Apparently iTMS customers are all German

Though I think the results of the iTMS are largely based on the results of the iPod, and vice versa.

The RIAA can see this, that's why they're scared shitless. 25 years of promoting talentless hacks and selling the packaging is coming to an end, and they're not looking forward to it.

I have an external hard-drive as a backup for everything. However, I haven't updated it in about a year... and I don't know where it's at. I should find it and put all of my music on it.

I have a lot of CD's (around 1800) and I also am an avid iTunes / iPod user with about 4500 of my favorite songs on my computer... most of which came from the Cd's I already own but quite a few were downloaded a la carte because there was that 1 song I wanted of a particular album. Also, the exclusive ep's on iTunes are really good. The exclusive Iron & Wine ep is amazing! $18 dollars for a disc is outrageous. I know what exactly goes on behind the scenes at the major label groups because I'm a former employee of one. Money needs to go into the hands of so many people now, i.e., retail chains for product placement, radio stations for airplay and advertising, the artists, management, marketing and promotions staff to get the record in stores and get it in front of the right faces who will buy it or the band will drop off into obscurity. It seriously is ridiculous how much money needs to be spent. I was having a conversation with a label president (one of the majors) about 4 years ago and I asked him how much money is budgeted, up front, for a new developing artist. I'm talking moderate airplay across the country (not it's not free), placement in the front racks at the major retail chains (yeah, that's not free either), etc… He told me $2,000,000 is where they would start and then go from there if things started to take off. Staggering amounts of money go into marketing and promoting music, so that's why some CD's are $18. I'm not condoning it in the least, just stating facts. I buy all my music at indie stores anyway because I believe in helping the little guy and paying for music that a band has worked hard to put out. My position was "eliminated" about 2 years ago and I have watched over a dozen good friends in similar positions at other major labels get the axe too. I can honestly tell you that the industry is going to keep collapsing in on itself until it can adapt to the digital world. The labels artists, radio and retail need to find a happy medium. Smaller labels like Barsuk, Morr, Sub Pop, etc… have embraced the digital age and, in my opinion, are the ones that are going to come out on top in the end. The major labels will keep downsizing and buying each other up until there are only 2, maybe three left and it will be an all out price war because many of the artists are just carbon copies of other artists anyway so all that's left will be price. All I know is music is my addiction, I can't get enough of it, and I'll keep up with the new technology as it progresses with or without the labels. Wow, I really can ramble on can't I? Sorry about that.

I don't know that you've got a good grasp of what the RIAA is or what it does; I'm no fan but I really don't think they're afraid of iTunes. And as for

Yeah before 1981 everything recorded was pure fucking gold. And

This sure would explain why things like American Idol is such a failure.

If you want to rail against the music industry and the RIAA, go ahead they've got it coming but do it for the right reasons.

I agree 100%... well said. I believe this to be true in all aspects of life... if you're going to stand for or against something at least find out why you're taking the side that you are. Don't just follow the mindless masses or listen to what the media tells you. Think for yourself. You'll sleep better at night.

Psh. Purists-schmurists. The only worthwhile music to listen to is live music, non-electronic, and unamplified. I don't believe in "recorded" music. It's all so flat and lifeless.

I believe that just makes you a "live music" purist don't you think?

I agree. I really like having something to hold in my hands, rather than some fleeting string of ones and zeros, and the vague idea of having purchased the 'right' to listen to it.

My iPod sounds good to me, coming out of my SoundDock. Sold all my CD's, too, and still haven't been visited with eternal hellfire.

I agree with this 100%. Too bad the industry quit making singles heavily in the US in the early 90's sometime. I don't own an ipod yet, but for the shweer convinience and lack of movable parts, I believe I'll be getting one soon.

Seriously though I'll probably still load it with directly ripped CD's and if I can keep the files in a lossless format I'll make sure to do that. I know they say most people can't tell the difference and this might be true, but believe me when you deal with audio as much as I do there are definitely times when it's very blatant that you're listening to an inferior replication.

If I was running a record label around now I'd reimbrace the single and put much more emphasis on live performances. Imagine what the record industry was like before the era of "album rock" and filler material.

kremlock said:
Not a good era for purists.

Clov said:
Psh. Purists-schmurists. The only worthwhile music to listen to is live music, non-electronic, and unamplified. I don't believe in "recorded" music. It's all so flat and lifeless.

TreehousePainter said:
I believe that just makes you a "live music" purist don't you think?

kremlock says:
Hallelujah! Live music is the "purest" musical experience. I wasn't even thinking of that but good call. The best example I can think of is the difference between listening to a symphony on a recording as opposed to a live Hall. No substitute.

The one thing I can say in iTunes defence (and I'm not a freaky Mac lover. I have a Dell... yay...) Is that there are some good deals to be had. You'll spend at least $15 on a new CD where I live and I just last night got the Pixies - Wave of Mutilation songs for $9.99. That's a damn good deal if you ask me. That would most liley go for at least twice that on CD. But I do like having the real deal too. I own a fair amount of CDs too.

Sub Pop, in all honesty, works just like a large label, except that with Sub Pop the cold callousness is done with a personal touch, instead of by the larger corporate group. The music industry at all levels is cutthroat and vicious. But that's MEDIA. If you work in media for a living it's not about how qualified you are, it's about what you're selling. Even Iron and Wine and the trendy indie rockers have to conform and market to a certain segment, because that's their niche. Frankly if you get on the iTunes Happy Hour play list, your little project can rocket you to fame and glory if you make it...but did anyone else notice the extra cost of the more popular bands' music? iTunes is by no stretch of the imagination a "little guy's" franchise precisely because Jobs did cave into the industry's demand for more money. *shrug*

I live in Seattle and I love independent music stores, just like I love my independent bookstores. I eschew Barnes and Ignoble and their ilk as much as I can, but I also know that those little indie stores eat off of the mass-marketed crap that people like. For every person who knows the Cereal Killers album from TMJ, there's eighty more who just want the live Dixie Chicks album.