As you may have noticed, four posts I made over the weekend and yesterday were either taken down (thanks to a DMCA notice) or vanished mysteriously. Then again today, I woke up to find yesterday's posts (the extensive covers post and another rave post) were also gone, and that one of them was also due to a DMCA notice. They were taken down so fast that no cache exists for either post, meaning that I effectively lost all record of the posts I wrote without any chance of simply removing the preview downloads and keeping up my comments and design. This is getting a bit ridiculous, and frankly I'm starting to doubt whether I should even keep up with this. I love this blog, but I hate having to worry about record labels removing what I spend time writing and taking my intentions the wrong way. Maybe one day they'll finally fully embrace the digital music revolution, but until that day comes I'm not sure it's really feasible to keep playing this cat-and-mouse game of "where did my post go?". It's taking too long for the RIAA to realize that it isn't bloggers that are the problem. It's entirely counterintuitive to be threatening the biggest advocates of music out there, who have spent countless hours and resources following, talking about and in effect promoting their music for free (I won't even admit to how many hundreds upon hundreds of dollars I've spent over the years on CDs, records, concerts, memorabilia, etc.). Instead of spending money on petty policing, they need to focus on developing a new business model for the 21st century, one that accounts for the fact that the physical music format is no longer the biggest moneymaker, and that illegal downloading is impossible to stop. I haven't spent a single day in a business class, but from just my own lifelong knowledge and observation of the music industry, I know that something is not right and that it isn't too difficult to fix with innovation. On hiatus until I make a final decision.
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As you may have noticed, four posts I made over the weekend and yesterday were either taken down (thanks to a DMCA notice) or vanished mysteriously. Then again today, I woke up to find yesterday's posts (the extensive covers post and another rave post) were also gone, and that one of them was also due to a DMCA notice. They were taken down so fast that no cache exists for either post, meaning that I effectively lost all record of the posts I wrote without any chance of simply removing the preview downloads and keeping up my comments and design. This is getting a bit ridiculous, and frankly I'm starting to doubt whether I should even keep up with this. I love this blog, but I hate having to worry about record labels removing what I spend time writing and taking my intentions the wrong way. Maybe one day they'll finally fully embrace the digital music revolution, but until that day comes I'm not sure it's really feasible to keep playing this cat-and-mouse game of "where did my post go?". It's taking too long for the RIAA to realize that it isn't bloggers that are the problem. It's entirely counterintuitive to be threatening the biggest advocates of music out there, who have spent countless hours and resources following, talking about and in effect promoting their music for free (I won't even admit to how many hundreds upon hundreds of dollars I've spent over the years on CDs, records, concerts, memorabilia, etc.). Instead of spending money on petty policing, they need to focus on developing a new business model for the 21st century, one that accounts for the fact that the physical music format is no longer the biggest moneymaker, and that illegal downloading is impossible to stop. I haven't spent a single day in a business class, but from just my own lifelong knowledge and observation of the music industry, I know that something is not right and that it isn't too difficult to fix with innovation. On hiatus until I make a final decision.
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35 comments:
That blows.
BTW which covers did they yank?
Rephrasing the previous comment, They Suck.
These people have nothing better to do, obviously.
Hang in there...
I had the same thing happen, DMCA complaint and all. :( It's certainly discouraging and frustrating! I hope you continue to post your thoughts, but I can understand if you no longer feel the inspiration. :(
Take care! :)
I've got the posts in my Feedreader if you want them.
I already ordered two CDs based on your covers post from yesterday (or the spat of music-listening it drew me into). This is completely retarded.
I was wondering what was happening. This sucks. Your my favorite music blogger! What if you switched to a different blog host?
Sucks AND blows.
Agree, you're my fave music blogger too. Do you think it would help if you put the disclaimer higher up on the page, or is that stupid?
I can't believe it. I just discovered this blog and now its going down? In a couple of days it became my fav blog ever. Please dont stop posting :(
So, in other words, you complain about record companies having removed your posts because you violated copyrights?
