[Indrek]

Et siis Alan on suu puhtaks rääkinud Side-Lineis. Tõsine lugemine mis väärib minu arvates eraldi teemat siin foorumis. Huvitav oleks lugeda inimeste kommentaare. Kas kommerts ja tehnoloogia areng tõesti tapab kunsti?
Morrissey laulis juba 20 a. tagasi

Re-issue ! Re-package ! Re-package !
Re-evaluate the songs
Double-pack with a photograph
Extra Track (and a tacky badge)
/.../

BPI, MTV, BBC
"Please them ! Please them !"
(sadly this was your life)

But you could have said no
If you'd wanted to
You could have walked away
...Couldn't you ?

Paint a Vulgar Picture

Today we exclusively publish an open letter from Alan Wilder (Recoil, ex-Depeche Mode), titled "Music For The Masses - I think not", in which Wilder handles his vision on today's shifting music market and the position of the artist in this. Originally intended to be an interview, it quickly turned into a small essay in which Wilder touches the volume war, the effect of excessive compression, the download spiral, alternative ways to release music, the birth of the fan powered release of the limited enhanced single 'Prey'/'Allelujah' in Russia, Mute Records, Depeche Mode, and much more.

This open letter offers you a unique insight in the music vision of Alan Wilder, one of the most influential musicians from the electronic scene. We encourage you to leave your comments, your point of view and thoughts!

Editor's note: It was late January 2008 when we contacted Alan Wilder (ex-Depeche Mode) for an article on the shifting musicmarket and the position of the artist in this. The request came at the right time since Wilder had just announced that a limited enhanced single for 'Prey'/'Allelujah' would be released on February 25th, surprisingly not by the record label but by Russian fans. An interview quickly became an open letter from Alan Wilder...

We live in a world of technology - exponentially increasing breakthroughs in all things scientific. So fast that we can't even keep up with it. So why is it that the audio quality of music is degenerating? Music 'sounds' worse. We have stopped listening, we don't have time. We only have time to be smacked in the face by the loudest, most attention-grabbing blast of souped-up noise imaginable until ear fatigue sets in and the desire to 'change the record' takes over. Why are the adverts on TV twice the volume of the regular broadcasts?
It's the only way to get our attention in the VOLUME WAR.

In recent years, a revolution in processing technology has instigated a change in the way albums are mastered. In order to compete, A&R men, producers, even the artists are demanding that mastering engineers, via digital compression, crank up the level so high that all dynamic range is callously sacrificed.

(Compression essentially increases the volume of the quieter elements within a mix while holding steady the peaks of the louder parts)

The effect of excessive compression is to obscure sonic detail and rob music of its emotional power leaving listeners strangely unmoved. In fact, the ear naturally compresses high volume blasts to protect itself - this is why we associate compression with level. Our sophisticated human brains have evolved to pay particular attention to any loud noise, so initially, compressed sounds seem more exciting. It is short lived. After a few minutes, research shows, constant volume grows tiresome and fatiguing.

True excitement comes from variation in rhythm, tone, pitch and a wide range of dynamics which in turn provides space and warmth - something you're unlikely to find in much of today's rock/pop music. If you want a good example, listen to The Arctic Monkeys 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor' for a bombardment of the most unsubtle, one-dimensional noise.


The download spiral...

At the moment, MP3 compression allows a smaller file to be created by excluding the musical information that the human ear is less likely to notice. Much of the information left out is at the very high and low end (MP3s don't reproduce reverb well for similar transience reasons). So when the already squashed CD master is then consumed via MP3, the flattening effect is enhanced further. The result - an unsatisfying, brittle, indistinct, hollow experience with no punch.

Just as the CD replaced vinyl, we all know that MP3 and other digital formats are quickly replacing CDs as the most popular way to listen to music. This means more convenience but inferior sound (although that may improve over time). Even the audiophiles have moved on to multi-media - the iPod or iPhone being the 'must have' item of choice. Many have lost interest in high-end stereo systems while younger listeners have grown so used to dynamically compressed music that the battle has already been lost.

But this is not the whole story. We are seeing the ramifications of this subtle but significant listening shift for the record industry. You see, it's not just about audio quality. It is about craft, toil. It's about art...


