From the Press Release:
Expanding on its commitment to bringing the most innovative independent artists and the highest quality downloads to its subscribers, EMusic is partnering with the most renowned live music venues across the US to launch its new program, EMusic Live. The program, set to launch in the coming weeks, will bring together an existing network of venues, previously known as the Digital Club Network (DCN), to make electrifying live performances available to consumers from far-flung clubs across the country, including: the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC; The Casbah in San Diego, CA; the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA; The Metro in Chicago, IL, Toad's Place in New Haven, CT and Arlene Grocery in New York, NY, to name just a few."We are thrilled to partner with a company that is dedicated to serving the artists and fans of independent music," said Greg Scholl, CEO of DCN. "The EMusic Live venues represent the best live music clubs in the country -- clubs where some of today's biggest stars got their starts. Through EMusic Live, we will offer the live music created every night in these rooms to the world. This combination offers EMusic subscribers unique and unparalleled access to their favorite artists, and a glimpse into the cutting-edge, independent music scene across the best live music markets in America. Working together with EMusic, we are going to change the way people think about live music."
Used to be an Emusic affiliate, but when I logged in this morning (for the first time in 2003, probably), there was a message saying they'd dropped me. Seeing as I haven't linked 'em in ages, this comes as no surprise.
Finally signed up for the trial membership last night. The tracks I'd bought before they went subscription-based (which should tell you how long ago I was using the place) were "grandfathered," so they didn't count against the free trial downloads. Which I think was a nice touch, since I'm not sure I have a copy of Meg Lee Chin's cover of Ministry's Scarecrow anywhere. . .
Suppose there's some irony in me signing up right after the deadline for old subscribers to cancel if they didn't care for the new terms.
There was much wailing and gnashing of tooth on slashdot about this, as usual. With a few Voices Of Reason, who were mostly ignored.
I admit, the unlimited download thang (which I never bothered signing up for) was a better deal. And it's a bit annoying that if I was to get, say, Lisa Germano's On The Way Down From The Moon Palace, the brief li'l 1 or 2 minute tracks count against the total number of downloads.
On the other hand, iTunes doesn't seem to have any of her stuff. Nor does Liquid Audio, something else I hadn't visited in ages. I'm sure there are perfectly good reasons they dropped their own proprietary format and went with Microsoft's instead. . .
Rhapsody does, but it looks like the only way to find out which is by joining. Um, no. At least Apple has that linkmaker function.
BuyMusic. . . doesn't want to let me look at their site in Firebird. Ok, next.
Musicmatch. . . really, really want me to install their software. And pay for the full version. Don't even see a place to search for who-all they have available.
I'm still thinking EMusic is the best deal here. Especially for us Linux users, as they appear to be the only folks even producing a 'port for penguinheads.
And, you know, no DRM, mp3s instead of some weird proprietary shit, searchable database even if you're not a subscriber or using their software. . .
. . . which wasn't necessary back in the day; you could download the individual tracks or complete albums using a couple different programs, if I remember a'right. And have multiple simultaneous downloads, something the current client doesn't seem to do.
Complaints about this and other issues, some valid, some not, can be read at the Revised Standard Version of Why EMusic (used to) get it (and Apple didn't).
Meh.
Do have to say the limit of 40 is seeming onerous since the first thing I grabbed was Henry's other two albums. So I might upgrade to the $15/65 song membership, which is still less than the cost of a single cd.
A lot less, since I think this would still constitute the free no-obligation month.
Or I'll wait, since I doubt I'd normally get that much. And Meg's Junkies And Snakes ain't going anywhere if I wait on it.
All in all, though, I still like the service, and will probably stick with 'em after the trial.
Guess I could have tossed an attention conservation notice, e.g. "Geeks are whiny bitches," at the top of this. But I pretty much made up my mind while I was composing it.
This is my thought process at work. Scary, ain't it?
Guess this reminds me a bit of the wailing when GEnie was bought out, except in that case the new owners really were screwing the existing customers, even compared to their rivals in the market. The new EMusic programs might be worse than what they were offering, but it's still way better than the competition.
In my opinion, anyway.
What did the Thrill Kill Kult fans in the audience think of The Reincarnation Of Luna? I'm was thinking that gets queued for purchase/download after I work through the Pigface catalog, or should it jump the line?
Oh, right, and a few links tossed in the press release, for the hell of it.
TKK has made their money, so I feel no compunctions about offering you a burned copy of mine- which is about what the albumn's worth. I actually -liked- the disco-direction they had going for a while, but this is techno-drug disco, &, well, maybe I'm thinking too Floyd here, but I like my psychedalia quite a bit slower, thanks. A couple of good tracks, but there's better out there.
& I suck, b/c Pigface played here this weekend & I didn't know. Until yesterday. 's not that big a town...sigh.
I'd drop the cash on the new KMFDM albumn, myself- these days they're sounding more & more like TKK [no surprise there- look at their rosters, & then look at the rosters of Bile, et al.] & the new albumn's all anti-GWBush tunes. "Stars & Stripes" starts out w/a definition of a tyrant, for example.
sorry- done now.
oops- that is, KMFDM is sounding more like -old- TKK these days, not the newest crap.
Neo, seeing as my ability to miss shows is legendary. . . um, excuse me, quick reminder to myself:
Right, legendary it is, don't kick yourself too hard. Sorry to hear the new TKK ain't so great, but yay! on the KMFDM. Will give that one a try instead.