Being taken advantage of by ArtistNow.com?

[Steven West]

I don't know if it's me, and I know all sites need to make money to 'stay alive'. But Artistnow.com has really cheesed me off recently. It's mainly a site for photographers and models I guess, but has a ample music section as well - and it was FREE. So I set up a thing www.artistnow.com/stevenwest and was getting a few hits and nice e-mails and such. Fun stuff. Then all of a sudden these e-mails started appearing to the effect "Your 3 month Preview is about to end! Sign up for Premium Membership today at discount rate!"
And of course 'the fine print' says if I don't sign up, I'll remain at 'Basic Level'. So I thinks 'Hell, I'm already at basic - and it's fine by me?' So even though more e-mails came saying 'sign up! SIGN UP! DO IT NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!' I just chucked them thinking some new Maplethorpe will be the lucky sucker to sign up.

Then my music disappeared! Access to my account was 'foxingly hidden' Members still send me e-mail, but I can't respond without being a Premium Member?
I can't see my stats, write anyone, or anything? I guess people missed my music, and recently it magically 're-appeared' there, so that's nice.
So I decide 'okay, what's it cost to be a Premium Member? If it keeps me in with the babes and the fruits - no one famous lives in LA for free either, right?' $10.95 'Basic Premium Member' (allows for e-mails, 20MB of audio, blah-blah-blah... Hmmmm, wait a minute - a one time billing of $381.35 will appear on my credit credit! HOLY SHIT! $10.95 A MONTH!!!!

So am I overeacting to this - or is this some serious greedy bullshit going down? And the site STILL has these 'dateline Love Link' banner ads up - so it's not like it's becoming 'PBS' of the internet - 'Paid for in part by horny perverts like YOU!'

Just interested what members take here on this little story is? I know there's always heated debate about 'Freeware/Payware' which I respect. But this 'rug pulling' on me is something I'm not really familiar with? Has this happened to other sites as well? I'm just fearful of SoundClick getting this 'bright idea' next! (They're really smart how they manage themselves there, so I doubt they'll get THAT greedy. )

[shamann]

So they want you to pay them $11 a month for other people to listen to your music for free? What do you get out of it?

Wasn't there an episode of Happy Days that dealt with this? "Gee, Richie, I think we've all learned a listen from this one."

[Spe3D]

Go to AUDIOSHOT

Ranges from FREE to bloody cheap a YEAR

HTTP://audioshot.com

Check it out - Its for ARTISTS of ALL types to place a website for ART (music, phtography, graphics etc)

Best regards,

Spe3d

(shamless plug )

[cptgone]

Gross!

Vitaminic is a site like that and they started charging for a "premium service" too, but I didn't want it and now, some years later, I still can share (or even sell) my music there (with some restrictions, like the number of tracks they will host).

Recently joined Besonic's free service and that's OK too.

If you can still edit your page or personal data, consider posting a link to your new site there and telling them after some time to remove your music. that should tackle your unanswerable emails problem.

[shamann]

Go to AUDIOSHOT

Difference is that sites like Artistnow tend to have a central index for passersby through which they can browse. Yours is a web hosting company only, yes?

[Spe3D]

Go to AUDIOSHOT

Difference is that sites like Artistnow tend to have a central index for passersby through which they can browse. Yours is a web hosting company only, yes?

Web Hosting Yes!

Gives freedom that way to the ARTIST rather than bolt into these kind of situations as in the first post - plus you can run around the net posting your website link (like at K-v-R) And another thing - if you get yourself a domain name (they dont cost much per year these days) if the hosting company starts to screw you - you just point the domain to another host - upload your stuff and email etc is intact.

Best regards,

Spe3d

[Steven West]

Think I'm on VitaminC and BeSonic as well? I get 'newsletters' from them constantly, so maybe in a drunken stooper I signed up? But they're good sites as far as I know. And like you say, they shoot for the 'Premium Service' deal so you can upload your 22min opus, or every photo taken on your 'Tri-State Tour', and that's fine. And they don't screw around with 'basic' members. You get xxMB and 5 pic's or whatever, and that's FINE by me.

And I don't think I can change/alter my ArtistNow stuff either? Have to 'Sign Up At Regular Rates' now because I missed 'the all important offer'. I've been contacting members via 'music comments' which they can review and edit before they post. So I was like 'Man, this place SUCKS! Lets blow this hole!'... And then I thought 'what if it doesn't suck? Maybe this is how the world turns now?' But you guys seem to think not? PHEW! Atleast - not yet.

But even Soundoo.com - and I don't want to dump on these guys, cause they're going to be saving my bacon soon. But after November, they want I think $35EUR from artists who wish to sell their CD's there? This I can undestand somewhat - because they don't want 12 year old Bucky and his new Instant DJ software taking up space with shite Eminem remix CD's that stink a mile away. But S35??? I just hope I'm not becoming a old fart saying 'Back in my day, when you wanted to keep the geeks out, you charged them $5 And beer was $2 and a good hooker was 25% off on Tuesdays!'

But too, I don't want to sound like a complete 'starving artist' though? But I have yet to see a busker playing their heart out on a street corner wearing a Hugo Boss suit and tons of 'bling' on their fingers? So what is the 'etiqutte' of trying to get exposure whether you're good or bad, and finding out 'it costs a pretty penny'? I don't want to bring up abortions here - but you never know if the kids going to be another Bob Dylan or just a Tiny Tim? So I'm fearful if sites continue with a exceeding practice - it might deprive us all of some great music in the future?

Or if momma thought different, I'd be just another pit in the 'cherry bucket' - And you'd all be stuck with JUST Tiny Tim.