Enjoy your hiatus.
Completely ridiculous - every good blog is getting shut down or messed with. How do they expect us to find and appreciate new music - if not for fans posting stuff that they like?
Well, if you decide to shut down - Thank you for the great music that you've introduced me to. This was (is?) a fantastic music source.
That seriously sucks. It truly is a shame. Honestly through blogs like yours and many others I've been turned on to SO MUCH music. Granted I work in music retail, so I have that way too, but still. I visit your blog multiple times a week--and will continue to do so.
Best of luck...and don't give up. Keep it going! It's not all for nothing. TONS of us are listening...
And THANKS for your blog. It's definitely among my favorites.
I hope you don't close the blog. I really enjoy your posts.
thanks for all the kind words! it's really for all the readers like you that I keep doing this, and that's what's keeping me from stopping (plus I love doing it too much). to respond to some comments, I would LOVE to get back those posts if possible (obviously I won't repost the links, but I don't want to lose the posts themselves), so please shoot me an email if your feed readers saved them. the two I'm completely missing are the Covers and Rave+ post from Monday. Also, to Joe, I understand what you're saying, but you have to look at things from a more open perspective. Technically speaking, yes, these are copyrighted songs. However, the music industry is not what it once was. The road to discovering new music, as many readers and I can attest to, is through online media such as this blog. In the long run (which is all that can matter in this changing industry), what is important is interest in artists and their work. This can be achieved through previews, reviews and the like, which do offer some free music (single track downloads don't offer much profit to record companies) but end up getting listeners hooked on artists. This leads to record sales, concert tickets, and in general increased interest in the artists. I don't feel that what I am doing is wrong, though I gladly remove songs at request. It upsets me that many record companies are being so blind to the actual state of music and the industry, and instead of supporting and appreciating bloggers like me, who are in effect free promotion, they shoot them down. (Of course, many labels have embraced digital promotion and are very cooperative towards free downloads of their artists being offered). I want to continue this blog so badly, so I will do my best to figure out a way. Stay tuned.
if you quit what the hell am i supposed to do with my time? you can't just expect me to start doing hw or developing stable relationships now, can you?
Just found your blog tonight mate, keep it going! I've already found a couple of tracks I've heard out and never seen before.
Soon enough they'll realise that they've been going about it the wrong way. Places like here make me *want* to get more music, not pirate it!
I also love your blog. you make a difference to my ears. keep up your passion for music...and we'll keep listening.
Just wanted to say, "Don't stop, keep it up." You are amazing!
Because of your site i have found new artist and i went and bought there song/tracks of itunes and rhapidshare, how is that a bad thing? You could always make your site private and invite only.
I love this site and i am sorry you are dealing with these bullies.
keep it up! hope you'll come back.
ugh, this blows. i love your blog!
You have a really great music blog, boasting quality and variety. I admit to checking out the site at least once a day for new posts, whether the music is newer, older, shameless, etc.
I'd be really sad if you choose to shut this blog down, but given your circumstances under the RIAA it's understandable. Just dropping by to say thanks for sharing your thoughts and the music. I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this blog. Cheers.
You and your blog makes me happy :)
Another regular visitor coming by to express sympathies. And frustrations! This bites a large one.
They are such greedy bastards. I was just reading about what they did to Muxtape - I won't be visiting that site again. I've purchased so many albums after hearing and reading about them on blogs such as this. Good luck!
The industry alway want to control the market and brainwash music supporters to its promote artists.
Naturally music fans will seek new sound from new artist, who embrace the digital revolution, on the web. RIAA doesn't get it and doesn't know what to do except wasting time on music bloggers, continuing to destroy public relation with music fans.......
I like your blog very much, please try to find another way to keep this alive!!
keep it up
I love your blog because it's not the conventional boring typical music posts. If you continue to fight eventually you will win. One way or another. I value your opinion in music because some people don't even know what their talking about. A revolution is about fighting for what 'we' believe in. So please let the music play and continue your desire to help those who appreciate your posting of music that is overlooked because it doesn't fit the stereotypical.
