free of undervaluing their artistic worth. Both of these claims are essentially straw man arguments based on a central logical fallacy: that free music equals worthless music. This belief is not just total hogwash—it’s also hopelessly outdated.

She has every right to defend the value of her work. But by using album sales as the primary validation of her artistic worth, she ignores the fact that CDs are going the way of dinosaurs. As the music industry adapts to the digital age, we have to re-think the ways music is distributed online. We also have to re-think the ways artists make money from their music. We even have to re-think what the definition of an album is when it’s divorced from the physical object of a CD. But there’s one thing we won’t have to re-think: whether music has inherent value—because we all know that it does.

While she rings her hands over free music, many other artists have been experimenting with ways to escape from the slowly dying album sales canon.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't know where the music industry is stuck on CDs. The RIAA has expanded its Gold and Platinum sales awards to downloads. So they've accepted the role digital download sales play in the market. To them a sale is a sale, regardless if it's hard or soft. As far TS, she is one of the few artists who can still sell a million actual CDs. That's how her fans work. And her fans are much younger than traditional music fans, so they know all about downloads.

So then what does "value" mean if people won't pay for music? Can you feed your family with great reviews?

And what about people who want more than what's available for free? Shouldn't those who want personal service pay for it?

 

[Music Lover]

Music fans are fans of music — not of distribution channels, business models, audio formats, or technology. That the record industry feels cheated by Spotify is a problem of the record industry. To fans, Spotify can be a rich experience of pure fandom. It is a portable giant music library accessible in multiple devices, which means it is literally everywhere. It is the manualization of how music functions in our brain: as a running soundtrack, an impulse akin to conjuring a fantasy or recalling life moments. Spotify takes music away from the confines of business and audio formats and brings it closer to what it has always essentially been: a memory, a feeling, a sudden rush of yearning. That’s music in its purest form.

 

[TheBigA]

Music fans are fans of music — not of distribution channels, business models, audio formats, or technology.

But once again, if you're truly a FAN of music, shouldn't you be the ones who pay for it? Not advertisers?

What's the commitment to being a fan? What is the measure of love? Is it just listening? Or the willingness to reach into your pocket and part with some of your money?

You're confusing the industry with the music you love. If what you say about music is true, in terms of its affect on you, isn't that worth paying for? I'm talking about listening to streams and radio. You have very specific ideas of what you want radio to do, but you're unwilling to pay for it. You don't even go to concerts any more. Is that what a true music fan would do? Don't the artists who evoke that feeling deserve something in return for what they do? This is all very uncomfortable to hear, because you've talked yourself into thinking that because you express feelings for music, that you've done all you have to do. That's not true. Listen to what the musicians are saying. Don't argue with them. They're the ones creating what you love. If you love what they do, show it. Or maybe the uncomfortable and inconvenient truth is you're not a real fan of music.

Just as a point of comparison, I consider myself to be a pretty big sports fan. I pay for extra sports channels so I can watch my favorite out-of-town teams. I buy tickets to games even though those games are televised. I've been known to drive five hours to see my team play, when it would have been easier and cheaper to watch on TV. That's the kind of devotion I'm talking about when one uses the term "fan."

 

[Music Lover]

Guess you never heard of prioritizing expenses then. Good night.

 

[Music Lover]

The current artists that I like are European. Their biggest markets are Europe and Asia and they concentrate on touring there. I support them by buying CD's and DVD's.

To hear their music when I'm on the go, I use a variety of radio apps that I got for my Tracfone smartphone - Live365, StreamLicensing, ProNetLicensing, Radionomy, Pandora, and so on. I also have playlists of their singles and bonus material on my iPod.

 

[Music Lover]

The handful of current artists that I like that are American are reality competition show alumni. They've departed ways with their major labels and are now on indie labels. I support them by buying CD's. None of them have toured at any venues near me.

As with the European artists, I use my iPod, which is a Nano, by the way, and, radio apps on my Tracfone smartphone, to hear their music when I'm on the go.

 

[Music Lover]

Most older artists (60's/70's/80's/90's) I enjoyed from my childhood have retired off the current music scene. Some I got a chance to see in concert. Others I never did get a chance to see. However, I've collected their CD's and DVD's over the years.

 

[Music Lover]

My basic point is that, just because I'm unable to attend a concert or just because I'm unable to afford to pay a monthly or yearly radio fee, doesn't make me any less of a fan of various artists I support. With that, I end this discussion.