Tech: Liner notes for music bought online

Subject: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: PeadarOfPortsmouth
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 09:49 AM

I'm new to buying music online, and find it great for quickly buying stuff I'm interested in. But something is missing.

Liner notes.

I am comfortable enough in my geekness to admit that I love reading liner notes when I get a new album. Lyrics. Writer credits. The reason they included a particular song. Phony letters of thanks to family members and their agent. All of it.

Does anyone know if there is an online repository of liner notes for albums? iTunes doesn't seem to have them, and the artist's websites don't seem to have them...any leads?

Thanks,

Peter

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Peace
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 10:52 AM

Never even heard of it before, but it's a great idea. Except that people who rip the music get the whole ride for free, and I don't think that aspect of it would be fair to the artist(s).

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Peace
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 10:53 AM

But with that said, I now need magnifying glasses or binoculars to read CD liner notes, so it's a moot point for me personally.

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Mr Happy
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 10:57 AM

If they were available online, you'd be able to enlarge them

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: PeadarOfPortsmouth
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:37 AM

It's disappointing. For example, I just bought Vol. 1 of MacColl's English & Scottish Popular Ballads on iTunes, and I'm sure there's oddles of info in the liner notes...if they existed.

I read the notes for U2, Jaime Cullum and Joss Stone, as well, but the MacColl's is the latest one to plant this seed in my mind.

Peter

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Peace
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:39 AM

Sometimes you can find them with a Google of the album/CD. Then enlarge the screen. (I don't know how to do that.)

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: PeadarOfPortsmouth
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:40 AM

Actually, the migration to music online has already led some to some commentary about how the "artform" of album cover art is going down hill. Just to look at one band for an example, U2's Joshua Tree had a great cover, while How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb -- post iPod -- is completely uninspired.

(Is it okay to introduce thread creep on a thread I started?)

Peter

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Peace
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:45 AM

Fine with me, Peadar.

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: gnomad
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:48 AM

The legal download site Smithsonian Global Sounds has the notes for their range as a separate (free) download. I imagine there are others, but cannot name one.

Oh no, I can: Woven Wheat Whispers

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: gnomad
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 11:55 AM

Peader, Smithsonian have the very record you are seeking (among others) just search their site for MacColl, and it is on the 3rd page.

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: PeadarOfPortsmouth
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:04 PM

SWEET! Thanks gnomad!

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Rog Peek
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 12:47 PM

Smithsonian global sound allow you to download liner notes free. Very handy if you want to see what you are buying before you download the album.

Rog

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 01:56 PM

You're looking at a very real problem with downloads. When a hard copy of an album is sold, there are a few ways to solve this: liner notes can be printerd and included with the CD, a PDF of the liner notes can be recorded on the CD or, as is the case with Smithsonian-Folkways, the notes can be put online in downloadable form.
    The problem with single-track downloads (legal as well as illegal) is that there's not enough money involved to warrant taking the trouble to set up notes. An album with, say, twelve songs typically sells (in the US) for about $15, of which the producer, if he's lucky, may get about eight or nine. Downloading a single track at, say, I-tunes, grosses $0.99, of which the producer may receive $0.60. Not enough to spend much effort on notes and artwork.

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 02:12 PM

I have a serious problem with CD storage, so I've been ripping all my CDs to MP3 on a portable hard drive. The main shortcoming is the liner notes. I've downloaded PDF liner notes for all my Folkways albums, and I think I'll keep the booklets and CD's in binders and store the jewel cases out of the way.

I sure wish everybody provided liner notes like Folkways does. they're free to everyone, whether a person buys an album, a single track, or nothing at all.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: Peace
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 02:23 PM

That makes sense. It also makes sense to have liner notes be informative, interesting and fun. Ditto the artwork.

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:32 PM

It makes a great deal of sense. Who pays for it?

Subject: RE: Tech: Liner notes for music bought online
From: PoppaGator
Date: 08 Feb 08 - 04:43 PM

It undoubtedly costs something to put a PDF up on the web, but there is no additional incremental expense per download once it has been made available. Except for the recipent's ink and paper costs, in the cases of those who print out the docuemtns and don't just view/read them onscreen.

For any album expected to sell a given number of units, publication of the notes and art should be a justifiable expenditure, and indeed a small one. And once the material is available, there's nor reason why single-cut buyers, and even "window shoppers," should not be able to check 'em out along with those who purchase the whole albums.