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Free Album releases.
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Apr 4, 2011 22:09:55
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Based on this debate
http://forum.isratrance.com/4-soevnigt-sind-albums-for-free
I decided to speak my mind about free releases here in the Ambient & Chill Out forum. I hope no one get offended. It's not meant to be personal.
I really feel sad the way free releases are being treated as less important (or less good) compared to CD releases.
There aren't many who really bother to comment on the free releases. But when a CD is released you get 15 pages of comments and lot's of praising (many times well deserved).
To me this is very sad and I think it is based on a lack of knowledge regarding all the amazing free releases out there or a conservative approach to how music should be released.
I really do not understand why some people see CD releases as better or more important than free releases these days where there are many bad CD's and bad free releases and many good CD's and good free releases.
I really feel it's a shame that CD releases are free to be promoted in the general section of the Ambient & Chill Out forum whereas the free releases are being pushed aside and have to be dropped into one "big bowl" topic where you stand no chance to get noticed among the daily many single tunes promted via SoundCloud etc.
I know we are a few artists here who break the rules and promote our free albums in the general Ambient & Chill Out section but let's be fair. Why not? It's full blown albums that just happen to be free of charge. We used just as much time making the music as any CD release and our music is IMO just as good and equally high quality music.
I do not suggest a single "free to download" tune should be allowed to be promoted in the general Ambient & Chill out forum but I do suggest that full free albums should be allowed to share the space with the CD releases promoted here. Otherwise I feel we are being unfairly downgraded to 2nd grade artists. Something we are not (Ott used to do engineering work for me - just an example to those of you who love his music. I love it too).
This is not another debate about CD's vs. digital downloads as we all have our preferred media. It's a debate about giving the free releases the credit they deserve.
My 2 cents.
  www.beatagency.dk |
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A.Rosengren
Solid Snake
Started Topics :
266
Posts :
4139
Posted : Apr 4, 2011 23:02
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Apr 4, 2011 23:31
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I agree and I also promote the releases there but I am not sure it's the best spot for Downtempo/Chill Out as I recon most listeners tend to go here for promotion of Downtempo/Chill Out releases which I think is evident from the many CD release announcements here.
www.beatagency.dk |
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elektric sheep
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
315
Posted : Apr 4, 2011 23:54
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i would like to read about , discuss & discover all ambient ,psybient, downbeat specific releases on this forum, commercial & 'free' ...
for example a few free releases that I always come back to e.g. krill minima -Urlaub Auf Balkonien, Proton Kinoun - Apeiron, Seamoon-twisted downbeat adventure, mauxuam -wiggly bytes, hanfstengel - the green shift i think many of these releases did already feature on this forum based on merit, and were not removed....so this forum in particular is one of the best places on the web to highlight the good stuff...free or 'not' free.
official releases however carry weight because for someone to release on cd means they believe enough to risk spending on printing even though cd is old fashioned..
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DjSchofield
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
21
Posts :
1050
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 01:38
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Agreed. I tend to look here rather than anywhere else for my downtempo/ambient news and views...
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 02:14
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Quote:
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On 2011-04-04 23:54, elektric sheep wrote:
official releases however carry weight because for someone to release on cd means they believe enough to risk spending on printing even though cd is old fashioned.. |
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IMO it's got nothing to do with carrying more weight just because someone put up some money to release some music (it's pretty easy you know). The music should carry the weight alone and having a label release your music, 95% are bedroom labels with very little knowledge regarding PR & Promotion, does not in any way make the music better, more clever or superior as there are an equal number of bad releases on CD as free releases.
It's an old-school way of thinking IMO. I sincerely hope this scene will change it's habit to favorite and idolizing artists who release CD's and let it be up to the music - not the format.
www.beatagency.dk |
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andrew interchill
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
435
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 08:58
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Part of releasing music is trying to get people to pay attention to an album and an artist for an extended period of time. I think there is still a bias towards releases that also come out on cd, but I'm sure that can be overcome if you are energetic and inventive.
