Great Scott! Could This Possibly Work?!

- fivefootsteps disse...
- Usuário
- Ago 16 2009, 12h32
Great Scott! Could This Possibly Work?!

I wrote this crazy email with help by many-a comments on the last.fm blog, and decided maybe a formal approach to this situation would be better than what the guys/gals commented on that blog, despite the intention.

Anywho, I don't mind the new layout, I don't mind the CBS switch, I don't give a rat's ass about almost anything as long as they just keep doing what last.fm's always been doing: being innovative and constructive to the distribution and discovery of music.

That being said, i would strongly argue that the three(euro) fee to any country besides their choice three - which i'm sure everyone has heard of, is detrimental to last.fm's future and also to the aforementioned point.

according to http://mashable.com/2009/03/24/lastfm-international-users/:
If you use Last.fm and don’t live in the US, UK, or Germany, you might need to get your wallet out. The online radio service has announced that users outside of those countries (their 3 most popular) will need to start paying €3.00 (about $4.40 USD) per month to continue streaming music on Last.fm.But yeah, here's the email, i think if the community thinks it's a good idea, maybe we can all talk about it till some moderator or staff member notices this and maybe thinks we have something?
Or maybe this idea isn't fully though-out.. either way, if it's a bad idea, it could possibly change into a good one?

Email:

Hello last.fm staff,

I would just like to state this as bluntly as possible because whoever you are, you probably do not have the time - let alone desire - to read a massive wall of text detailing every last millimeter of my most-likely-going-to-be-ignored opinion; but i definitely want to send this despite knowing that it will probably just get sent to your trash folder before you even read the word "hello".

Now, I know many major record companies have pushed you guys into making people pay to listen to their radio outside of the U.S., Germany, and U.K., and i have noticed quite an uproar coming from the last.fm community - I'd be surprised if you at last.fm didn't notice it yourself, and that is precisely why I am sending this: to propose a way to get the last.fm community back to last.fm, and not have to charge roughly 85% of the under-privileged world population 3(euro) a month (which is losing you customers, guaranteed).

"How?" you ask? Simple really: if the record companies want larger-than-an-austrian-body-builder-sized compensation for you streaming and promoting their songs, why not just take them off the website? I've got a hunch that a decline in album sales and a loss of better-than-free promotion would incite them to maybe pull their heads out of their asses long enough to get a breath and reconsider changing how their unrealistic business model works.

I know what you're thinking: "but last.fm users want to hear those tracks! we'd lose traffic and it would not be worth the fuss!" I'm sure at least 70% of the last.fm community would understand that you just want to give the record companies a reality check, a run for their money, and you don't want to screw over 85% of the population as a whole, if you simply told them. Make an announcement that no one can miss on last.fm: on the pages of artists/tracks you're not-allowed-to/not-going-to play, when you log in, etc.; and tell the community why you're not playing them anymore.

Not only would you be saving last.fm, but you may even inadvertently (or not) help change the way the record industry works, and even possibly: help saving music from becoming even more part of some bland corporate mechanism. I do not believe it is right for the record companies to try and control music, maybe last.fm can help?

Sincerely,

Bradwho knows, maybe it's crazy enough to work... discuss? argue? murmur?

ohw btw! kudos (woo!) to anyone who picks up the family guy quote in the email ;)

P.S. This obviously started out as an email, and an email to staff@last.fm, which wasn't a good idea compared to just putting it here so everyone could see it :p

