Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 September 2025
How to label DJ mixes in Apple Music and organise them into a playlist - an Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival exemplar
Written for Apple Music users interested in better curating their favourite DJ mixes under one playlist.
Working to update the labels of many files is a schlep, so speed things up by creating a cut-and-paste file. This also helps ensure consistency across labelling.
My txt file simply contained the:
Album title format
0# Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival Mix Series - DJ
Album
0# Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival Mix Series
Grouping
Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival Mix Series
Date
In each song, I set the track number to be 1 of 1 to reflect an entire DJ's mix. In contrast, the disc number follows the Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival mix series' order, e.g. disc number of 1 and 13 to start. This seems apt in being similar to a podcasts' serialisation.
N.B. As you work to add information to each "song" please note that these updates do not automatically reflect in your Apple Music playlist’s display. So, click to another list, then return to yours to update its view.
And here’s Figure 6's end result- an Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival playlist with all mixes extensively labelled, and with album covers added.
Bedroom DJ TraVice here- poorly tagged music files are a pet peeve of mine. I like 'em well-tagged for easy selection. Hopefully this post suggests the value of doing this with the example of a proper playlists creation from Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival's downloads: This Facebook community is dedicated to the 'past, present and future of the atmospheric genre’s sound', as championed by its pioneers LTJ Bukem & DJ Fabio from the early 1990’s. Building on https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16JMzzdxzA, this group’s leadership launched a mix series to showcase its community’s DJ mixing talent in 2023. At the time of writing, 20 mixes are available to stream off Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/atmosphericdrumandbass, with 13 offered for free downloaded (see example in Figure 1).
 |
| Figure 1. Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival soundcloud download selection |
In Apple Music a new playlist is simply created by pressing Apple and N at the same time. After downloading the mixes, they can be placed in a playlist by dragging them there from Songs, or simply right clicking on the mix and selecting <Add to playlist>, then choosing ’ Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival’.
 |
| Figure 2. Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival mixes playlist in Apple Music |
While playlists can be ordered any number of ways for viewing via <Viewing Options>, I like to use the filenames to clearly indicate the order of release (01 - 013). They must also clearly indicate the series they are from through a consistently applied title (yes, the exact same one for readily displaying the entire series in searches).
With all 13 mixes in the playlist (see Figure 2), it’s now time to improve the labelling of each mix. To improve on Figure 3’s example below, I must enter labels into DJ Illesta’s mix’s fields.
 |
| Figure 3. DJ Illesta Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival 1 Apple Music info's starting point |
There's much that can be added… artist, album, album artist composer, year, rating, bpm and comments. The extent of which depends on your interest(s). Likewise some labelling choices will be fairly subjective. Take genre for example, I use “drum and bass”, because most of this genre in my library defaults to the softer atmospheric style. However, aficionados of the hard jungle style may choose that to be their default. They may also prefer using DnB or drum & bass, while I use “drum and bass - hardstep” for grittier tracks and mixes.
It’s also important to appreciate that Apple Music’s labelling/tagging system is not designed around labelling DJ mix-sets. This is a meta-problem, since DJs are musicians whose medium is often a blend of other musical artists’ production and sounds. Apple Music’s labelling is understandably geared to the latter’s conventional works. It would struggle to cope with the meta-mentalness of a DJ doing a continuous remix of another DJs productions and remixes? For example, DJ Lenzman’s 2020 mix of DJ Redeyes' tracks.
With an academic hat on, this challenge suggests the multimodal difficulty of labelling DJ’s music work via Apple Music (and iTunes) textual labels. Its indexing system caters to original artists versus producers, remixers and DJs. For example, there is no dedicated option for adding a DJs setlist. Instead one can appropriate <Comments> (for short set lists) or <Custom Lyrics> (for longer ones), see Figure 4. Since Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival provides setlists for each mix, these are easy enough to copy-and-paste as “Custom Lyrics”.
 |
| Figure 4. DJ Illesta Atmospheric Drum & Bass Apple Music track listing in lyrics |
Since there is no <DJ> identifier, I often add DJ before an artist's name. This makes it easier to select from DJs under the Artists view, depending on one’s mood… Also for a mix of one artist’s work by another DJ (such as Sasha’s “Voyage of Ima” remix of producer BT’s album), it seems apt to use “Composer” to reflect the DJ’s role.