If I was advising an artist in a deal with a label I'd suggest that they try to get the label to invest in the success of the project - to have a material stake in the results. Getting them to press up cd's is one way to get a commitment, but not the only worthwhile thing. |
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TranceVisuals
TranceVisuals
Started Topics :
23
Posts :
743
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 09:07
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Quote:
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On 2011-04-05 02:14, Beat Agency wrote:
......as there are an equal number of bad releases on CD as free releases.
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You have evidence, or is this just your opinion?
Personally I get x amount of time to listen to (new) music, and in my experience there tends to be better music that gets released on CD than for free digitally. I think the monetary investment tends to act as a filter. Indeed I had heard so much "shit/generic free" music that it tends to put me off. Not that there aren't shit music on CDs, the ratio in my experience just tends to be lower.
Also the investment of the buyer, in terms of time and money in obtaining the CD, I think reflects the level of engagement. For example I am far more likely to comment on a paid CD release, because I want to share my experience on whether it was a worthwhile purchase.
www.youtube.com/trancevisuals
2,000,000+ views and counting. |
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liquidchill
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
283
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 11:18
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I never check the "Listen to my music..." thread. And if it wasn't for somebody posting the Ovia link to his free album I would've never discovered his amazing music. This is just one example but it might apply to more people. I don't like that thread either |
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 14:29
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Quote:
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On 2011-04-05 09:07, TranceVisuals wrote:
Quote:
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On 2011-04-05 02:14, Beat Agency wrote:
......as there are an equal number of bad releases on CD as free releases.
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You have evidence, or is this just your opinion?
Personally I get x amount of time to listen to (new) music, and in my experience there tends to be better music that gets released on CD than for free digitally. I think the monetary investment tends to act as a filter. Indeed I had heard so much "shit/generic free" music that it tends to put me off. Not that there aren't shit music on CDs, the ratio in my experience just tends to be lower.
Also the investment of the buyer, in terms of time and money in obtaining the CD, I think reflects the level of engagement. For example I am far more likely to comment on a paid CD release, because I want to share my experience on whether it was a worthwhile purchase.
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Of course it's my opinion based on listening to a lot of music both on CD and free.
Since you got a limited time to listen to music and by that I recon you prefer to listen to mostly CD releases how would you know that the CD releases are better compared to the free releases?
And about the "filter" comment. IMO there are way too many unprofessional labels who release a lot of music that should have stayed at home at the artists computer (The same goes with a lot of free releases) Point is that a huge percentage of the labels are unprofessional bedroom labels with absolutely no knowledge regarding running a label professional = selling and promoting the artists music. So you have to dig deep to find the good music - in regard to CD's and free releases.
I think it's very sad you think CD's are more worth your while and comments but I know it's a conservative way of thinking. A way of thinking you share with quite a few in this scene. But hey that's your opinion 
www.beatagency.dk |
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TranceVisuals
TranceVisuals
Started Topics :
23
Posts :
743
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 16:32
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Quote:
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On 2011-04-05 14:29, Beat Agency wrote:
I think it's very sad....
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Don't be sad, be happy, I do what works for me, and you should do what works for you. 
www.youtube.com/trancevisuals
2,000,000+ views and counting. |
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McKennaDMT
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
457
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 17:58
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Quote:
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On 2011-04-05 14:29, Beat Agency wrote:
Quote:
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On 2011-04-05 09:07, TranceVisuals wrote:
Quote:
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On 2011-04-05 02:14, Beat Agency wrote:
......as there are an equal number of bad releases on CD as free releases.
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You have evidence, or is this just your opinion?
Personally I get x amount of time to listen to (new) music, and in my experience there tends to be better music that gets released on CD than for free digitally. I think the monetary investment tends to act as a filter. Indeed I had heard so much "shit/generic free" music that it tends to put me off. Not that there aren't shit music on CDs, the ratio in my experience just tends to be lower.
