Comments on: Where the iTunes Store Fails: Community http://20bits.com/articles/where-the-itunes-store-fails-community/ Driven by Data Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:50:46 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jesse Farmer http://20bits.com/articles/where-the-itunes-store-fails-community/comment-page-1/#comment-4186 Jesse Farmer Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:34:57 +0000 http://20bits.com/?p=465#comment-4186 Yeah, I know about Alex, Compete, etc. I've been it both underestimate and overestimate traffic by orders of magnitude.<br><br>But I've found it reliable for trends, and it seems like none of those sites are growing, certainly not in proportion to the shift towards digital distribution over the last year or two.<br><br>For the artists a high engagement site might have all sorts of other benefits, like increase word of mouth and more people who will pay to see them live. Yeah, I know about Alex, Compete, etc. I've been it both underestimate and overestimate traffic by orders of magnitude.

But I've found it reliable for trends, and it seems like none of those sites are growing, certainly not in proportion to the shift towards digital distribution over the last year or two.

For the artists a high engagement site might have all sorts of other benefits, like increase word of mouth and more people who will pay to see them live.

]]> By: adamheroku http://20bits.com/articles/where-the-itunes-store-fails-community/comment-page-1/#comment-4185 adamheroku Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:25:48 +0000 http://20bits.com/?p=465#comment-4185 Alexa is not a very good measure of niche products, so I don't think those data points are very helpful. It does appear that respected artists in their respective electronica subgenres (for example, trance: Christopher Lawrence, progressive house: John Digweed) release their material there simultaneously with vinyl or CD releases through tranditional channels, which seems to me about the biggest endorsement there is. But that doesn't give any info on how many DJs are getting their tracks through Beatport vs. their local vinyl shop, or how many listeners get their mix CDs there vs. <a href="http://amazon.com" rel="nofollow">amazon.com</a>. Alexa is not a very good measure of niche products, so I don't think those data points are very helpful. It does appear that respected artists in their respective electronica subgenres (for example, trance: Christopher Lawrence, progressive house: John Digweed) release their material there simultaneously with vinyl or CD releases through tranditional channels, which seems to me about the biggest endorsement there is. But that doesn't give any info on how many DJs are getting their tracks through Beatport vs. their local vinyl shop, or how many listeners get their mix CDs there vs. amazon.com.

]]> By: Sonja Jovan http://20bits.com/articles/where-the-itunes-store-fails-community/comment-page-1/#comment-4184 Sonja Jovan Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:30:45 +0000 http://20bits.com/?p=465#comment-4184 I suppose it's valid point. <br>And, before you ask, Yes, I do have iTunes.<br>But, No, I don't buy the music there. I buy CDs. I like CDs. <br>Then I upload them on to my computer (iMac).<br><br>But, I have Spotify on my computer. And, I listen to anything I like, whenever I like; FREE! I suppose it's valid point.
And, before you ask, Yes, I do have iTunes.
But, No, I don't buy the music there. I buy CDs. I like CDs.
Then I upload them on to my computer (iMac).

But, I have Spotify on my computer. And, I listen to anything I like, whenever I like; FREE!

]]> By: Jesse Farmer http://20bits.com/articles/where-the-itunes-store-fails-community/comment-page-1/#comment-4183 Jesse Farmer Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:30:40 +0000 http://20bits.com/?p=465#comment-4183 I feel a bit daft since "electronica music store" has Beatport as its first result, so thanks for pointing that out.<br><br>I found a few others, too: <a href="http://mondomix.com/" rel="nofollow">http://mondomix.com/</a> for world music, and <a href="http://www.insound.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.insound.com/</a> for indie music.<br><br>Do you know how successful these communities are? Compete, Alexa, etc. indicate very low volume with little growth over the last year.<br><br>One core hypothesis of this strategy is that revenue = volume*engagement, so you shouldn't need millions of pageviews per month if you have a highly engaged community. Still, I wonder how the numbers play out. I feel a bit daft since “electronica music store” has Beatport as its first result, so thanks for pointing that out.

I found a few others, too: http://mondomix.com/ for world music, and http://www.insound.com/ for indie music.

Do you know how successful these communities are? Compete, Alexa, etc. indicate very low volume with little growth over the last year.

One core hypothesis of this strategy is that revenue = volume*engagement, so you shouldn't need millions of pageviews per month if you have a highly engaged community. Still, I wonder how the numbers play out.

]]> By: adamheroku http://20bits.com/articles/where-the-itunes-store-fails-community/comment-page-1/#comment-4182 adamheroku Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:23:29 +0000 http://20bits.com/?p=465#comment-4182 <a href="http://beatport.com" rel="nofollow">Beatport</a> is pretty much exactly what you described, for dance electronica. Beatport is pretty much exactly what you described, for dance electronica.

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