[VicDiesel]

Electromancer is still ridiculously cheap.

V.

[Chickenman]

Soundclick.com is cool... I've never had an email from them asking for anything. They already have a big userbase and a cool chart system. I'm pretty sure you can have as many songs as you want as well.

[Spe3D]

So to be cool = you need an index?

And 1 page?

And get charged per month?

Limit the sample rates of MP3s?

And a chart where the scale means nothing about the quality – just how much you posted (hey I am nearly in the top ten – go and download me)?

And make the browsers of the index sign up, before they can listen to your music?

I can do that

I will set up a site just for indexs and guys who whant to be in them

~~~~~

But I am keeping AudioShot as it is

Here are some sites allready hosted:

http://audioshots.net/

= Unique to each other

Best regards,

Spe3d

[shamann]

So to be cool = you need an index?

And 1 page?

And get charged per month?

Limit the sample rates of MP3s?

And a chart where the scale means nothing about the quality – just how much you posted (hey I am nearly in the top ten – go and download me)?

And make the browsers of the index sign up, before they can listen to your music?

I can do that

I'm with you, I think webhosting is a better way to go in that it's all about you rather than the master site. But these OMD's are designed essentially to be clearing houses or even virtual music shops. This way people in the mood for one kind of music can just go browsing, whether are not they know the artist.

Ideally, a well-categorized music-only web index/portal would solve both problems. Develop a way to draw people's attention to various sites when looking for music. There are some things out there similar, but nothing really that's a portal llke Yahoo designed to work like Ampcast, with index, categories, charts, site news and artist profiles, etc.

[Steven West]

I'll be certainly giving a look into Audio Shot SpE3d.

The one drag about SoundClick is certain 'lame-O's' that complain about 'having to sign up'. Then others tell me they can go and play and download and never get asked a question, and they're not 'members'? But even still - how long does it take a listener to sign up? And it's not just 'for me' - there's LOTS of great music there! These lame-O's probably hate the fact HMV puts Alternative upstairs, and electronic all the way in the basement... "Ahhh f**k, not MORE stairs! " Yeah buddy, it's called 'free exercise' - get some! And of course, HMV is hoping you'll see something of interest on the Main Floor in your travels - so I can dig that.

While I'm ranting and raving here - the one that REALLY gets on my tits.... SOCAN apparently have got this thing in Canada if Sam's or HMV et al play your CD to boost sales - the store has to pay royalties to SOCAN now! The sheer audacity of that is SO ludicrous! The Gap, Dance Club 101, 780 Fart AM - those I can see. They're giving people good times from your music without being anywhere near a record store or jukebox, using as a sales incentive to sell jeans to rolling papers. But a CD store that is trying to move stock? You came in for Bon Jovi, and you left with Bon Jovi AND Steven West - and I make more money than Bon Jovi because Sam's was promoting 'Canadian talent' in store to encourage sales?... Yeah, you'd think I'd be happy 'bout that? But it's WRONG! It deters say Sam's from playing a louse like me in order to play Nelly Furtado - because Nelly Furtado SELLS! Neil Young SELLS! Shania Twain SELLS! So they're just perpetuating what the general public already know. DUUH!

Shouldn't living be a learning experience?
We're ALL paying for it regardless.

[valley]

The one drag about SoundClick is certain 'lame-O's' that complain about 'having to sign up'. Then others tell me they can go and play and download and never get asked a question, and they're not 'members'? But even still - how long does it take a listener to sign up? And it's not just 'for me' - there's LOTS of great music there! These lame-O's probably hate the fact HMV puts Alternative upstairs, and electronic all the way in the basement... "Ahhh f**k, not MORE stairs! " Yeah buddy, it's called 'free exercise' - get some!

Actually, I just can't be arsed to give my email address to yet another company so I can spend a few more hours configuring my spam filters.

YMMV.

[kaden]

Maybe get some easier to configure spam filters?

K

[Steven West]

The one drag about SoundClick is certain 'lame-O's' that complain about 'having to sign up'. Then others tell me they can go and play and download and never get asked a question, and they're not 'members'? But even still - how long does it take a listener to sign up? And it's not just 'for me' - there's LOTS of great music there! These lame-O's probably hate the fact HMV puts Alternative upstairs, and electronic all the way in the basement... "Ahhh f**k, not MORE stairs! " Yeah buddy, it's called 'free exercise' - get some!

Actually, I just can't be arsed to give my email address to yet another company so I can spend a few more hours configuring my spam filters.

YMMV.

Yeah but - do you know you're going to get spammed?
And if you do get spammed afterwards, can't you THEN say 'I guess I made a mistake' and then put the fiters on? I mean, you're HERE, you're INTO MUSIC, you SUPPORT people. I don't see how SoundClick or another music site is that much different - whether you give them your e-mail address and check a box saying 'DO NOT SEND NEWSLETTER'? Granted, if I or someone was at TimeLife.com and everytime someone checked a song out - they got shitloads of 'Buy Better Home Repair Series 1-9 for $79.99!' e-mails, or introductory copies of Time and Self were being crammed into your mailbox - I for one would not coerce people to check my music out there and apologise profusely if I had caused them any extra litter.

But I for one get NOTHING of spams from SoundClick?
Maybe it's my server blocking them? And aside from 1 Pop-Up ad I have to close when I enter, it seems squeeky clean to me? Great music and people there! Best I can tell you Valley - it doesn't hurt that much.

Now how do I block the annoying reminders in my e-mail that I have messages in my mail at KVR? I mean sheesh, what kind of crap is that?