Sugarcube by SweetVinyl
It appears that the vinyl “fad” is officially a trend. Everyone from cash-strapped millennials to well-to-do audiophiles is embracing or rediscovering the glories of the long-playing phonograph album (and 45s too). Of course, we know that vinyl never went away in hifi; it has always been a reference standard for audiophiles. As such, the hifi […]
Detroit Booze Rock
I’m a child of the 70s from Detroit, so drinking Stroh’s and getting down with good-time rock-and-roll on the FM radio were rights of passage for me and my crew. Guitar, bass and drums is what it was all about – the kick drum thumped us in the solar plexus and the bass guitar rattled our […]
New Hi-Rez Format for Apple Music
As 2015 draws to a close, it is estimated that Apple’s streaming music service, Apple Music, will reach approximately eight million paid subscribers. This places Apple Music comfortably in second place behind its chief rival, Spotify, which claims 75 million active users and 20 million paid subscribers. MIDiA Research, a media and technology analysis organization, […]
Apple Music Update
Since Apple Music launched on June 30, over 11 million iOS device users have opted into the free 90-day trial. That’s not bad, considering the amount of heavy lifting required to bring music-streaming into the mainstream. I mused last month about the impact Apple Music could have on jukebox, and considered the possibility of a […]
Streaming Coming to a Jukebox Near You
With the arrival of Apple’s new subscription, all-you-can-eat music-streaming service, Apple Music, the music industry seems poised for yet another format shake-up. Following are some potential impact points and opportunities for the jukebox world… MUCH MORE STREAMING Apple has sold well over 1 billion iOS devices to date. A significant number of the owners of these […]
Another Hit for Taylor Swift
I’m a big Taylor Swift fan. I don’t own any of her music and I don’t know any of her tunes, but dang she’s got what my grandpa called “moxie.” Her most recent hit is calling out Apple, arguably the most powerful company in the world, for not paying royalties during the three-month free trial of […]
Vinyl Production a Victim of its Own Success?
Vinyl production worldwide is currently operating way above its capacity. Expensive materials, expert knowledge and antiquated machinery and techniques have led to supply shortages and quality problems worldwide. In contrast to the CD, production of which is completely integrated and automated with machines available on the open market, vinyl’s manufacturing chain is divided into many small […]
RSD: A Celebration of Collecting
Record Store Day is a great example of the difference between music collectors and music consumers. People who ripped some of their CDs to their iTunes library and dropped the rest of them off at the Salvation Army don’t typically participate in the festivities on the third Saturday in April. Streaming and MP3ing are for […]
Better Records?
Would it be criminal to charge $250 for a copy of Get the Knack? Welcome to Tom Port’s store, Better Records. Port and his team in Thousand Oaks, CA scour the world of vintage vinyl to find the very best classic rock pressings, as well as jazz and classical titles. Now, I love The Knack and […]
Starbucks Bails on CD Sales
Starbucks recently announced that they will stop selling CDs at the registers of their 21,000+ retail coffee shops around the world. Quoth a Starbucks representative: “We will stop selling physical CDs in our stores at the end of March. Music will remain a key component of our coffeehouse and retail experience, however we will continue […]