Jun 022009
I’m so mad at my eMusic. I don’t know, eMusic just, uh, calls me up the other day. eMusic wants to charge me the same amount of money for about 1/2 of the downloads beginning in July! Can you believe that? I said, “Hey! I work for a living!” So I give eMusic the money. Yesterday, they call me up and say the only extra shit we’re going to offer is like Outkast and Alicia Keys. I said, “Hey! What is this?!” So I worked out a deal with them. I’m having eMusic, uh, work on my transmission. And, uh, move my barbells up to the attic. So that’s pretty good, huh? [laughs]
I had seen some news stories about the deal between emusic and Sony:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10253151-93.html
I was wondering if this might change the pricing structure. They haven’t contacted me yet. Bastards.
So what’s the deal, Sammy? Are they raising rates, changing their structure? I wouldn’t mind the ability to get some more rock ‘n roll from them, indie or not, provided that they maintain the deal we have with them. However, I don’t want to have to pay a lot more per month or get less downloads for the right of downloading some boring major-label stuff.
They didn’t notify me either. I just happened to see a link on their home page to a “Notification.” Here’s the link:
https://www.emusic.com/account/notification.html I forgot to include it when I posted last night.
It doesn’t look like you’ll be paying more per se. Rather they are going to halve (or about) your monthly limit, effectively doubling the cost.
I’m a long time member and have a grandfathered plan that gives me 65 downloads/month for $15. My new plan will be 37 downloads per month for $15.
Sure the new catalog looks to have some big names like Pearl Jam, Springsteen, The Clash, Dixie Chicks, Foo Fighters, Michael Jackson…but that’s not what I’m looking for at eMusic.
At my current rate of ¢23/song I was downloading and trying all kinds of shit (and most it was shit) and would occasionally stumble onto something great (Simply Saucer) making it all worth while.
I don’t want to increase my monthly pay to them so now I have to be more judicial…
I suppose I should wait to judge until I see the new selection, but I’m not too psyched about downloading Thriller for ¢41 a track.
At those new rates, you need to start considering value. $.41 for six minutes of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” is a solid deal, just make sure you don’t pay that much for one and a half minutes of “Interview With Quincy Jones #4” on disc two of the 2001 Thriller re-release.
A friend of mine, who isn’t the kind of person to buy a Michael Jackson album let alone admit to buying one, recently proudly announced that he’d gotten that re-release of Thriller in a cut-out bin for super cheap or something, and when I reacted with surprise that he bought Thriller, he responded with “Well…it’s got…it’s got Quincy Jones interviews?” as if that was a major selling point. That makes me laugh every time I think about it, and now I do some terrible “Quincy Jones talking about making Thriller” impression whenever I want to piss him off.
Any notable shit in the not-worth-23-cents downloads, maudlin? Amazon has been roping me in with their $1.99/$2.99 album download deals lately, and I think they’re finally pushing me towards the download vs. buying a CD copy direction that I’ve been resisting by putting out a few new albums I’ve wanted at under five bucks.
Yes, I see my notice now too: “Effective Jul 9, 2009, your plan will change to the new eMusic Basic plan which gives you 30 downloads for $11.99 every 30 days.” A cursory glance at some of the new artists available through eMusic didn’t make me flip my lid, but I will be able to download the 4-6 Byrds songs I like yet do not own.
I’ll have to think about what I’m going to do. In the meantime I’m looking forward to the time about, oh, 5 weeks from now, when I can buy a new Nixon’s Head album on honest-to-goodness vinyl and get a free digital download through Groove Disques.
I’ve often wondered whether it was ethical to pay indie artists so much less than the industry norm with my emusic subscription, especially since I often buy ambient stuff. If the whole ‘album’ is one track, I’m paying 25 cents for it.
Obviously I don’t like them basically cutting my subscription in half. But I have questions about how this deal is structured. Don’t you think Sony is going to get a bigger share than the indies of the higher fees-per-download? In other words, each of my downloads will now cost 50 cents instead of 25 cents. If I download a Photon Band album from emusic, will emusic be paying the Photon Band’s label a higher rate now? Somehow I doubt it.
I’d like to hear from insiders how this will work. If I continue to download only indie bands, and if emusic is going to take my money and give it to Sony, I’m going to have to opt out. If the fees paid to ALL artists will go up with this deal, then I’m still in.
I’m with you BigSteve all the way. My hunch is that Sony is the winner here (spelled w-e-i-n-e-r).
I liked eMusic because of all the weird, unknown, obscure stuff. For ¢25 a track I could really take chances.
Why mess with the niche and compete with the big boys? Bigger isn’t always better. Unless they are losing money in which case I’d understand revising the model.
Back when I was working in network TV, CBS consistently came in last in the “demographics that advertisers find most attractive” which was men 18-34.
BUT, CBS was consistently winning the 34+ demos. It skewed older and year after year they would be the #2 most profitable network. Yet they weren’t satisfied with the solid and highly profitable business model. they wanted to be #1 in Men 18-34. WTF?
Hey Alex. I would say that 6 or 7 out of 10 albums I download from eMusic, I’ll never listen to a third time. (I give everything a two spin shot at hooking me.)
My profile says I’ve downloaded 238 artists and I’d be hard pressed to list the worst of the worst. Or the best of the best for that matter.
Updates:
Over 700 irate emusic subscribers chime in here.
Businessweek picks up the story of angry subscribers here.
I am mad at my emusic too. But I always dig the Steve Martin routine at the top there, hehe! Could I possibly have a blue spot?
Damnit, that’s what I get for not proof-reading… that should be “But I ALSO dig the Steve Martin routine…” Sigh.
Hey dbrockshow. I never proof my stuff either.
Congrats on being the first to point out the classic Steve Martin. I’d take more time to welcome you here but I have to run out and buy some cat handcuffs.
I don’t subscribe to emusic, but who the hell needs an expert to tell them about Bruce Springsteen?
Quincy Jones “IS” THRILLER. OFF THE WALL sounds a lot more like the Brothers Johnson records Quincy produced previously than it sounds like Jacko’s preceding record, FOREVER, MICHAEL. As esteemed as he is, I still feel like Quincy doesn’t get the props he deserves.
I want the plan where I buy one album at full price, and get the next ten for free!
Does this mean I’m going to have to review Quincy Jones’ commentary tracks from Thriller 2001? Because I will.
Yes, Alexmagic, that is what it means. We look forward to your review.
I just joined emusic (finally) about two weeks ago. the $11.99 for 30 was the plan I picked, so I finally got away from the major label stuff and it followed me?
Ps – I got 50 downloads for joining, maybe you should just quit and rejoin?
Urg. This is news to me. My emusic camel’s back may just have broken….
If anyone wants to try eMusic – or wants to quit and rejoin – may I suggest doing so through the link on the right side of our site. It will help keep this place chugging along. Thanks.