I like downloading music. I even like paying for it. So I belong to eMusic, which has just added the Sony stable of artists to its lineup. I don’t think I could be more annoyed.

First, there is a new download structure, wherein full album downloads cost 12 credits, regardless of the number of tracks. For albums with more than 12 tracks, great. With albums with less, or even far less, not as welcoming. Sun 0)))’s new album suddenly became 4 times more expensive than had I downloaded it yesterday. This isn’t that big a deal, since with Sun 0)))) I’m usually spending more time trying to decide if it is justifiably called music, or needs some other label. But the silly whine stands – the service isn’t the service I knew, just a few days ago.

A number of more commercially successful artists and their album are now available, which is great for some. For me, who has been with eMusic for about 5 years now, I still pine a bit for the earlier days. eMusic had an unlimited download subscription, where you could literally download anything in their catalog, as much as you wanted, for a one-time fee. Some people in their official forums, after topping out at 2000 or more downloads a month, complained about having their accounts suspended for abuse of the system. I tried to be studious and fair about how I downloaded all sorts of crap I still, these years later, haven’t listened to, but it gives me a twinge whenever I, trying to use my monthly allotted downloads each month, come across something that was on the service back in those halcyon days of whenevers.

Independent labels were the game, including Beggars Banquet, 4AD, Matador, and, for a short period, Anti. The system was structured to make it easy to collect entire libraries of artists with whom I had only the slightest interest, or ones I actively disliked, but my college buddies assured me were worth the time: Belle and Sebastians, Mogwai, Tortoise. I have the complete (or near as what’s it) catalog of these artists, and could'nt care less about any of them. eMusic helped grow an avarice in me – it increased exposure and commodification of music at the same time. Grew awareness and, I suppose, devalued it all at the same time. I’ve been better at focused admiration, not full genre overviews – I can like Bauhaus without considering Alien Sex Fiend, or dig Opeth without contrasting them with Cannibal Corpse. Emusic invites me to try and indulge a completionists tick that, I don’t think really suits the way I enjoy music. I love the service. I do not know if it is good for me.

contact the author - 2009-07-01 - 20:12:00 PST
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