Figure 5 shows what the completed details page looks like- much better, of course!
 |
| Figure 5. DJ Illesta Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival 1 Apple Music info complete + cover |
Working to update the labels of many files is a schlep, so speed things up by creating a cut-and-paste file. This also helps ensure consistency across labelling.
My txt file simply contained the:
Album title format
0# Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival Mix Series - DJ
Album
0# Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival Mix Series
Grouping
Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival Mix Series
Date
2022 2023 2024 2025
Track
1
Track
1
Disc number
13
In each song, I set the track number to be 1 of 1 to reflect an entire DJ's mix. In contrast, the disc number follows the Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival mix series' order, e.g. disc number of 1 and 13 to start. This seems apt in being similar to a podcasts' serialisation.
N.B. As you work to add information to each "song" please note that these updates do not automatically reflect in your Apple Music playlist’s display. So, click to another list, then return to yours to update its view.
And here’s Figure 6's end result- an Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival playlist with all mixes extensively labelled, and with album covers added.
 |
| Figure 6. Atmospheric Drum & Bass Revival Mix Series playlist with full information |
Nice one, selecta DJ TraVice! Your drum-n-bass playlist is now optimally prepared to rinse out...
Fellow trainspotters welcome to rant-&-RAVE in the comments below 👇
Fellow trainspotters welcome to rant-&-RAVE in the comments below 👇
Sunday, 6 October 2013
I'm using an iTunes Store SA account. Should I terminate my account with the iTunes Store US ?
Written for SA iTunes users with US iTunes Store accounts.
With the release of iTunes version 11, the iTunes Store was officially launched to South Africans in December, 2012. The entertaining shopping experience it provides is impressive. This begs the question for locals with iTunes US accounts, should we close the latter?
In making this decision, I suggest you weigh up the benefits of having two accounts against the inconvenience (and added risks) of managing accounts for multiple territories:
Under benefits, account holders of more than one iTunes Store can benefit from being able to select the best one for; i. speediest access and easiest browsing; ii. a wider product range or one better suiting their tastes, iii. lower prices and iv. quicker delivery. In my case, as a local iTunes Store and iTunes US customer (who predominately shops for music), my experience of these benefits has been:
i. Ease of access and browsing.
Accessing the SA store via iTunes is speedy and I seem to have less difficult being interrupted for repeat logins which the US service requires when I'm purchasing music on my laptop or via other devices. Overall, the local service is better.
ii. Product range.
An important reason for accessing the latter is to get the latest US entertainment content, which are unlikely to be available in the local store at the time it is released in the States. As for TV shows, these are currently not offered in South Africa; nor are free games or iTunes radio.
iii. Pricing
A disadvantage of using the US store is the premium that South Africans pay organizing vouchers in terms of purchasing dollars and the associated exchange rate and service provider fees. While purchasing songs en-mass may still be cheaper via the US store (at $ 0.69 to $1.29, compared to R 6.99 to R 8.99), album prices for purchases are often cheaper on the SA store (or local music specialists).
iv. Purchase and delivery process
The local payment system is credit card-based and far more efficient that redeeming vouchers on the iTunes US Store. A further challenge is that songs downloaded with a US account may have a 90-day waiting period before they can be played from your computer, if it is associated with a South African account.
Having used the SA store since its opening, I now rarely log-in to use my US account. However, I will keep the latter until the range of formats and content offered locally approximates that of the iTunes Store US. I believe the advantages of this approach outweighs the minor inconvenience and small risks associated with holding two accounts.
Let us know your approach by adding a comment, thanks?
With the release of iTunes version 11, the iTunes Store was officially launched to South Africans in December, 2012. The entertaining shopping experience it provides is impressive. This begs the question for locals with iTunes US accounts, should we close the latter?
In making this decision, I suggest you weigh up the benefits of having two accounts against the inconvenience (and added risks) of managing accounts for multiple territories:
Under benefits, account holders of more than one iTunes Store can benefit from being able to select the best one for; i. speediest access and easiest browsing; ii. a wider product range or one better suiting their tastes, iii. lower prices and iv. quicker delivery. In my case, as a local iTunes Store and iTunes US customer (who predominately shops for music), my experience of these benefits has been:
i. Ease of access and browsing.