This is a war that THEY NEVER EVER WIN. They screwed up everybody in the past, now, we rule.
There are plenty of ways to obtain music and if you can hear it, you can copy it. Period!
What really is going to work is eliminate bastards like those and let the artists post music on their sites and profit from it.
But while they insist with this lame procedures, THEY WILL NEVER WIN.
There will be ALWAYS a teenager capable to develop a brand new way to share, copy and/or distribute music through the Internet, so keep going and thanks for being here when we needed you must.
I was actually visiting tonight so that I could reccomend your works to a friend of mine. So pleeeeease stick around.
Bad things are always going to happen - to anyone and everyone. That doesn't devalue the good, nor the beauty of people *SHARING*.
My friend just visited from out of state, and all too often kept asking "who is that group?" -- while scribbling down notes on what she liked and may just buy next.
All the great music in the world doesn't sell if they ONLY allow it to be channelled through TOP40 radio and pop music stores. Silly executives...
Dont they know that the more listeners get exposed to sugar-candy sonics, the more that's what they crave? Sales happen because people want MORE of what they've only had a taste of...
Radio is D(ead)EATH/EAF.
Oh please keep fighting the good fight. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog. I could live without the downloads sooner than without your fantastic heads-up on music and artists I later support through CD and ticket sales.
What I find equally sad about this situation is how thoughtlessly Blogger is (without notice) deleting people's entire posts due to this DCMA complaint. This is happening on a few of my fave blogs and not one of you guys has received notification re: what is going to be deleted or why. For shame, Blogger.
Hey Joe, I download a ton of music illegally. (And yet I only download a fraction of what's available out there.)
It's blogs like this that inform me of music I might like, and even though I'll happily accept someone's word that someone is a great artist or that album X is a classic, I still want to "preview" it before spending money on it. And a 30 second sample isn't enough, I want to "live" with the music for a while. Because in the past I've bought music purely on reviews and recommendations, and plenty of times I've gotten "burnt".
Guess what? A large proportion of what I download is music I rarely listen to again after a while, plenty of it will be deleted within months. But some of it will "survive" the listening test, and I will buy the CD. In plenty of cases I still buy the physical release when it involves an artist I like a lot.
Wanna know something? I still spend far more than the average person on CDs and DVDs and the likes. Yet according tot he music industry I'm a criminal who should be persecuted. Go figure: I'm one of their bigger customers, and I regularly recommend music to other people, but because I refuse to play their game (a losing one), I'm a criminal in their eyes.
Yet after more than a decade of trying to fight the tide, they still haven't figured it out.
Oh, and they even suck at basic things -- like providing accurate information to the public. Whenever I need to know what's on a specific release I'm usually better off looking at an online retailer or a fan-site, because the big company has a crappy website that contains ZERO information on what's available.
I've been saying this for TEN+ YEARS, BTW. So have thousands of other people. And instead they let Apple rip people off. Instead they invested in doomed companies. Instead they kept prices high.
They deserve what they're getting.
In the meantime I'll happily spend money on bands like Nine Inch Nails, who don't treat me like a criminal who's out to steal from they. Ghee, who guessed that treating your customers right would result in loyalty and a higher income?
Please come back... I'm having withdrawal issues. Thankfully I have your older posts to hold me over but it wont last forever. PLEASE HELP. If need be, cant you move somewhere different than Blogger? They suck.
Bah! Just when I find an amazing music blog it is teetering on the abyss.
Not. Loving. That!
Your blog and you are amazing! So much great music you've exposed us all to! I always love spinning stuff from your blog in my DJ sets, esp the amazing remixes. And YES blogs like yours are how people get exposed to new music and in turn buy albums and concert tix and create more hype about new struggling artists!
Be like Tupac - Keep ya head up! lol
A setback is a setup for a comeback!
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