[quote][b][user]fivefootsteps[/user][/b] disse: I wrote this crazy email with help by many-a comments on the last.fm blog, and decided maybe a formal approach to this situation would be better than what the guys/gals commented on that blog, despite the intention. Anywho, I don't mind the new layout, I don't mind the CBS switch, I don't give a rat's ass about almost anything as long as they just keep doing what last.fm's always been doing: being innovative and constructive to the distribution and discovery of music. That being said, i would strongly argue that the three(euro) fee to any country besides their choice three - which i'm sure everyone has heard of, is detrimental to last.fm's future and also to the aforementioned point. according to [url]http://mashable.com/2009/03/24/lastfm-international-users/[/url]: [quote]If you use Last.fm and don’t live in the US, UK, or Germany, you might need to get your wallet out. The online radio service has announced that users outside of those countries (their 3 most popular) will need to start paying €3.00 (about $4.40 USD) per month to continue streaming music on Last.fm.[/quote]But yeah, here's the email, i think if the community thinks it's a good idea, maybe we can all talk about it till some moderator or staff member notices this and maybe thinks we have something? Or maybe this idea isn't fully though-out.. either way, if it's a bad idea, it could [i]possibly[/i] change into a good one? Email: [quote]Hello last.fm staff, I would just like to state this as bluntly as possible because whoever you are, you probably do not have the time - let alone desire - to read a massive wall of text detailing every last millimeter of my most-likely-going-to-be-ignored opinion; but i definitely want to send this despite knowing that it will probably just get sent to your trash folder before you even read the word "hello". Now, I know many major record companies have pushed you guys into making people pay to listen to their radio outside of the U.S., Germany, and U.K., and i have noticed quite an uproar coming from the last.fm community - I'd be surprised if you at last.fm didn't notice it yourself, and that is precisely why I am sending this: to propose a way to get the last.fm community back to last.fm, and not have to charge roughly 85% of the under-privileged world population 3(euro) a month (which is losing you customers, guaranteed). "How?" you ask? Simple really: if the record companies want larger-than-an-austrian-body-builder-sized compensation for you [b]streaming and promoting[/b] their songs, why not just take them off the website? I've got a hunch that a decline in album sales and a loss of better-than-free promotion would incite them to maybe pull their heads out of their asses long enough to get a breath and reconsider changing how their unrealistic business model works. I know what you're thinking: "but last.fm users want to hear those tracks! we'd lose traffic and it would not be worth the fuss!" I'm sure at least 70% of the last.fm community would understand that you just want to give the record companies a reality check, a run for their money, and you don't want to screw over 85% of the population as a whole, if you simply told them. Make an announcement that no one can miss on last.fm: on the pages of artists/tracks you're not-allowed-to/not-going-to play, when you log in, etc.; and tell the community why you're not playing them anymore. Not only would you be saving last.fm, but you may even inadvertently (or not) help change the way the record industry works, and even possibly: help saving music from becoming even more part of some bland corporate mechanism. I do not believe it is right for the record companies to try and control music, maybe last.fm can help? Sincerely, Brad[/quote]who knows, maybe it's crazy enough to work... discuss? argue? murmur? ohw btw! [b][u][i]kudos[/i][/u][/b] (woo!) to anyone who picks up the family guy quote in the email ;) P.S. This obviously started out as an email, and an email to staff@last.fm, which wasn't a good idea compared to just putting it here so everyone could see it :p[quote]

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- hippiedrow disse...
- Usuário
- Set 7 2009, 0h42
I doubt they would read it, let alone heed your advice. If this was the independent last.fm we were talking about, then it might work. But CBS will not have it! The RIAA is a very large entity, so large that they would give a massive conglomerate such as Viacom (CBS' parent company) pause. They would be hesitant to launch what would be perceived as an attack on the RIAA's interests. It would never happen.

The idea is commendable though. I don't use the radio myself, but it would be be nice to make it free for everyone.

this frozen earth of greats relative to true desire for the notes and, it is which they stood still maintenance including but not limited to the potatos and the carrots and other wonderful vegetables of root. we to search for forever the harvest of quality during the years, but nourishment and protection from the ashes of hunger, it give us. harvest Ô kind-hearted, to be blessed and could, it no not similarly on to correspondence and to triumph, it was which necessary to contemplate, but stoic of valor grounded into the frozen earth of old.

[quote][b][user]hippiedrow[/user][/b] disse: I doubt they would read it, let alone heed your advice. If this was the independent last.fm we were talking about, then it might work. But CBS will not have it! The RIAA is a very large entity, so large that they would give a massive conglomerate such as Viacom (CBS' parent company) pause. They would be hesitant to launch what would be perceived as an [i]attack[/i] on the RIAA's interests. It would never happen. The idea is commendable though. I don't use the radio myself, but it would be be nice to make it free for everyone.[quote]

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- It-Alien disse...
- Usuário
- Set 10 2009, 15h13
yes of course this would not work because last.fm, as you stated in your own message, is owned by CBS, so..

[quote][b][user]It-Alien[/user][/b] disse: yes of course this would not work because last.fm, as you stated in your own message, is owned by CBS, so..[quote]

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