Accessing the SA store via iTunes is speedy and I seem to have less difficult being interrupted for repeat logins which the US service requires when I'm purchasing music on my laptop or via other devices. Overall, the local service is better.
ii. Product range.
An important reason for accessing the latter is to get the latest US entertainment content, which are unlikely to be available in the local store at the time it is released in the States. As for TV shows, these are currently not offered in South Africa; nor are free games or iTunes radio.
iii. Pricing
A disadvantage of using the US store is the premium that South Africans pay organizing vouchers in terms of purchasing dollars and the associated exchange rate and service provider fees. While purchasing songs en-mass may still be cheaper via the US store (at $ 0.69 to $1.29, compared to R 6.99 to R 8.99), album prices for purchases are often cheaper on the SA store (or local music specialists).
iv. Purchase and delivery process
The local payment system is credit card-based and far more efficient that redeeming vouchers on the iTunes US Store. A further challenge is that songs downloaded with a US account may have a 90-day waiting period before they can be played from your computer, if it is associated with a South African account.
Having used the SA store since its opening, I now rarely log-in to use my US account. However, I will keep the latter until the range of formats and content offered locally approximates that of the iTunes Store US. I believe the advantages of this approach outweighs the minor inconvenience and small risks associated with holding two accounts.
Let us know your approach by adding a comment, thanks?
Monday, 24 December 2012
Tips to improve your iTunes library's artists view.
Written for iTunes users who are passionate about organizing their music library.
Out of iTunes 11's four library music views ('songs', 'albums', 'artists' and 'genres'), I now enjoy using artists the most. It wasn't always like that; an erratic collection of compilations had resulted in a long scrolling view that was irritating to navigate. Tired of the genre view and wanting a fresh way to select my music-of-the-moment, I decided to spend time improving my artists view.
Tagging album and song information more appropriately (as described in the tips below) was a good choice as I now have a much better iTunes-user experience: I not only have a speedy way to select an artist's songs and benefit from a more varied listening-experience (than my past reliance on playlists or Genius Mixes), but now also can quickly use the linked 'iTunes Store', 'Listeners Also Bought' and 'Related' options views to find pre-releases, live and cover versions, novelties and remixes that I ordinarily would not have been aware of.
Follow these steps below and you can also have a better iTunes experience using your artists view:
1. Find and change your compilations' album artist titles
The highest selling albums in South Africa have tended to be compilations, which may pose a challenge for local iTunes users' artists view as iTunes prioritizes the 'album artist' field when displaying an artist's albums and singles. This may result in some of your favorite artists, DJs and tunes being hidden in this view, particularly if they are labelled 'Various Artists', 'Various' et al. in the album artist field and their album is also ticked as a compilation type. It's easy enough to check the extent of this challenge in your library, by opening the 'compilations' and 'various artists' "artists" in your artist view and seeing their size (you should also check that there are no namesakes (like 'Various'). It is easy enough to fix, select the songs of your 'best of' albums and change the album artist name to his or her name. (N.B. If you tire of being automatically redirected to the start of your artist view, remember to use the shift and letter shortcut to get back to where you were making changes).
2. Hide artists best viewed under genre
Your library may feature artists who's oeuvre is not large or interesting enough to merit your focus in the artists view. Simply change their album artist field to 'Various Artists' and they will be hidden in the artists view.
3. Change individual album artist names to their more famous band's (or vice-versa)
To ease selection, you may want to move an individual artist under their band's name (say Agnetha Fältskog under ABBA). Simply change their album artist field to their band's name. Of course, this may be reversed, where relevant (i.e. by placing Cream under Eric Clapton). Although nitpicking purists may frown at this, it's your music collection to label and the resulting streamlined view is likely to take priority over complete accuracy.
