All good things must come to an end. As a never-ending consumer of music, I have become a huge supporter of Emusic over the years. Their indie approach to downloading was something that I found to be enticing and sincere. I have found a lot of wonderful music through Emusic that I would not or could not find elsewhere. So, the company’s decision to carry major labels (starting with Sony’s back catalog) was bothersome to say the least. But, what came after and was announced today was even more bewildering. Not only was Emusic abandoning the very niche marketing that made them the premiere indie download site, they were raising their prices substantially and slashing download plans to go with it. Obviously, these two shifts go hand in hand. To carry Sony, Emusic had to change their business plan. But, the premise of this whole scenario is just flat out puzzling. Long time Emusic subscribers like myself are up in arms and rightfully so. The majority of these long-time subscribers could care less about the back catalog of Sony. They are on Emusic to find and discover indie bands/artists. To tell your customers that you are raising prices and cutting back downloads to carry something the majority of them do not want in the first place is astounding to me. It is even more astounding to be doing so in the current economic climate where people are looking to cut their spending. Instead you are asking customers to spend more for much less. Perhaps Emusic will offset the losses of long-term subscribers with the attraction of new customers who do care about the Sony back catalog. I have my doubts though. With every major label addition, Emusic will lose their identity and the niche they worked so hard to successfully create. With nothing to distinguish themselves Emusic will surely suffer. Instead of offering something different, they will blend in with all the other major download retailers and become part of the problem. July 1st marks all these changes and the beginning of the end for Emusic…at least for me. As a loyal Emusic customer I am saddened and disappointed. As someone who follows marketing and business practices (especially within the music industry), I am just left dumbfounded. The only question I have left is who will be the next Emusic?
From the Inbox:
I am listening to Pedro The Lion’s 2002 album, Control, for the first time in years. I had forgotten how amazing this album is. This is Pedro The Lion at their most plugged in and rocking. Control showcases David Bazan’s religious themes at their most cynical and desperate state. Bazan’s work is that of a Christian who is questioning his faith at every twist and turn. It makes for a fascinating journey and Control is in my opinion, Pedro The Lion’s finest hour. Where the hell did Bazan disappear to though?
