The Sunday Times had confirmed what we always secretly knew - Spotify is a bit crooked underneath, and too good to be true. Apparently, artists get betweet 0.01p and nothing at all per play, which isn't really surprising. And record companies have shares in the company, so it's in their best interest also to overlook the wrong being done to artists. What a surprise. Spotify is like every other big company in the world. Plus ca change. I'm tempted to believe the whole thing is a racket anyway - offer it for free, then force everyone to switch to premium, by which time listeners are too addicted not to.

But on a personal level, I'm not sure this matters. If I listened to Spotify instead of buying CDs, then I would stop. But the fact remains that I've never bought CDs regularly, and nothing would induce me to do so, so all my boycott would achieve would be me listening to less music. Having a source of browseable free music, on the other hand, has encouraged me to start listening to all sorts of bands in a way I never would have before. Including, ultimately, getting around to CDs. An act I usually commit about two years after feeling the itch to do so (see: every single CD I own). And I do support artists I like in other ways - seeing them live, and buying sheet music. Short of actually buying them lunch, it's hard to get proceeds to artists.

Word of the day: "klavier-tiger" a German portmanteau of the words "piano" and, er, "tiger".

Comments (6)

On 4 January 2010 at 09:47 , Unknown said...

I bought some fudge off the indelicates and got a free download in return. Apparently it's really nice fudge too.

 
On 4 January 2010 at 13:13 , Unknown said...

also they get not much more than that from radio plays anyway, and 0.001p is better than nothing. also see here - his writing style is irritating, but his point is made better than mine. http://www.mapsmagazine.co.uk/Articles/indelicatesrecession.htm

 
On 4 January 2010 at 15:01 , Tom W said...

Word of the day: der Vierwaldstatteseekapitansternleinmutzen - The star on the hat of the captain who works for the Four Wood State Ferry Company (missing an umlaut or two, but you get the idea).

 
On 5 January 2010 at 07:54 , Calypso said...

Either Tom there is Ajax renamed, or there's some fucking bizarre synchronicity going on.

It's still mildly better than listening to them on Youtube etc. But still - I was right all along!!!!!! :p

(amusing words of the day from the randomisely - 'undsod' and 'naggely')

 
On 5 January 2010 at 10:47 , Unknown said...

Hate to break it to whoever Tom is, but that's not a real word.

 
On 5 January 2010 at 17:55 , Unmutual said...

One at a time:

On fudge - that's incredible!!

On the article - I actually like his style.It's a wonderful piece, I love how clear it is. Well argued indeed!

On lengthy german words: OK you win. But only if you can find me a reasonable everyday context in which you might need to use it!

On identity crisis: I was assuming it was the same Ajax. Maybe I've been wrong? IDENTITY FRAUD, I say.

You want me to admit you were right, don't you?

Well I'm not gonna :p