4. Order tunes and the best remixes under your favorite DJs and producers
In those cases where DJ mixes, re-mixes or producer work are so distinctive that they merit being featured under artists, you should enter the DJ or producer's name in the 'album artist' field. I suggest you also append all DJ's names with DJ (i.e. 'DJ Tonka' or 'DJ Armin Van Buuren'), which makes it easy to select and see the DJs you follow under the artists view's DJ section (just press 'shift' key, followed by 'd' then 'j'). Unfortunately, iTunes only supports one artist entry under its 'artist' and 'album artist' fields, so you may be forced to choose which DJ to highlight a seminal collaboration (such as DJs Sasha and John Digweed) or to label the duo as a distinctive artist.
5. Group soundtrack albums by their composer or director
Following on from DJs, there are also some composers (such as Angelo Badalamenti) or directors (like David Lynch) whose soundtracks are so distinctive that you want to group them under the composer's or director's name. Again specify the 'album artist' field to arrange it.
6. Collate an artist's pseudonyms under one artist's name
Electronic music artists in particular are well-known for using multiple aliases and it is helpful to use the 'album artist' field to group work that would otherwise be listed under distinct artists (i.e. AFX, Blue Calx, Bradley Strider, Caustic Window, DJ Smojphace, GAK, Martin Tressider, Polygon Window, Power-Pill, Q-Chastic, Tahnaiya Russell, The Dice Man, Soit-P.P., and speculatively The Tuss, for the Aphex Twin).
7. Get rid of multiple titles for an artist
iTunes does not support attribution to multiple artists, which I have found particularly problematic with classical music; where the conductor, composer and orchestra have all been attributed under the 'artist' field. To address this, I have decided to only use the artist field for the most important performer and to cut-and-paste the composer's information into the 'composer' field. How you address it depends on your priorities; you are most welcome to label Mozart under "artist", for example!
8. Get rid of 'one hit wonders'
To reduce the artists present in your view, you can also remove any one hit wonders {who only play for a short time when selected, anyway}. However, before doing this, check the artist's 'In The Store' view, just in case the 'one hit wonder' describes your library's content, not the artist's output :) !
If you have any other helpful tips, please share them in the comments box below.
Out of iTunes 11's four library music views ('songs', 'albums', 'artists' and 'genres'), I now enjoy using artists the most. It wasn't always like that; an erratic collection of compilations had resulted in a long scrolling view that was irritating to navigate. Tired of the genre view and wanting a fresh way to select my music-of-the-moment, I decided to spend time improving my artists view.
Tagging album and song information more appropriately (as described in the tips below) was a good choice as I now have a much better iTunes-user experience: I not only have a speedy way to select an artist's songs and benefit from a more varied listening-experience (than my past reliance on playlists or Genius Mixes), but now also can quickly use the linked 'iTunes Store', 'Listeners Also Bought' and 'Related' options views to find pre-releases, live and cover versions, novelties and remixes that I ordinarily would not have been aware of.
Follow these steps below and you can also have a better iTunes experience using your artists view:
1. Find and change your compilations' album artist titles
The highest selling albums in South Africa have tended to be compilations, which may pose a challenge for local iTunes users' artists view as iTunes prioritizes the 'album artist' field when displaying an artist's albums and singles. This may result in some of your favorite artists, DJs and tunes being hidden in this view, particularly if they are labelled 'Various Artists', 'Various' et al. in the album artist field and their album is also ticked as a compilation type. It's easy enough to check the extent of this challenge in your library, by opening the 'compilations' and 'various artists' "artists" in your artist view and seeing their size (you should also check that there are no namesakes (like 'Various'). It is easy enough to fix, select the songs of your 'best of' albums and change the album artist name to his or her name. (N.B. If you tire of being automatically redirected to the start of your artist view, remember to use the shift and letter shortcut to get back to where you were making changes).
2. Hide artists best viewed under genre
Your library may feature artists who's oeuvre is not large or interesting enough to merit your focus in the artists view. Simply change their album artist field to 'Various Artists' and they will be hidden in the artists view.
3. Change individual album artist names to their more famous band's (or vice-versa)
To ease selection, you may want to move an individual artist under their band's name (say Agnetha Fältskog under ABBA). Simply change their album artist field to their band's name. Of course, this may be reversed, where relevant (i.e. by placing Cream under Eric Clapton). Although nitpicking purists may frown at this, it's your music collection to label and the resulting streamlined view is likely to take priority over complete accuracy.