Art for art's sake

I am slightly out of the ordinary in that I am not a hugely 'successful' artist in terms of commercial sales and in that sense, I struggle to be heard just like millions of other musicians. However, because of my background in Depeche Mode, I am secure, which has meant (and continues to mean) that I don't have to tailor what I do to conform in any way. The market shift hasn't really affected me that much. It certainly doesn't change how I approach making music. It does reinforce my cynicism towards the injustice of so much good music lost in the mêlée of dross. But that is nothing new. The nature of mainstream radio hasn't improved in any way; magazines have minimal impact, television exposure is more limited than ever - notwithstanding MTV channels which have become more and more marginalised. In fact the best way to get your music heard is through a TV advertisement.

Leaving viability aside for a moment, I would like to see a return to high quality art, embracing all the wonders of technology and science, delivered at a price that reflects the time and effort the artist has put in. Call me old fashioned. Just as one would expect to pay for a hand-crafted piece of furniture or a designer dress or a beautifully printed photograph. Rather than pandering to mass media, why not also produce higher resolution audio - maybe on DVD since that's a format most people can engage with without having to buy new equipment? Combine this with lovingly produced artwork which, if a printed option is too expensive, can at least be downloaded.

Collectors items are becoming a way to escape the turmoil. It makes a lot of sense to subsidise the production of an expensive format for those who really appreciate quality and collectibility by allowing a wider audience to cough up a minimal amount for the fundamental elements.

Some have tried. For instance, Magne Furuholmen (A-ha) released and sold 300 copies of a special 10" vinyl picture disc with hand-painted original sleeves, accompanied by a CD containing all the songs, a poster and a documentary charting the creation of the artwork. The package sold at 100 Euros a piece. Afterwards, all songs were made available on-line for free via MySpace. Hats off to a bold approach which effectively encouraged each serious fan to also become a kind of personal investor.

The successful implementation of a DVD/art/film package such as this by a major company largely remains to be seen. No reason for it not to work as long as the label takes a pragmatic view about downloads - that they can only really act as a promotional tool rather than generating a sustainable source of income.

But really, coming up with a format is the least of the challenges - the difficulty as always is how to sell it.

Certainly trying to get any sort of coverage in the record stores ceased to be a viable option some time ago. The chains themselves are on their last legs (note the recent demise of the excellent 'Fopp' stores) or they are mutating into something different - focusing on games, merchandise, iPod accessories and so on. To ensure their own survival, with their 'no returns' policy, the record stores exert heavy pressure on the record companies by only agreeing to stock 'dead certs' - just the best selling artists, in order to avoid being left with excess stock.

As for marketing and promotion, I want the first listening experience of one of my records to be exactly as I intend it to be heard. For that reason, no longer will I be offering up advance copies for charlatans posing as journalists to sell on E-bay or upload to The Pirate Bay 3 months ahead of release. Considering the amount of advance promotion I get these days, it won't make a blind bit of difference to the sales performance.

Not that there aren't any positive sides to fan-shared files. Clearly, people in remote parts of the world - Siberia for example - can potentially be exposed to my music this way, albeit not, as yet, at optimum quality. It's not ideal but better than no opportunity to hear it at all. Even with CDs, in Russia, they are impossible to buy outside of the major cities which is why we get sharp, entrepreneurial fan sites buying up all the city's stock and selling it on to others outside for a small profit margin.


From Russia with love

Recoil recently released an enhanced CD including a film and a special booklet. Let's take a look at the process. The 'Prey'/'Allelujah' package was brought about through fan pressure; by those that want a physical product - completists maybe, but also music lovers who prefer the audio and tactile quality of a CD over downloadable 'faceless' products. The tracks had already been available as downloads but it wasn't satisfying for many. The generation gap is showing.

Following a successful promo appearance in Moscow, a local DM/Recoil webmaster managed to persuade Gala Records (EMI's local label - Mute's partner) that it would be worthwhile to release this disc. They agreed - not without conditions mind you. So what was agreed?

Firstly, the promo trip was instigated by an Electro club manager. The club paid for and largely organised the visit. On the back of that, Gala arranged some radio, press and TV. The results were more than encouraging but despite this, the conditions of a release meant that: the fans had to pay for the manufacture of the disc, the fans had to implement pay structures and distribute the disc via their own website, other Recoil fans produced the artwork for a 28 page booklet that accompanied the disc, another fan produced and directed the 9 minute film that was included for 'Allelujah', the artist (me) produced the music in his own studio, the artist funds its own website along with a dedicated webmaster that works for free, the artist and the fans took care of the on-line marketing, promotion and sales support. All these services were provided as labours of love - no cost except for time and effort through sheer will to make it happen. Astounding. And it warms the cockles of my heart.

