September 14, 2006

I suspect that in many respects eMusic is "hit driven" as well, it's just that the "hits" are in the context of particular non-mainstream genres. Certainly from my own perspective I disproportionately download albums from eMusic based on their promotion on the eMusic front page, by the columnists for eMusic Magazine, and in the various "eMusic Dozens" lists. By contrast I rarely use the "so-and-so also likes" recommendations on individual album pages, and have never downloaded anything based on what my supposed "eMusic neighbors" are listening to.

Now, never in a million years would I have gone to Google and done a search on "sultry-voiced chanteuse doing an acoustic cover of an anthem of gangsta rap." Yet, that's exactly what I found...and I love it.

The key point here: if your niche in the Long Tail is truly one-of-a-kind, it may be so unique that no one would ever even dream to search for what it contains. The only way someone will find it is through collaborative filtering (a la Amazon) or through word-of-mouth recommendations from a trusted source that traverse the tail.

September 13, 2006

The top 10 best-selling classical "songs" on iTunes show exactly this split between calm and stormy. The list also shows an unhealthy obsession with Andrea Bocelli, the blind Italian tenor whose voice adds entire new dimensions to the word lackluster. While he tried to sing both straight classical and crossover material in the mid-'90s, he now plies a musical river that's lined with lira alone these days. And since he's appeared on American Idol, he's hit the jackpot. Recently, I downloaded all the Bocelli and non-Bocelli tracks and spent an afternoon coming to grips with what really sells.

September 12, 2006

September 11, 2006

September 07, 2006

September 05, 2006

On Tuesday, classical label Naxos will unveil a dozen new albums in a line it's calling MPkey. The albums are packaged in CD-sized boxes and will be placed on store shelves at Borders. Inside each box, however, customers will find not a CD but a card with an access code and a booklet of instructions for downloading the album from eMusic, an online music store and Naxos's partner on the series.

The partners are betting the music department of a major retail chain is an ideal place to recruit customers who haven't yet jumped the digital divide. The enclosed step-by-step instructions could make the process less daunting for first-time downloaders.

Want the CD booklet to go with your digital downloads? Just forward us your iTunes e-mail receipt or a link to your downloaded albums page in your eMusic profile, along with your mailing address, and we'll send you the complete CD artwork free of charge.

September 01, 2006

There are three questions that come to mind anytime I see a new music site:

- Is it iPod compatible?

- How intrusive are the commercials?

- How restrictive is the DRM?

The answers to these often determine how successful the site will become. In SpiralFrog's case, the answers are no, not sure yet, and somewhat.

Labels: 1980s, 1983, Friday Flashback Fun, record stores