MAKE HOT SHIT!!!

I don't necessarily agree with the new quota system, however, Beatport is a online digital music retailer and not exactly a "2.0" site. I guess the quota is their way to control quality. Although I'd be surprised if it was for financial reasons. You'd think that they would make more money on the long-tail. They are trying to set standards.

It would be nice to see a new distribution system, something that is really 2.0/community based. I suppose there are already numerous netlabel sites out there, but there are only a few that really can stand as an online community.

Fortunately for me, I only like what's popular, even if it sucks. I'm perfectly happy to have sites like Beatport. Bring on the HOT SHIT!

It's definitely on my list of things to do. Blipswitch phase 2?

Web 2.0 is just a buzzword, not an actual technology. Its even lacks a concrete definition, however, good old wikipedia sums it up nicely:

"Web 2.0 is a trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to facilitate creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. The term became notable after the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use webs."

According to Tim O'Reilly:
“ Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

yeh but thats what netlabels are for...

I think this thread is very interesting... I never gave this much thought until now.

My opinion is that Beatport definitely needs some sort of quality control, but a simple sales quota is bullshit... it's lazy on their part. Everyone knows that there's some great shit out there that's on smaller/lesser-known labels. Beatport should have a staff of 'scouts' that listen, research and review the lower-sale labels before they give them the boot. If they find that there are artists and labels out there that are putting out quality stuff -- but not getting much attention -- then they should make an effort to market and advertise it... This would lead to an increase in sales for them, and for the little guys (duh). If they're still not getting the desired sales results after they've put in the marketing effort, well then time to :arrow:

don't you have to pay a monthly fee to have music up on beat port, or pay an upfront fee? I know CDBaby does this and they put it up on ITunes that way.

I don't use beatport, so I don't know.

music business involves all kinds of assholes making calls about something being good or bad. A retailer, who's sole drive must be to rake in dough while pushing what they feel is quality, has every right to do exactly that.

They do have a broad mainstream audience but I think their A&R is pretty solid, personally.

A

i know what you're saying, but honestly i feel differently.

i think they're doing a fine job keeping the balance... especially considering where they're at now, as a business, retailer, tastemaker, etc. i dont think they're STRICTLY #'s people... i mean it's not like they're only pushing prog for the bucks involved!

They cover most EDM genre's and do so pretty well i'd say. MOST of what you can get on vinyl is there, MANY strictly digital labels of all sorts... i mean if your tracks are selling $3 a quarter, where's the quality? not saying that only $ = quality, but really... i mean if a label's #'s are down (less than $200/quarter i think is their measure), of course the distributor doesnt want to carry the stuff, because nobody's interested but the owner of the label and a small group of people... something's wrong and it's most likely not beatport's A&R.

just my opinion, obviously
a

Part of business is selling stuff.
Thats what beatport does.
It sells stuff and makes money doing so.

For example, candy.
If its good people buy it and eat it, if its bad people don't buy it and the producers eventually either
a: stop selling it
or
b: make better candy.

If a store in hand stocks that candy but nobody buys it, they end up getting rid of it. They aren't going to keep it around because a few people buy it.

If people have to shop through barrels of sweedish fish (sorry if you like those) to find a fucking mars bar (love em!) they would get irritated and stop shopping at all, thus hurting overall sales of the store.

Same with beatport, just with music.

You don't want a shit-load of whatever music out there (and its relatively easy to make electronic music, and not necessarily do it well) clogging up peoples experience with the site. Beatport is all about ease of shopping and the experience it provides.

Its all about opinion, and if the masses say "no, I'm not paying money for it" then why would another business put its neck on the line to sell it? Thats why there is hip hop on beatport now, because people pay money to hear it.

Beatport is doing something that no other is doing, letting small labels compete directly with large labels. You can hear both side by side, compare them and decide on what you would like to spend your cash on.

Its true that some stuff might sell better because of a name, but those names didnt start big, they had to start small too and beatport is providing a legitimate avenue for small labels to potentially make it big in a very very competitive market place.

:D

i want my Fucking change, Matty!

i like beatport.
i give it my endorsement for the being the next president of the united states of america.

actually, one gripe i have is that i wish that it had more dance-rock on it, or at least if they had a genre dedicated to it. right now it's either thrown in with "electronica" or "electro-house", which makes it harder for me to find stuff that i'm not so familiar with cause i have to weed though a lot of electronica and electro-house that is DEFinitely not dance-rock.
but i guess what the "people who bought this also bought...." thing is for, though my tastes aren't always in tune with all those other peeps.

speaking of dance rock... did you guys hear justin's remix of radiohead yet?
pretty damn good IMHO.

The world is your audience!
If you are making music that YOU like but no one else will buy, it's simply artistic masturbation.

Good job Beatport.