Well here it is: My list of music. Although (if you know me) you might be expecting a listing of 'Alternative' music only, this is not a listing of just 'Alternative' music. As I stated above, this is my list of music. All my music. Every stinking album, CD, and cassette. There's even some of my Wife's stuff in here. So don't be completely shocked when you see that 'Mariah Carey' CD. Or the 'Perry Como' Cassette. It took me several years to get my music collection into this current format. It started out as a flat file. An arduously composed spreadsheet, converted to table form. That was difficult to update, and a bear to manage. In July of 2005, I bought an application designed for cataloging my music (CDPedia), and it has a built in HTML export capability. Combined with iTunes software, I managed to create a much more manageable, appealing and flexible music listing. Once I had those pieces in place, I went about converting all my old cassettes into digital form. That project took about six months. After completing the digitization, I cleaned up the collection, and uploaded the latest version. The version you'll see is the culmination of many years of collecting, databasing and converting. I hope you enjoy the listing. Can I have a copy? - The short answer is no. I'm not interested in giving away (or selling) any of the music I've purchased. I'm not about to lend, loan, trade or give away any of these titles or tracks. Perhaps you're a collector looking for a copy of that 'essence rare', and I've got the only one you could locate. Sorry, but I'm not in the business. Legal issues aside, I'm really not interested in parting with any of this music. If you're willing to pay me, you could easily locate a vendor willing to sell you a copy of that album you're lusting after. My web site is purely for leisure, I'm not in the business of making money from Rob's World! |
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Music appreciation - Do you appreciate good music? Maybe you haven't discovered the new music revolution ushered in by iTunes and the iPod, if so - You're missing out on a lot of good music. Music that the major labels can't beat. The major label is an outdated, obsolete model. One where the artist misses out on most of the profits, and you miss out on the music you want. Apple has really hit it big with the iTunes/iPod combination, but you don't need a Mac or an iPod to get in on this great new movement. Discovering new music - free music and inexpensive music - has never been easier. The internet is redefining the music industry, and the consumer is the one who's profiting from this new model. This new model of music distribution makes it possible for independent bands to break-out without a major label. The software available to artists is becoming easier to use, less expensive, and more available than ever before. We're in the midst of a music explosion, and I like what it sounds like! If you're looking for a place to download or explore your musical tastes, I can definitely recommend a few services that I think you'll enjoy.
What to avoid - Are there any dangers? There are a lot of sites out there that promise Free music. Many of them are shams, scams, or downright illegal. Be sure to read the 'Terms Of Agreement' on any download site. Some sites will charge you a miniscule fee, keep all the money, and pretend to pay the artist. Some will allow you to listen to music, but you don't own the tracks. As soon as your 'subscription' expires, the tracks evaporate. Some contain highly restrictive licensing, DRM, or contractual agreements. If you buy a track, try to purchase in non-DRM, MP3 format. There are other formats, but you want something that you'll be able to move around. Something you can put on your mp3 player, your computer, a CD. Don't get locked into a 'one use only' model. Another thing to watch out for is 'file sharing'. While it can be done legally, most of the people/websites out there, aren't sharing legally. Legally sharing music files requires adherence to a very narrowly defined set of rules. If you're not sure whether you can legally share the tracks on your computer, don't do it. Where do I buy tracks? - I purchase my music from two primary sources. Both sources are online, and I purchase electronic versions of the music. I don't buy many physical CDs anymore. I think my last CD purchase was back in 2005. It's no longer convenient to purchase CDs. They're not as portable as mp3's (thanks to the iPod revolution). They cost too much (per track). I have to travel to a store, or wait for the CD to be mailed to me. I can't pick and choose tracks. I'm sure I could think of more reasons, but that's not the subject of this paragraph. So, where do I buy my tracks from? The iTunes store and eMusic. The iTunes store offers a vast array of artists (primarily mainstream artists), with many different varieties of products. You can even download DRM free tracks from the iTunes store. The prices are low, and the integration with my Apple products (iPods and iTunes) is great. The other source is eMusic.com. It's a subscription service with a very favorable set of rules. All the music that I download is mine to keep. It's mp3 format with variable bit rates, and there's no DRM! While eMusic doesn't have the selection that iTunes has, it's got a lot of independent, indie, alternative, punk, etc, artists that interest me. As of Dec '07, they've got more than 3 million tracks, 200,000 labels, and a subscriber base of more than 350,000 people. I locked in a great rate when I signed up, and I'm downloading 90 songs a month for $19.99. That's appx $0.25 a track. A price that iTunes can't match. |
