Comments on: unbundling sux http://gonze.com/blog/2008/12/03/unbundling-sux/ internet music technology Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:32:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Crosbie Fitch http://gonze.com/blog/2008/12/03/unbundling-sux/comment-page-1/#comment-1966 Crosbie Fitch Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:22:47 +0000 http://gonze.com/blog/?p=834#comment-1966 Don't forget there is a special forthcoming occasion to celebrate. This is the day when the data size/storage cost gets to a level at which a 50 SuperDVD spindle pack is able to contain every CD ever released in 320kbps MP3 files. There will of course be thousands of MP3s released online by that time, but having a pack of all the music produced on CD will be useful. Shall we call this occasion the CD-Singularity? Don’t forget there is a special forthcoming occasion to celebrate.

This is the day when the data size/storage cost gets to a level at which a 50 SuperDVD spindle pack is able to contain every CD ever released in 320kbps MP3 files.

There will of course be thousands of MP3s released online by that time, but having a pack of all the music produced on CD will be useful.

Shall we call this occasion the CD-Singularity?

]]> By: gurdonark http://gonze.com/blog/2008/12/03/unbundling-sux/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 gurdonark Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:09:03 +0000 http://gonze.com/blog/?p=834#comment-1965 I believe that eventually an on-demand source of streaming can be organized without a user subscription, based on an advertising model. I also believe that flexible arrays of music in unconventional packages like zip drives once the CD-centric consciousness of the major labels is finally withered. I believe that eventually an on-demand source of streaming can be organized without a user subscription, based on an advertising model.
I also believe that flexible arrays of music in unconventional packages like zip drives once the CD-centric consciousness of the major labels is finally withered.

]]> By: Greg http://gonze.com/blog/2008/12/03/unbundling-sux/comment-page-1/#comment-1962 Greg Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:10:54 +0000 http://gonze.com/blog/?p=834#comment-1962 On reviewing it, I'd add to my own argument above this item: since songs are so much more easily distributed, shared, and linked than albums, word-of-mouth and friend suggestions, probably the most powerful new music adoption force also favor individual songs over albums. On reviewing it, I’d add to my own argument above this item: since songs are so much more easily distributed, shared, and linked than albums, word-of-mouth and friend suggestions, probably the most powerful new music adoption force also favor individual songs over albums.

]]> By: Greg http://gonze.com/blog/2008/12/03/unbundling-sux/comment-page-1/#comment-1961 Greg Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:09:12 +0000 http://gonze.com/blog/?p=834#comment-1961 While users aren't listening to the same song more times, they do, for the first time, have a much larger library of potential things to listen to -- all six million songs on iTunes, etc. In that context all but the best songs by each artist are filler; the standard is simply higher. "music, previously heard or not, to be automatically played to them according to what they’d most enjoy at any moment," as Crosbie describes it, is pretty much the order of the day, whether it be via the iTunes "genius" suggestions, blogs and blog aggregators, listening services such as Pandora, Amazon's recommendation engine, etc. Even if these suggestion algorithms are less than perfect, with six million plus songs to choose from they're going to do better than pretty much any individual album. The only argument remaining in favor of albums is on the production side rather than the consumption side. Once you're setup to write and record some songs -- once you've gotten a band together, figured out a style written some songs, and put together the situation to record them -- you might as well do more than just your one or two best. Until the marginal cost of recording and collaborating falls so low as to change this logic, you'll still see albums no matter listeners desire to consume artists' less-than-best work. While users aren’t listening to the same song more times, they do, for the first time, have a much larger library of potential things to listen to — all six million songs on iTunes, etc. In that context all but the best songs by each artist are filler; the standard is simply higher. “music, previously heard or not, to be automatically played to them according to what they’d most enjoy at any moment,” as Crosbie describes it, is pretty much the order of the day, whether it be via the iTunes “genius” suggestions, blogs and blog aggregators, listening services such as Pandora, Amazon’s recommendation engine, etc. Even if these suggestion algorithms are less than perfect, with six million plus songs to choose from they’re going to do better than pretty much any individual album.

The only argument remaining in favor of albums is on the production side rather than the consumption side. Once you’re setup to write and record some songs — once you’ve gotten a band together, figured out a style written some songs, and put together the situation to record them — you might as well do more than just your one or two best. Until the marginal cost of recording and collaborating falls so low as to change this logic, you’ll still see albums no matter listeners desire to consume artists’ less-than-best work.

]]> By: Crosbie Fitch http://gonze.com/blog/2008/12/03/unbundling-sux/comment-page-1/#comment-1955 Crosbie Fitch Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:27:00 +0000 http://gonze.com/blog/?p=834#comment-1955 I think it's a contraction of "When people are trying to obtain a particular song, they'd prefer to be able to obtain just that song, if they don't also want the benefit or expense of obtaining the album in order to do so". This has been contracted into "People want to download singles". I can agree that whilst some peculiar people might like visiting the record shop or scouring the file sharing cloud, many would prefer that they could have instant access to any song ever recorded simply by thinking of it (or at most typing its name). Even better would be for music, previously heard or not, to be automatically played to them according to what they'd most enjoy at any moment, without even thinking about it, and with such a service provided free of charge. How are musicians to make money then? Well, those who wish their favourite musicians to produce more music will pay them to do so. Music should be a pleasure. So should making it, but those who obtain pleasure will be glad to reward the efforts of those who produce it - given it is not without effort. The whole album vs single controversy results from the music=copy delusion (publishers looking at the bottom line in sales of copies). One might have albums a la Pink Floyd that retain aesthetic integrity and some degree of continuity as a whole, or one can simply have an arbitrary collection of singles. The collection of singles has little life left except as a means of transporting the files. However, even in the future, the only thing the album as coherent work has against it is the longer attention span it requires to appreciate it. I think it’s a contraction of “When people are trying to obtain a particular song, they’d prefer to be able to obtain just that song, if they don’t also want the benefit or expense of obtaining the album in order to do so”.

This has been contracted into “People want to download singles”.

I can agree that whilst some peculiar people might like visiting the record shop or scouring the file sharing cloud, many would prefer that they could have instant access to any song ever recorded simply by thinking of it (or at most typing its name).

Even better would be for music, previously heard or not, to be automatically played to them according to what they’d most enjoy at any moment, without even thinking about it, and with such a service provided free of charge.

How are musicians to make money then?

Well, those who wish their favourite musicians to produce more music will pay them to do so.

Music should be a pleasure. So should making it, but those who obtain pleasure will be glad to reward the efforts of those who produce it – given it is not without effort.

The whole album vs single controversy results from the music=copy delusion (publishers looking at the bottom line in sales of copies).

One might have albums a la Pink Floyd that retain aesthetic integrity and some degree of continuity as a whole, or one can simply have an arbitrary collection of singles. The collection of singles has little life left except as a means of transporting the files. However, even in the future, the only thing the album as coherent work has against it is the longer attention span it requires to appreciate it.

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