So what did the record company do, you ask? A good question. The record company organised the parts into a manufacturable product - this means making a production master from existing music mixes and cobbling together a two-page inlay with label copy from existing artwork. The local licensee added cyrillic legal jargon to the inlay and alerted some press and TV. Not much really is it?

Ok, this is not the norm and as such, slightly unfair. It was a kind of one-off experiment. Gala/Mute might argue - a favour. But it is most definitely the way things are going. Why won't they release the CD in the usual way? Because they don't believe the demand justifies the effort and manufacturing costs when the trend is for cheap or free downloadable music.

The Russian project was an interesting experiment but it could only expect limited success given the current view of that country and the customer mistrust that seemed to permeate the whole enterprise. It wasn't an ideal way to try to sell a product but that doesn't preclude the process itself becoming perfectly workable - as long as solid logistics are in place, making it simple and reliable for the customer.

(Note: despite the obvious hurdles, in fact we still managed to sell all the planned stock prior to release, such was the demand)


Pop will eat itself?

So why bother with a record deal at all? And that is what many artists are now asking themselves. Why wouldn't they when they are being told that their company just can't afford to spend any money? Or that the company wants a cut of the artist's live income to pay for marketing. This is why we see the mass exodus taking place, squeezing the already crippled record industry. The artists that find it easiest to walk away are those that are already highly successful, compounding the problem still further. Why? Because the likes of Radiohead and Prince can afford to give their music away as a cheap promotional gimmick in order to create publicity for their respective machines. They get noticed for doing so and benefit in other areas. So with everyone now expecting free music, all the other artists lose what little income they could expect from record sales, even though the love and money spent producing their product hasn't changed.

I've long since given up expecting to make a profit from what I do. And you might expect that I would be full of resentment and bitterness toward my own record company but that's not really it. Mute are victims in all this. The reality is that all the companies are suffering and are desperately clinging on by their fingernails trying to come up with solutions as the rug is pulled from beneath them.

In Mute's case, EMI have inflicted so many spending restrictions and are 're-shaping' and 'streamlining' with department 'centralisation' and the reduction of the artist roster. EMI big cheese Guy Hands describes his business as 'an unsustainable model' with a need to 'reduce waste'.... Garbage collection. Thinly veiled rhetoric meaning CUTBACKS! He talks of 'eliminating duplication and bureaucracy'. Bottom line: 2000 jobs have to go.

More worryingly, he also offers us the information that currently about 3% of the entire roster is profitable and that those that never will be profitable, no matter how the model is changed, can kiss their arses goodbye.

That is about as far away as you could ever get from what I understood as the Mute philosophy, where the profit from major selling acts is used to nurture all the other artists on the label. Art. A record company does not sell baked beans, it exposes art to the masses. An unquantifiable thing. Baked Beans - a quantifiable thing.

But is that philosophy realistic in these times? Clearly not if you're ruled by a private equity conglomerate. The Mute home (now part of the EMI building) is a shadow of its former self. A few lost souls wandering around in a post-apocalyptic daze, like a scene from '28 Days Later'. There are some good people at the label who have their hands tied. And their feet bound. And some gaffer taped firmly across their mouths, helplessly kidnapped having been lured into the corporate machine.

Of course Mute can't just up and leave. It would be like trying to put your house up for sale when you're only renting it. I imagine Daniel Miller is as concerned as the next tenant. He is contracted to EMI as Mute's label boss and his own future I imagine is unclear. Maybe he is tired of the whole business, his original vision impaired beyond repair. I'm sure he is just as passionate about music as he ever was, but who would want to start a new record company in the current climate?

And can the musician act as entrepreneur? Is it fair to expect our scatterbrained creative songwriters and virtuosos to also hold a degree in business management? Formulating their own strategies and marketing models as they go? I mean wasn't this the whole reason record companies and managers came into existence in the first place? From my own experience, simply trying to 'stage manage' what has been a very small-level experiment has taken up most of the first 3 months of the year - valuable time which I intended to spend composing new music.

Business acumen will vary but it is essential for artists and their representatives to try and stay ahead of the game, to think up new endeavors. One could see the return of small art-focused indie labels employing a new modus operandi (it's already happening if you look around) with minimal overheads, operating more as logistical support to the artists, organising the manufacture and effective mail order distribution via the artists websites and other associated outlets. Taking the strain. (This doesn't mean one has to abandon the idea of mass availability via iTunes or similar)

By the time I finish another album, who knows if I'll have a record deal at all? It would be a shame to end my association with Mute after such so many good years but I've got a feeling the decision could be out of my hands. Much depends on the future of Mute/EMI and indeed all the companies. It could be that the major selling artists on Mute just get sucked into the EMI machine and all the others fall by the wayside, including the Mute label itself. It will be a sad day indeed.

