[GDD™ EDITORIAL] How To Stream, Buy, And Appreciate Music In The 21st Century According To GDD™

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The past month or so has seen a rise or decline in some of the biggest players in the digital music landscape. Apple Music launched, SoundCloud is…transitioning, SFX (the owners of Beatport) are in the midst of a fire sale, Tidal came and went, Spotify is plotting along, and Vinyl is on the rise (again!). Interesting times, to say the least. Below we have divided our online habits into three categories: Streaming (Paid), Streaming (Free), and Purchasing, in order to better evaluate the current state of the industry and also to offer our thoughts and aspirations for where things might go.

So join us, as we divulge our digital endeavors.

Streaming (Paid)

Let’s take a moment to break down this chart..it would appear that Tidal might as well have not even been an option (#RIP) and Rdio garnered the attention of the lovely Laura but it really boils down to Spotify vs. Apple. It seems most of our staff agree that the “Playlist” function on Spotify is a huge hit, the ability to collaborate with other users and curate playlists based off suggested tracks and tunes you like from the radio is also a plus. It’s ability to link with your social network and showcase what your friends are listening to is yet to be seen with Apple and constitutes a major win for the consumer.

Those who have tried Apple Music, though, seem to think that while Spotify has the favorable features at the moment, Apple Music won’t be too far behind. It’s interface is cleaner, the library is more extensive, and the suggested music and radio features are far more sophisticated than what Spotify has to offer. I have found that in using Apple Music I’ve resorted to keeping up with my MP3 collection as the app flawlessly integrates my iTunes library across desktop and mobile and allows me to build playlists based on the music I own and enjoy. Apple Music truly knows me better than myself sometimes, not to mention the terrifically tasteful Beats 1 Radio station featuring some of our favorite industry insiders (sup Zane, Anna, and Soulection).

Currently, I would chalk this up as a victory for Spotify but I also think they have a lot to be worried about as Apple Music picks up steam.

Streaming (Free)

In what is probably the most controversial category at the moment, GDD™ would like to take the time to acknowledge the difficult times at SoundCloud and offer our condolences to those who have lost accounts in the past week. While they are alienating their long standing user base with their strict three strike policy, we are hoping this period of growth provides new direction for the best discovery platform for up and coming artists and DJ’s. Some problem areas our staff have pointed out are the searchability/results of searches can be a bit messy and at times misleading, after the fact copyright infringement notices/this three strike policy (WTF man, wtf…), and an app that is seemingly more and more difficult to use as you update. It’s had a really great run and clearly we all use it a lot, as Gotta Dance Dirty, as individual users, and for our respective DJ purposes. We understand that it is a tricky line to tow with copyright and labels involved, now, but it’s a shame to see longstanding users cast aside in an attempt to legally monetize a platform that’s long been the best and only viable option for fanatics like ourselves.

HypeM is a great discovery platform and aggregator for the best of the net and our team still uses it from time to time, a la personal use and professional use. It has been an honor to serve as a trusted outlet on the site for as long as we have and their rededication to cleaning up their algorithm to better serve their user base is a strong indication of the platforms longevity.

MixCloud is choice #2 when it comes to streaming for mixtapes and mixes alike, it just doesn’t have the interface and usability we’ve come to expect from SoundCloud (and like, come on guys, we just pointed out a TON of problems with SoundCloud, so like, get it together man). We’d prefer to not have to use it, but will if need be and are currently exploring how to respectfully host our GDD™ Guest Mix Series safely, let’s just say, somewhere.

Sorry 8tracks…

Purchasing

Before we jump too far into this category, we wanted to make sure sites like Bandcamp, TraxSource, and Wasabeat all receive honorable mentions and should the survey have been opened to more than four categories they would have been represented. Bandcamp is doing some truly remarkable work with music marketing and their ‘pay what you want’ feature. Google Play is another great service that has garnered a lot of steam lately but nobody seems to be able to take down Apple‘s market share (regardless of their pitiful audio quality standards).

Apple was first to the game, and for that reason alone they reign king. It’s hard to get consumers to switch their ways (as Apple is now coming to realize in this Spotify battle). It’s where a majority of our MP3 collections started and it is most likely where they will always stay, especially if we want to get our collections on our iPhones and iPod’s (do people still own those?). The fact that you can buy/rent Movies, Books, and a plethora of other media through the iTunes store ensures their consumer base is going to stick around and isn’t going anywhere soon.

On the other hand Amazon is doing some truly remarkable work with their platform when it comes to vinyl. They are largely credited with reviving the ancient craft and are now the #1 vinyl retailer in the world. Amazon Prime‘s delivery service allows you to receive a vinyl release the day of the release, a feature I have personally come to grow fond of. While there are a lot of vinyl aficionados in this bunch, it would appear I am the lone wolf in taking advantage of this option.

Juno Records is very interesting, I find myself there to take advantage of a lot of indie/underground releases. It’s a platform I keep up with mainly because I’m directed there from a track’s “BUY” button on SoundCloud. Since most of us are DJ’s and MP3 connoisseurs, I have found Juno Records to be a great place to keep my track selection fresh and different than the top 100 BeatPort trolls.

Nobody can beat Beatport Pro, though, when it comes to providing the best MP3 quality and the most extensive library of dance music. Laura even notes that she likes to use BeatPort (the OG) for it’s streaming services and that it’s seamless integration with the newer ‘Pro’ platform has her hooked. It will be interesting to see how this SFX business plays out and what it means for the web platform. Currently embroiled in artist royalty battles, we certainly can’t condone a platform that doesn’t respect the artistry. Maybe Taylor Swift’s superstar BF Calvin Harris can pen his own open letter to the platform in order to change the game for the better like his megastar GF did with Apple Music, *cough cough* let’s see what you got, Calvin…

Final Notes/Thoughts/Hopes

Ok, we’ve reached the end, thank you for sticking around and navigating our taste in music platforms. Some final thoughts from the team would be to see the barrier for upload to SoundCloud work in a more direct manner with their copyright system as to deter unauthorized content and a clearer ability to decipher between a mix(tape) and individual track. While some have called for a new platform to take the place of SoundCloud, we can certainly be patient during this trial period as the platform *hopefully* morphs into the one stop shop the industry needs.

Laura notes that the decline in purchasing of music and better premium streaming options is helping the industry grow leaps and bounds and has made a huge dent in illegal downloads and torrenting (DON’T STEAL MUSIC, GUYS!). Her allegiance leans more towards Apple Music and commends their ‘Artists You Might Like’ feature and how it integrates with Beats 1 Radio and her current library (I agree as well).

Chase would like everyone to get along so “we can continue to have the proper access to the music we love, regardless of what brand is delivering it to me.” A big amen to that.

Similarly, A-Rod says his hope, “isn’t for something better to come along for streaming services and purchasing platforms, my hope is that my favorite services continue to improve their products in ways that benefit not just its users but artists & labels alike.” A hoo-rah to you, sir.

Stevie says, “The guys at ToneDen.io are building some really cool stuff, MixCloud is looking good, I love Spotify, and Apple Music has some clear talent behind their recent marketing, and to a lesser extent, their product. What ever happened with TheFuture.fm?” I don’t know Stevie, idk.

Jonah doesn’t see himself leaving Spotify for Apple Music and that he also wouldn’t pay for two streaming services. He is worried Apple won’t be able to overtake Spotify‘s overwhelming market share but is curious to watch the situation unfold.

Leave us a comment, let us know your thoughts: are you team Spotify or team Mixcloud? Apple or Spotify? How are YOU buying music? We’d love to hear from you!

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