Also the investment of the buyer, in terms of time and money in obtaining the CD, I think reflects the level of engagement. For example I am far more likely to comment on a paid CD release, because I want to share my experience on whether it was a worthwhile purchase.
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Of course it's my opinion based on listening to a lot of music both on CD and free.
Since you got a limited time to listen to music and by that I recon you prefer to listen to mostly CD releases how would you know that the CD releases are better compared to the free releases?
And about the "filter" comment. IMO there are way too many unprofessional labels who release a lot of music that should have stayed at home at the artists computer (The same goes with a lot of free releases) Point is that a huge percentage of the labels are unprofessional bedroom labels with absolutely no knowledge regarding running a label professional = selling and promoting the artists music. So you have to dig deep to find the good music - in regard to CD's and free releases.
I think it's very sad you think CD's are more worth your while and comments but I know it's a conservative way of thinking. A way of thinking you share with quite a few in this scene. But hey that's your opinion
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Here's the thing that really hasn't been said yet. By the way, I fall into the prefer CDs camp. I used to not care, but then I actually met some of the artists who's music I love, and eventually came around to feeling that they need support, so I started purchasing CDs/vinyl. It's not even a matter of what sounds better, as I rip to 320kps mp3s, and can't tell the difference on my setup, which for a graduate student is pretty nice, I think.  Maybe when I write that best-selling novel I be able to afford a nicer setup where I can start to believe I'm hearing frequencies that my ears cannot physically hear anyway...
What makes me lean to the physical CD/Vinyl side is that owning the media is part of the deal for me. If I buy and download an album, and Shitstain McGee down the block downloads the same album illegally, guess what? It's the exact same situation. He owns exactly what I own, and didn't support the artist. If I buy the CD/vinyl, Mr. McGee down the block may not have done the same, and while he has the same music, he doesn't have the same medium. I can rip mine to my computer, which then can go anywhere: mp3 player, laptop, my media server, etc. But in my bedroom, I have a CD player, that's it. I'm completely disconnected in my room by all other electronic devices that I can use to listen to music...and this is done on purpose.
I guess I just have a hard time justifying spending $10 on a digital download, or spending $5 more to get a CD, along with artwork, and a physical copy that looks good on my CD shelves...
I also fall in the same group with TranceVisuals: there is so much damn music out there now that having spent money on a physical copy, seeing it sitting on top the CD player or on my desk, waiting to be listened to, I'm going to be more inclined to listen to that, rather than the album I just downloaded from ChillBase...
But then again, if an artist only releases digitally, I guess I have no choice then, do I? I've probably listened to Aleph Zero's digital comps more than I have most of their physical copies I own. |
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 18:50
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@ McKennaDMT
You are drifting off-topic. This debate got absolutely nothing to do with illegal downloads or digital vs. CD (as stated in my original post).
It's about the IMO weird idea some people have that artists releasing their music on CD's are seen as more qualified/talented artists (better music, better quality etc.) than those artists releasing their music for free (as in LEGAL free).
And the debate is about why an artists releasing his/her album for free should not be allowed to have the same promotion options on this forum as those who release their music on CD's/Digital paid downloads.
www.beatagency.dk |
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Gunter
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
55
Posts :
1465
Posted : Apr 5, 2011 20:50
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totally agree. Everybody should have same opportunity.
Nevertheless: for individual tracks / no full albums I suggest using the "collection topic" |
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andrew interchill
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
26
Posts :
435
Posted : Apr 6, 2011 04:36
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This is a privately owned site that uses advertising as a form of revenue. I think it is up to the owners to do what suits them best. If you want guaranteed visibility then why not banner advertise ? Paying for ad space helps sustain this forum, which a number of people seem to value. Visibility is necessary for success and has a $ value.
Back to your point - as a general rule I think many people do value things more if they pay for them. If someone books you to play a set and agrees to pay 500Euros then they're most likely going to give you a good set and not screw things up. If you said you'd do it for free or for your travel costs then they'll probably value your contribution less. Human nature...
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