So who shall we blame for the whole mess? Do we stick two fingers up at the record companies who have sat around twiddling their thumbs, peddling overpriced re-issues for years while their A&R men bombard us with shallow, faceless pop idol, X factor boy bands? Is it fair to say “... well, you had it coming”...? Or do we accuse the casual 'non-listener' with the attention span of a three year old living in a disposable, homogenized, Paris Hilton-obsessed society, over stimulated with too much life choice? A society that places value in triviality and accepts mediocrity without much question? Or perhaps the devaluation has evolved from the cult of the DJ, where anyone can regurgitate the very essence of rock 'n' roll by lifting an entire 70's funk classic, adding some rap drivel over the top and calling it their own work? Is modern music regarded as an art form at all anymore? Or is it just another business now?
Alan Wilder (Thanks to Bernard Van Isacker for his input)

More info on Recoil can be found at the links below:
www.recoil.co.uk
www.myspace.com/recoil
www.facebook.com/recoil

Allikas: http://www.side-line.com/interviews_comments.php?id=29640_0_16_0_C
Siit saab lugeda ka päris huvitavaid kommentaare. Nagu omamoodi Delfi või nii.

Jutus viidatud megakapitalist Guy Hands, EMI uue omaniku kohta ka artikkel kus räägitaksegi kuidas mees peab paremaks oma järjekordset äri juhtida: Guy Hands: EMI must dump artists to survive
_________________
And if you stay a while | I'll penetrate your soul | I'll bleed into your dreams
You'll want to lose control | I'll weep into your eyes | I'll make your vision sing
I'll open endless skies | And ride your broken wings

[marek]

Indrek, sa olid kiire ! Väga hea et siia postitasid.

Alan räägib õiget juttu. Kahju küll muidugi, et tema suust viimasel ajal ainult selliseid pessimistlikke ja kurva alatooniga lugusid tulebki.

Aga võtame kasvõi selle VOLUME WAR teema - no nii ongi nagu ta räägib.
vanu albumeid, mis küll kõlavad uskumatult vaikselt (tegelikult normaalselt) on mõnus kuulata ja kõrv puhkab. Headroom'i on kõige jaoks.

Sellest ju tegi keegi fänn isegi väikse uurimise ja illustreeris piltidega, kuidas dm plaatide (ja tegelikult on kehtib see 90% ulatuses kogu tänapäeva muusika kohta) waveform'id aja jooksul on kasvanud.
http://brianstagg.co.uk/p_t_a_clipressed/

Taaskord vana tõde ühelt auto audio teenusepakkujalt: muusika on nagu seks - pole tähtis kui kõva sul on, hea peab olema
_________________

Depeche Mode kontrollermix vol2 by fade:over

[Davets]

If I want it loud I'll use the volume control. Ühesõnaga kõik need super audio ja dvd audio helid on ainult nendele, kes arvavad, et see on parim. Sai endale igatahes terve kollektsiooni DM remasterdatud albumeid osta. Seal testis on näidatud, et playng the angel on üle kruvitud võrreldes vinüüliga ja vanade plaatidega .Mina ei oska selle kohta kohe midagi ütelda, aga endale tundus küll neid uusi DM remasterdatud albumeid ja eriti aastast 81-1990 kuulates, et heli on palju puhtam ja selgem võrreldes nende vanade cd plaatidega. Ega muidu mu vana sugulasest heavymees niisama ei korrutanud mulle, et kuula vinüüli, selle heli on hoopis teine ja parem

[Craig]

Tubli Alan! Ise mõtsin ka midagi sellist kunagi valmis kirjutada, aga muusiku suust tuleb see palju objektiivsem ja ehk ka usutavam.
Volume war on juba väga ammune teema ja oleks pidanud kõneaineks ka ammu olema. Mõnest eestikeelsest veebisaidist on ka teema läbi jooksnud aga piisavat täjhelepanu pole pööratud.
Volume war - igaühele midagi. Kes mida hindab... Miks noored tahavad muusikat just kõvasti kuulata ja eriti just tümpsuvat?? Psühholoogidel on selle jaoks ka oma seletus olemas.
Keda huvitab enam 'hea sound', kui enam lugusid kõlab niikuinii ühelaadselt. Väga harvad on need lood, mida kuulad ja jäädki kuulama ja millest tahaks naudingut saada. Enamus on tapeet. Osalt alustajate asjatundmatusest, osalt lihtsalt plaadilepingute pärast, mida kiiresti-kiiresti vaja täita ja ilmselt leiab veel midagi...

