Wow, either the Spotify marketing team have been doing a lot of schmoozing, or someone very hip, trendy and cutting edge has suddenly declared them as the next best thing. The Sunday Times has dedicated some serious column inches to how Spotfiy might spell the end of ownership (something about clouds), and Sean Adams chips in by recommending Spotify as your music service provider. Hello!!!??? Am I the only person that finds this a bit odd? Unless I am really the technophobic laggard of all of Shropshire and the modern World, I cannot see how I can use Spotify to listen to music in the car, out for a run, or basically without being HOOKED UP TO MY COMPUTER.
Now, I think I'm fairly progressive, as I now use my mobile phone as my only mp3 player (ever since my Creative Zen was stolen from my car!) and I do actually watch programs on demand via my laptop. But... computer, stream, listen, music - i just do not get it one bit.
The Sunday Times pics and Spotify ads showing real people, with headphones on, sitting plugged into their computers is absolutely ridiculous - laughable even.
Here's where I agree with the article - until Spotify goes mobile eg. I can stream it on my mobile phone, and until broadband and wireless connections make streaming seamlessly easy and of the right quality, this will be just another Twitter - totally pointless.
And if anyone thinks this sort of commercial arrangement, in its current form, is going to save the music industry's butt, think again. Just look at the market for illegal TV and movie downloads. Digital accessibility has opened up new markets and uses for music. Unfortunately, like 7 yr old school boys playing football, everyone is rushing after the ball, all going in the same direction, until the ball is kicked somewhere else. At the moment, that direction is big digital music libraries, as the industry tries to tap into revenues from the 'digital generation' and illegal file sharers, thus ignoring the oldies, technologically speaking, like me, who will pay good money for more than just an mp3 file. Or do I just need to get with the program and give Spotify their dues?
Now, I think I'm fairly progressive, as I now use my mobile phone as my only mp3 player (ever since my Creative Zen was stolen from my car!) and I do actually watch programs on demand via my laptop. But... computer, stream, listen, music - i just do not get it one bit.
The Sunday Times pics and Spotify ads showing real people, with headphones on, sitting plugged into their computers is absolutely ridiculous - laughable even.
Here's where I agree with the article - until Spotify goes mobile eg. I can stream it on my mobile phone, and until broadband and wireless connections make streaming seamlessly easy and of the right quality, this will be just another Twitter - totally pointless.
And if anyone thinks this sort of commercial arrangement, in its current form, is going to save the music industry's butt, think again. Just look at the market for illegal TV and movie downloads. Digital accessibility has opened up new markets and uses for music. Unfortunately, like 7 yr old school boys playing football, everyone is rushing after the ball, all going in the same direction, until the ball is kicked somewhere else. At the moment, that direction is big digital music libraries, as the industry tries to tap into revenues from the 'digital generation' and illegal file sharers, thus ignoring the oldies, technologically speaking, like me, who will pay good money for more than just an mp3 file. Or do I just need to get with the program and give Spotify their dues?
You should at least try it out first. Spotify is one of those services that you have to experience to understand.
ReplyDeletei might just do that!
ReplyDeleteYeah well, i signed up on Spotify, so i guess they now have a million and 'one' customers. But here's the thing. In what is a fairly typical week for me, I have been out of the house, from about 8am until 7pm most days so far. So, I haven't yet had a chance to listen to Spotify. And from what I read on other forums, there seems to be a theme of people signing up and then neglecting it once the novelty wears off. Perhaps I will get time to listen at the weekend, and find some rare pieces which make me go ooooohhh and aaahhhhh. and then i'll be hooked perhaps
ReplyDelete