Essential Reading
4. The music video experience now sucks
We’re almost to the point where we can call up any music video every made on our computer screens or hand-held devices. I liked it a whole lot better when MTV and MuchMusic had VJs introducing video flows. Then again, that was so long ago we were watching them in mono on CRT TVs. And we’d never get a chance to see videos like the one for Rammstein’s “Pussy.” Never mind.
5. Rickrolling and its progeny
This is a proper use of technology?
6. We don’t value music as much as we used to.
Back in the day, you had to save your allowance, get someone to drive you to the record store where you hoped CD you wanted was in stock. When you found it, you handed over your hard-earned money—gawd, you hated mowing the lawn and doing the dishes, but this was worth it—and took your new possession home.
Physical music collections were cherished artistic assets. But with so much music available for free online and with hard drive space so cheap, do we value music as much as we once did? A few years ago, I declared the Cross Corollary: The cheaper and more accessible music becomes the less value we ascribe to it. I stand by it more than ever today.
7. The death of music magazines
I cannot wait until the next issue of Q, Mojo, Record Collector, NME, Classic Rock, Alternative Press, Rolling Stone, Spin, Revolver, The Big Issue, etc. etc. etc. shows up at my bookstore or in my mailbox. I LOVE reading good writing and analysis about music. But how long before these publications disappear in favour of a lower-cost online version?
8. The death of music books
I’ve written four reference works on alt-rock—and I can’t see me writing any more. Why bother spending nine months on a project that will be outdated the second I email it to my publisher? Sites like the AllMusic Guide and Wikipedia have driven me out of that business. (Not that I mind, really. There was no money in it, anyway.) About the only way to make any kind of money on music books to write a big, splashy biography or invest a lot of time and money into a good coffee table book.
Check back in a few moments for part 3. And click here for part 1.
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3 Comments
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Completely agree with Number 6. Although it has made me a more unique and complete person, being able to access music “for free”. I am notorious for being a music junkie, for planning my vacations to see festivals and concerts, and wanting to have a conversation about music whenever possible. But if I didn’t have the internet and cheap access to these songs, I wouldn’t be this person – at all.
Now, I buy <5 cds a year (but see >30 bands a year), and can only name about 5 friends who actually purchase cds.
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In regards to number 6, I’m really tired of people talking about the value of music. People think music is worth less because we aren’t paying $19.95 for a CD anymore? Maybe we’re all realizing we’ve been paying way too much over the years.Look folks the CD/album is going to be a niche market, downloading and the cloud is where it’s heading. Speaking of which Allan, you’ve been preaching streaming music for a while now, and now it sounds like you think it will devalue music, can we get a little clarification on that? As far as videos go, MTV and Much started giving up on videos long before Youtube became popular so where the hell else were we supposed to see the videos we wanted? Even when they did play videos, it was the same 12-15 artists over and over again with, for the most part, idiot VJ’s. (yes I’m looking at you Steve Anthony) We were forced to watch the cool videos once a week on the Wedge or City Limits. As far as quality, yes depending on who uploaded, it can be pretty crappy, so I don’t know why more bands aren’t doing what NIN is doing. They’re live videos are incredible.
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I still go out and buy every cd i want because :
1) I dont know how to use the internet to download free music.
2) Im afraid that my ipod will just stop working someday so i want all my music on a nice disk that will work forever or almost forever.
3) I like to look at the phamplet
4) The artist deserves my money
Also, if SPIN goes out of business I will sit down and cry. In all honesty, I will be heartbroken and I will cry.
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