Music

Subscription Music Services: I’m Sold

 

If you’re a music fan, chances are you can recall a series of transformative events, times when the penny dropped and you sudddenly got it.  I had one of those this morning.

Sitting with the dog at Starbucks drinking coffee (me, not her; she likes her madeleines French cakes, though), I cracked open the email to see what had come in overnight.  Bob Lefsetz’s newsletter featured a rave about a band called Carney, especially a song called “Testify.”

Rather than click on the YouTube link in the newsletter or wait until I got home to find it on iTunes, I opened my newly fully functional Rdio app.  It took about 30 seconds to locate the song, two seconds to add it to my playlist and two more seconds for it to start playing.

It was so painless and easy and quick that it didn’t occur to me what Rdio had allowed me to do

I went from hearing about a song from a band I’d never cared about to listening to it in less than a minute.  And it wasn’t a stream.  Because I subscribe to Rdio for $9.99 a month for an all-you-can-eat plan, the file now lives on my iPhone so I can listen to it anywhere, anytime. 

Suddenly, I got it.  Not on an intellectual level because I’ve been preaching that access to music will trump possession eventually.  No, I got it on the emotional level.  I was able to access a particular (and not very popular) piece of music on my time on my device when I wanted it and where I happened to be. 

It was the content I wanted with the convenience I craved.  I think I’m in love.

If you haven’t tried Rdio yet, go with the free trial.  The interface isn’t terribly intuitive (something where Spotify has it beat–but it doesn’t matter because Spotify isn’t availble in Canada.  Yet.) but give it time and you’ll be making playlists, sharing them with friends and walking around with a pocket full of new times whenever the fancy strikes you.

Sure, I’ll continue to buy CDs because I still love having a physical manifestation of my music collection.  But for checking things out and following up on recommendations without having to fork over $12 or more for a CD?  I’m sold.  And you will be, too.

And “Testify?”  Pretty cool.  Imagine Jack White writing a song for Led Zeppelin around the time of Physical Graffiti.  It rises and falls and builds and recedes.  You think it’s over two, three times, but it keeps roaring back.

If you like tracks like Zep’s “Kashmir” or the Mission’s “Tower of Strength,” give it a listen.

 

 

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37948 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

3 thoughts on “Subscription Music Services: I’m Sold

  • Do you foresee a one stop provider along the lines of Rdio? I searched several band names, some were there, others were not. The artists that were there, only some of their albums were available. I know it's a relatively new "industry" in Canada, but in order to get my monthly subscription, I expect to be able to search on Motorhead and see every album. (maybe I'm unrealistic)

    Reply
  • I'm a huge fan of subscription services. I had a Zune Pass for a while and it was amazing. I'm not a big fan of Rdio because I don't like the interface.

    However I'd GLADLY pay 10.00 per month for Spotify it they would bring it to Canada.

    Reply

Let us know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.