Marek, see et Alan praegu sellist pessimistllikku juttu räägib, on ikka parem, kui et aastate pärast avastada, et küll see asi on ikka totaalselt p*e läind.

Ega ise ka ei tahaks ühelegi (eelkõige 'oma' ehk lemmik-) muusikastiili bändile või muusikule s*i öelda, aga no tendentsid vägisi viitavad sellele, et asi ei ole enam õige. Kõike ruulib raha. Ka muusikas. Miski pole enam püha. Muusikat ei tehta enam muusika pärast vaid äraelamiseks. See ei ole õige lähenemine. Tegin ka koolitööna ühe muusikapala valmis. Lugu ühe päevaga. Oleks parem tehnika, oleks rohkem aega, oleks, oleks.. teeks plaadi valmis ja turustaks. Muudkui toodaks, promoks ja turustaks jne jne. Vbl aasta pärast ei peakski enam tööle minema
Aga ma ei taha nii. Ma ei taha teha muusikat s.p, et mõelda, krt kui ma seda uut lugu kohe valmis ei saa, siis ma homme enam leiba ei saagi poest osta. Muusikat peab ikka mõnuga tegema. Et endal oleks fine ja neil, kes veel kuulavad, miks mitte ka.
Aa, et kui tekkis huvi, siis siin - aja.pri.ee/ComputerWorld.mp3 on mainit' lugu.

Mp3! Why? Alan räägib, why. Väiksem maht, kiiremini kohal, kiiremini tarbitav. Suured firmad hoolitsevad vägagi selle eest, et paremad tehnoloogiad ei pääseks löögile, s.h need, mis on tasuta. Sest see oleks nende laualt leiva äravõtt. Paljud teist teavad, et need MP3-mängjad, mdia te igapäevaselt kasutate sisaldavad mp3 maksu litsentsi omanikule? Milleks maksta rohkem, kui saaks maksta vähem, tekib mul küsimus? Aga selleks, et nende mp3-de valmistajafirmad on kinni makstud, et nad ei võimaldaks oma pleierites muid formaate kasutada. It's so easy. Ja jõle.

Ja loomulikult. Allalaadimine on praegu paganama lihtsaks tehtud. Ja see ei maksa eriti midagi. Mmis aga suurfirmadele jälle ei meeldi. Ma viimasel ajal üsna hoolikalt valin, mis plaati ma poest ostan. Pigem jätan ostmata. Sest arvestades, kui paljudest kätest see läbi käib ja kui palju sealt vahelt kooritakse, kaob mul igasugune isu. Kas te võtaksite nn SMS-laenu, kus küsitakse intresse 300%. Ei võta ju? Miks ma siis peaks ostma plaadi, mille vahendamise eest artistilt minule küsitakse umbes samapalju või rohkemgi veel! Ma ise olen tarbija ja mul on valikuvõimalus.

Edasi..

Mul kui ühe fännklubi liikmel (khm) ja kunagisel presidendil tekkis vägagi soov vahepeal teha klubi poolt kiri, kus kutsuda muusikuid üles loobuma taolisest pragmaatilisest ja iganenud turustusmudelist. Wilder tõi välja Furuholmeni case'i. Nice. Radiohead ja NIN'i-mehe arvaks sinna juurde. Kes Trent'i ütelusi ja käitumisi on jälginud, siis ka sealt saab üht-teist aimu. Oskate mulle öelda, milleks ma pean ostama praegusel ajal poest plaadi, kui ma võiks selle alla laadida muusiku või bändi kodulehelt ja plekkida selles eest otse talle.
Et saan ilusa artwork'iga plaadi? So what? Paljudel see artwork ikka nii kena on ja paljud muusikud seda artwork'i ise ikka teevad? See tehakse nende eest ja mina pean ju plekkima sellle eest jälle! Ok, las teevad siis, a pangu see artwork koos plaadiga kaasa. Asi see siis ära ei ole. Ikkagi ma ei mõista, misk ma pean poele vahendustasu maksma? Või plaadifirmale?
Ja kui palju võtab see aega, et mõni plaat siia Eestimaa pinnale jõuaks, kui üldse jõuab!? Deem. Kui müüjale see kasumlik ei ole, siis ta ei too seda sisse. F*k. Artist peaks aru saama, et see on tema raha, mis jääb osavõtmatu kapitalistist edasimüüja(te) pärast saamata. On's see parem või?
Netis on võimalik samamoodi ka teha lood eelkuulatavaks, et ma ei peaks põrsast kotis ostma. Kuigi seadustega soodustatud (lubatud) 30-sekised klipid ei ütle mulle pahatihti midagi. Aga see autoriõiguste teema on veel omaette stoori. Jääb ainult hambaid kiristada... Eks iga bänd ise teab, kuidas end promoda soovib. Praeguseks on tekkinud piisavalt palju bände, et olla huvitatud oma kama paremast esitlemisest. Mis ei tähenda üldse seda, et peab oma töö niisama teistele ära andma.
Ok, inimesi on erinevaid ja kõik ei arva kindlasti nii nagu mina.

