Any Mudcatters on emusic?

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 07:04 PM

So we pay more to subsidise e-music's attempt to move more firmly into the i-Tunes market? Hrumph! Not impressed. I thought their commitment to focussing on stuff from outside of the mainstream was one of their strengths.

Good, succinct letter though, Joe.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 05:47 PM

Well, here's what I wrote to them, along with their response. I have a 2-year membership for myself, and one for my wife. They don't expire for quite a while, so I'll keep downloading Folkways and Topic and Fellside recordings until they run out.


My message:

I have been very happy with my emusic membership. I like folk music, and I really appreciate the wide selection of folk music you have available. With my 2-yer membership, I've been paying less than 25 cents a track, and that has made me very happy.
Your new pricing doubles my cost, which greatly reduces my enthusiasm. I thought you should know that I am very unhappy with these changes, and I would prefer a two-tier pricing program that allows me to download less-popular music at the rate I am currently paying.

Thank you.
-Joe Offer-


---



Hello,

Thank you for contacting eMusic Customer Support,

We understand your concern and want to assure you that we truly value loyal customers like yourself and we are very grateful to you for staying with us this long. This is a big change, but not one that was made lightly. The new plans enable us to better compensate all of our labels, plus add new content from Sony starting in July, and even more new labels in the future. In order to offer you more content from Sony and other labels, we simply can no longer sustain the lowest cost plans that some members have, but we are pleased that we can still offer you prices at less than half the average price per download on iTunes and Amazon.   

Many of you have expressed concern that eMusic is abandoning our focus on independent artists and becoming like "the big guys". This is simply not true. We've given it a lot of thought, and we're confident that we can integrate Sony music in a way that does justice to eMusic -- and not just eMusic as a business, but eMusic as those of us who use it every day know and love it. As you know, we have an exceptionally talented staff of music editors who are excited to highlight the hidden gems in Sony's deep catalog that will only compliment the collection of awesome and unusual tunes already in your eMusic collection.

So yes, while this is a big change, we believe the end result is a better music experience for everyone in the long-term. We hope you will have patience and stay with us to enjoy all the new content coming soon.

Sincerely,
Your Friends at eMusic
Regards,
Miles
eMusic Customer Support

Well, there isn't much of the Sony catalog I'd like.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 02:46 PM

Not had that notification yet in the UK, Joe. No doubt it will follow. Damn! Just as I was getting deep into their folk selection...

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jun 09 - 01:28 PM

Well, emusic.com was a very good deal. I got notice yesterday that they are adding hundreds of thousands of recordings to their catalog - and doubling their prices.
Too bad.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 12:09 PM

what I meant was, I am not a member of emusic and am very unlikely to be in the forseeable future

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 24 Apr 09 - 12:03 PM

To add to Joe's list, several recordings by Rick Fielding are also available on emusic including something called Catspaw's Rag.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Shalini
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 12:12 PM

Why not? If you choose a monthly plan? 'Premium' or 'Connoisseur'.

I don't think I'll be downloading so many songs EVERY month. And with the smaller plans, songs are more expensive.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Rifleman (inactive)
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 12:06 PM

nope

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Shalini
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 12:00 PM

Does that mean you could just have one month of 100 downloads and then stop?

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 04:13 AM

I have been an anonymous* member for 7 years. E Music is very flexible -you can freeze your account if you like- and the range of music is huge. On the slight downside their oldies selections feature a lot of re-recordings, but you can have a preview listen.
For me the selection of Jazz and Blues is ideal. I too have a 100 download a month deal.
* not any more

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: reggie miles
Date: 23 Apr 09 - 12:43 AM

Two of my 3 latest CDs, that contain all original songs, "War Mongerin' Man" and "These Old Shoes" are available via eMusic. I'm not certain why the third one, "Handsful O' Blues", isn't there. Perhaps it's because there's some more adult themes on that one.

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz
Date: 22 Apr 09 - 07:03 PM

I'm more of a Guest than a Mudcatter, but I'm on there with my EP, "The Ghost of Elvis..."
Another way for Mudcatters to get their music out into the world...So, why not? No problems so far...
http://www.emusic.com/artist/Bob-Ryszkiewicz-MP3-Download/11820737.html
Thanks for this post...bob

Subject: RE: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Apr 09 - 06:25 PM

Hmmm. Quite a few.
John Roberts
Anne Lister
Jean Ritchie
Debra Cowan
Jed Marum
David Coffin
Kathy Kallick (daughter of Bruce)
Tom Bliss
Jim Moray

In addition, there are lots of cuts from Mudcatters on Singing Through the Hard Times: A Tribute to Utah Phillips

You'll find lots of folk labels at emusic, most notably Smithsonian/Folkways, Topic, and Fellside.

I have a two-year membership which give me 75 cuts a month, for about $20 a month.

-Joe-

Subject: Any Mudcatters on emusic?
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 22 Apr 09 - 04:59 PM

I'm mad bored with cluttering up my house with CDs, so I've got an account with eMusic, which I truly rate. Tons better than iTunes (no DRM and download, rather than CD, prices) and not chocka with boring chart pop. However, so far I've mainly been using it to maintain my indie-rock habit rather than my folk habit (though I've downloaded some oldies I've never got round to hearing before, like early June Tabor albums and a couple of helpings of the wonderful Louis Killen).

So... are any of you Mudcat guys and gals on there? I have a 100-downloads-a-month deal which means, as far as I'm concerned, that I have total cart-blanche to experiment. So, please, tell me about yourself...

Kind radiations,

(Ir) Rev. Spleen