Tune In…

So, at this moment, I am feeling slightly old, and VERY out of touch.

I have a collection of over 280 GBs of music, which I have collected (100% legally) through buying CD’s, and digitally through I-Tunes.  At last check, I had a little over 30 days of music, if I was to play them consecutively.  (Yes, I have nightmares of a hard drive failure… thanks for asking)

Anyhoo… I grew up in an environment where all my friends downloaded music illegally, and I always made a big deal out of it… A) Because it was illegal and B) Because I was a songwriter, I feel that the Songwriters and Musicians should receive benefit from their music being played.

Now… I am on Twitter, and I constantly see folks using Blip.fm to “play” music… and tonight, I became a Blip.fm DJ.

However, it goes against everything I have been saying for a long time.  I sent a link, to my 500 (or so) Twitter Followers, asking them to watch and/or listen to music for free.

I referenced a recent Blog Posting, and acknowledged two glaring omissions from my “Under The Influences” Blog, which were James Taylor (Fire and Rain) and Jim Croce (Lover’s Cross)

However, the addition of their names to my Honour Roll of Songwriting Rock Stars, doesn’t in any way diminish the fact that I have been dragged, kicking and screaming into the 90’s.  I posted music without it being paid for.

I’m not too sure how the Canadian Government (or, for that matter, the US Government) view the advances of technology that allows us to type in the name of an Artist, and have access to their catalogue of musical performances, for broadcast to the world.

I understand the popularity of YouTube, and hey… I love a good cat video as much as the next guy !!!  I’m just not sure that I’m ready to take that step, and cross that line.  It is something that I know labels like Nettwerk have been working to break down the walls… but they appear (IMHO) to be one of the few.  Others are still licensing music differently, and behaving as if we were all listening to LP’s on a record player in the living room.

I have an I-Pod, and it is crammed with a diversity of Music that makes my wife’s head spin… (when we listen to music in the car together)  I just am uncertain if I am prepared to endorse broadcasting songs for others to listen to, when they aren’t my own… or I haven’t paid for them.

I think I will have to think a bit more on this, and do some research.

I’m not certain what I think, and I think that some of what I think, is because of my age… and THAT makes me feel old !!!

— Follow Up —

I’m posting a Follow Up, directly IN this posting, as I feel that the comments of @StacieBee were of such profound impact, as to allow me to “get over myself”, and embrace the Technology that allows us to Tweet links to songs to our Followers.  As I stated in my “Under The Influences” post… many of these songs are the cornerstones of my awareness of songwriting, and I believe, being able to share them, is a joy and a gift.  Below is Stacie’s comment:

Bob, virtually everything that *I* blip, is in my iTunes so I don’t feel guilty.  Before I switched to digital music, I had hundreds of CD’s that I’ve since copied to my computer. I’m usually listening to my iTunes library when I decide to blip a song.  To me, Blip.fm is for sharing music with people not so that they don’t have to pay for it, but for them to discover music they like and can go buy.  I’ve bought songs that I’ve heard because of other blippers and I’ve had more than one person tell me that they bought music because of what I blipped. 

   ——

Thanks Stacie !!!  You ROCK !!!

Cheers, Bob