Tagantjärgi mõeldes hakkas muusikatööstuse allakäik minu jaoks sellest hetkest, kui Erasure andis välja oma EP Abba-Esque (oli vist nii?). Coverid. Sellele järgnesid teised bändid.. Ja kaverite maania oli alanud. Seejärel igasugused tribuudid, mis minu jaoks ainult lörtsivad põhilugu (sedasi ka bändi). Sest vähesed suudavad olla väärtused omaette. Aga kõik tahaksid saada põhiloo kuulsusest omale sära.
Nende mõlemi kohta võib öelda, et kui siirupile panna jätkuvalt vett juurde, siis sellest üks lurr tuleb.
Seejärel magasid plaadifirmad maha võimaluse teha koostööd Internetiga ja siiamaani nad ignoreerivad seda võimalust. Miks? Küsige neilt. Esmalt muidugi autoriõigused. Sest see lugu, mis on netis väljas, on kadunud lugu. Selle pealt nad näevad kasumit nagu neeger lund. Suutmatus uut ärimudelit luua on nüüdseks nende enda vastu keeramas.

Aa, ja mis veel meenus. Et milleks ma peaks ostma terve plaaditäie lugusid, kui seal on häid vaid ainult 1-2, heal juhul paar. Why? Oskate mulle tuua näiteid plaatidest, mis on otsast lõpuni head? Nii. Aga oskate nüüd tuua näiteid plaatidest, kus on vaid paar head lugu? Kumb nimekiri sai pikem?
See sunnib ka bändil endal rohkem pingutama, aga kas nad alati suudavad ja viitsivad. Aga kas seda ongi vaja? Parem teha paar tõeliselt head lugu, kui et terve plaaditäis saasta. Ligi 10 loo jaoks stuudios veedetud aeg ja raisatud raha ei tule selle albumi pealt tagasi. Aga üks hea lugu toob kindlasti palju rohkem rahulolevaid kuulajaid.
Siin on, mille üle mõelda igal osapoolel.

Umbes selline jutt ehk oligi, mis kunagi kirja soovisin panna. Hea, et põhjust tuli ära rääkida.
Your thoughts?
_________________
After all there's no after all

[Davets]

Graigile suured kiitused väga huvitava ja põhjalikku kirja eest! Oleks ainult rohkem inimesi, kes paneks oma mõtteid siia eesti keeles, mitte kuskilt lingilt saksa või inglise keeles, kus niikunii on antud viide sinna lingile, et seda lugeda. Väga huvitav teema igatahes.

[painkiller]

hea lugemine

[Craig]

Nii et REM ka siis nüüd..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23575134/

ja

R.E.M. is the latest big name band to take a step in the right direction, as it's making its new album available via iLike, the popular social networking app, even before it releases the actual album. As R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe said:

"I think you can either go with it or sit back and watch it happen, and I would rather be out on the field than in the bleachers."

This one is interesting, as the band is still on a major label (Warner Music), unlike many of the other, more radical, experiments we've been seeing. The band had also made news a few weeks ago by allowing fans to create videos of the first single off the album. It's not entirely clear why they are doing this through iLike. It never makes sense to me to focus on one app or system. After all, the music can go anywhere, so why not make it available however people want it? Either way, it's certainly a step (if just a small one) in the right direction, especially from a big name artist on a major label.

http://techdirt.com/articles/20080312/004726506.shtml
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After all there's no after all

[Craig]

Leidsin tolle oma jutus mainit' mp3 litsenseerimise värgi kohta ühe veebilehe kah üles.

http://mp3licensing.com/royalty/
_________________
After all there's no after all