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Downloading music - Occasionally, I download music from newsgroups or peer-to-peer networks. Why am I downloading music from newsgroups? Isn't that theft or piracy? No and No. Some would have you believe that copyright violation is theft, or even piracy. In truth, copyright violation is neither. Theft and piracy are two completely different illegal activities. The music/recording industry would like you to associate theft and piracy with copyright violation. It's in their interest to cause/further these misinterpretations. In their zeal to prevent unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted works, they would have you believe that obtaining, copying or using downloaded music is in fact 'theft' or 'piracy'. It's not. But the association will serve to deter unauthorized reproduction and other forms of copyright violation. Back to the question of downloading music. Why am I downloading music from newsgroups? Well, I already own the rights to the music I'm downloading. I already own the music in cassette form, but I want the music in a more portable form, something smaller. Something I can fit in my iPod. Something I can put on my computer. I could AtoD convert the music using stereo component equipment (I have a cassette player/recorder and CD burner) or my computer (My sound card has a built in digitizer, and I have some software which helps convert the input into mp3 format), but that takes considerable time and effort. So, I occasionally download the music (from newsgroups or peer-to-peer sharing networks). I already own the rights, and this legal download satisfies my desire (and right) to have a more portable copy of the music that I already have rights to. While others may be sharing the music in an unauthorized manner, I'm not. Under copyright; once I've legally purchased my licensed copy of the music, I'm permitted to make multiple copies. One for use in my car's CD player, one for use in my cassette player, one for use in my iPod, one for use on my computer, etc. etc. As long as I don't sell these copies, make them available to others (who do not own a license), or claim that I'm the author of these works - I'm within my rights to make, obtain or posses multiple copies in different formats. I'm not a lawyer, and I'm not an expert on copyright law, but I have spent a considerable amount of time researching, reading, and doing my best to understand the law. I've already paid for this music. I purchased my copyright protected rights when I paid for the cassette tape of the artists work. The music industry would have you believe that I'm not entitled to multiple copies, that I must pay for each and every copy. They've even asserted claims to each instance of 'reproduction'; to include instances where one would 'play' or 'listen' to the music. Can you imagine paying for the music each time you listen to it? Given time, enough money, lawyers and lobbyists, the music industry will eventually convince our elected officials that you have too many rights. That the laws designed to serve 'you' the consumer, should be rewritten to serve 'them' the recoding industry. Only by fighting legal challenges, media misrepresentation, and common misconceptions can we (consumers) hope to prevent the eventual demise of our/your rights. Don't give in to the hype. Copyright violations are not 'piracy' or 'theft'. Piracy and theft are two completely different things. You own rights to the music you've purchased. You've secured your rights under copyright law. Don't let the music industry take away those rights. I won't bother listing a bunch of references, as I could easily post links that would only support my views. I'll assume that you're smart enough to do your own research. Just be aware that it's a complex and complicated subject. There are those (the recording/music industry) out there who have a bias towards the distributors. Others have a slant towards the consumer (that would be my view), and then there's the content creator (the artist). Everyone has their own point of view, and you'll have to decide for yourself which point of view best serves you. Aside from a point of view, I urge you to see past the bias. Research the law behind these opinions and points of view. You have rights as a consumer. Don't let someone tell you that your rights count for nothing. |
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Reminiscing - Back in the 80's, I was heavily into the Alternative/Punk scene. I even formed a band (Drunken Stupor) with myself as the lead vocalist. I created the lyrics on my own, and we even practiced for a few weeks. But a drug addicted bassist, and a drummer who left for college, put an end to that chapter of my story. I really miss the old college radio station though; I haven't heard anything like it since. What's happened to College radio these days? It's a crime I tell ya', A crime! Even the Alternative stations aren't that Alternative anymore. Thankfully, theres plenty of internet based music streams. For the moment they're free, but if we're not vigilant, greedy corporations will find a way to force them to shut down. |
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Looking for a Music comparison engine? Once upon a time their was an email based service called 'Ringo' (a.k.a HOMR (Helpful Online Music Recommendation service). This little service was run by a group of folks (Students & Professors) at MIT. This service (a collaborative filtering/comparison engine/database) was awesome. Users rated their favorite bands, and their ratings were compared to those of other users. This resulted in personalized new music recommendations. If you liked band X (Which you rated 7 out of 7), you should check out band Y (Which user 'Spudmonkey' rated 7 out of 7). When it was run by the college the service was powerful, simple to use, advertisement free, and uncluttered by a totally unusable interface. This fantastic little service was sold to/Evolved into a commercial interest known as Firefly. It was sold again (Launch/myLaunch), licensed for other uses, and finally absorbed by the ever growing Yahoo machine (http://launch.yahoo.com). Unfortunately, it's original purpose, and elegance have been commerciallized, corrupted and distorted. It's virtually useless in it's current form, totally lacking the ratings and recommendations capability of its parent. Are you aware of a good music recommendation service? If you are please drop me an email. I FOUND ONE! As an update to the querry/rant above, I found another music recommendation agent. I haven't figured out how to contribute to it, but so far it's recommendations seem to be dead on. It's the only one I've found so far, and it appears to have been partially co-opted by a pay-to-download service. But, It's the the only thing I can offer. I hope you enjoy this Intelligent Music Recommendation Agent. |
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I'm sure you're getting tired of listening to this old 'Skanker' Fart and Moan about his glory days, so without further adieu I present — My Collection. Perhaps you'll find something interesting amongst the dregs of my illustrious past. |
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times since 29 Jul 1998.