Here's a question from a reader I wanted to share:
Mark in Illinois writes...
Hey Astreaux,
I have been listening to Astreaux World for a couple years now and have REALLY enjoyed the flavor of music available. There are some selections that I am crazy over and would love to purchase the downloads, but it looks like most of them are only available as CD purchases. Is there a way on your Web site that I can select which songs in particular that I really like and listen to them over and over? Or, is the playlist really just set up to run as a list and then start over? I’ve noticed a pattern as the songs play though, so I suppose that the music list just loops. Is that right? Is the system set up so I can select individual songs and listen to them?
Thanks for your feedback!
Hey Mark,
Good questions. Yes, the show is a "stream", designed so you can't clip songs, you have to listen continuously. That allows Live365 to insert streaming ads and make their money. So I've set up an 18 hour track list, and when I can (it's been a while, admittedly), I add new songs and mix up the list to keep it fresh for listeners.
What you describe is the panacea of broadcasting (from the users' standpoint), and I've envisioned it already. And in this genre', with many unsigned artists not locked into contracts with major record labels (and thus able to make their own decisions about distribution and availability), it's actually possible to achieve this from a legal standpoint. I could work with artists to provide me/you with (free or purchased) downloads of their songs, but the administration of such a web-based system is beyond what's available to hobbyists broadcasters. The technology to achieve this is just not yet accessible. Still, I'm positioning my website so that if/when the technology (and the time to create and manage it) is available, I'll pursue it. It doesn't help that this is a money-losing venture and I have to maintain a "real job".
So at this point the best I can do is provide links to the artists' websites, where you can often find free downloads of their music. If you use the "what's playing" window on my website, you can click on an artist's name to perform a quick search of them on my website. Follow the search results to (hopefully) find links to their website, and then check their site for free downloads, or contact them to enquire about specific songs. In most cases they're selling traditional cd's, since selling individual songs is technology still in the hands of just the major players, like iTunes, Walmart, Napster, etc.
You can skip the "what's playing" window and use the search box at the bottom of all Astreaux World pages to find your artists, or dig through the
alphabetical directory.
When I have my way, artists will be able to create mini-sites on Astreaux World, and when you hear something you like you can go to their page, find the song, and depending on the artist's preference download the song for free or for a small fee. The artists and I would share the revenue, and thus support each other in exposing listeners to great ambient/new age/space music, and making that great music available to listeners.
Some day...
Enjoy the music and thanks for writing,
astreaux