4. Order tunes and the best remixes under your favorite DJs and producers
In those cases where DJ mixes, re-mixes or producer work are so distinctive that they merit being featured under artists, you should enter the DJ or producer's name in the 'album artist' field. I suggest you also append all DJ's names with DJ (i.e. 'DJ Tonka' or 'DJ Armin Van Buuren'), which makes it easy to select and see the DJs you follow under the artists view's DJ section (just press 'shift' key, followed by 'd' then 'j'). Unfortunately, iTunes only supports one artist entry under its 'artist' and 'album artist' fields, so you may be forced to choose which DJ to highlight a seminal collaboration (such as DJs Sasha and John Digweed) or to label the duo as a distinctive artist.
5. Group soundtrack albums by their composer or director
Following on from DJs, there are also some composers (such as Angelo Badalamenti) or directors (like David Lynch) whose soundtracks are so distinctive that you want to group them under the composer's or director's name. Again specify the 'album artist' field to arrange it.
6. Collate an artist's pseudonyms under one artist's name
Electronic music artists in particular are well-known for using multiple aliases and it is helpful to use the 'album artist' field to group work that would otherwise be listed under distinct artists (i.e. AFX, Blue Calx, Bradley Strider, Caustic Window, DJ Smojphace, GAK, Martin Tressider, Polygon Window, Power-Pill, Q-Chastic, Tahnaiya Russell, The Dice Man, Soit-P.P., and speculatively The Tuss, for the Aphex Twin).
7. Get rid of multiple titles for an artist
iTunes does not support attribution to multiple artists, which I have found particularly problematic with classical music; where the conductor, composer and orchestra have all been attributed under the 'artist' field. To address this, I have decided to only use the artist field for the most important performer and to cut-and-paste the composer's information into the 'composer' field. How you address it depends on your priorities; you are most welcome to label Mozart under "artist", for example!
8. Get rid of 'one hit wonders'
To reduce the artists present in your view, you can also remove any one hit wonders {who only play for a short time when selected, anyway}. However, before doing this, check the artist's 'In The Store' view, just in case the 'one hit wonder' describes your library's content, not the artist's output :) !
If you have any other helpful tips, please share them in the comments box below.
Monday, 17 December 2012
11 points to improve iTunes (versions 11.2 and beyond)
Written for Apple iTune's developers and their future users.
iTunes 11 featured many improvements from version 10. Coming soon after a version 11.1 update, here's my eleven points worth on improving aspects of the user's experience (which I just submitted to the iTunes team on http://www.apple.com/feedback/itunesapp.html):
1. Add functionality to import wishlists from one's previous iTunes Store.
For those customers moving from one country's iTunes Store to a newly-opened one, consider providing them with the ability to copy their wish-list from their original Store to the new. In the ideal world, these could even be cross-linked; highlighting which content is only available in a particular iTunes Store.
2. Make artist labeling more idiot-proof.
What is the difference between 'Fleetwood Mac' and 'Fleetwood Mac '? Well, one hard to spot space at the end of the name, that's what. And these are then considered "different artists". There are more easy to spot variations, such as; 'The Jacksons', 'The Jackson 5' and 'Jackson 5', but which is the best option to replace all names with? It would be useful if iTunes could help prevent duplicate artists popping up by flagging commonly misnamed ones and suggesting the 'official spelling'. {Also, where names are duplicated, how about a 'country' tag to differentiate them?}
3. Multiple lines for artist names.
In cutting-and-pasting, I noticed by mistake that one can enter a paragraph-long entry for an artist's name? Not sure who uses this, but if it's as useless as it looks like, please remove the multiple lines option for an artist's name. Or let me know what it's for, ta?
4. Provide an override for auto-corrects to artist album or names
While iPhone auto-corrects can be hilarious (as proved on http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/), it's not so funny when every time you try and correct an incorrectly-named-album-or-artist and it just keeps defaulting to the prior, incorrect name. The work-around of typing the correct entry in another field and copying-and-pasting it into the correct field is a bit of a schlep. So, please give users like me an override option, thanks.
5. One step forward, two scrolls back.
I'm unusually detailed (yes, that's the nice way of saying it) in wanting accurately-defined iTunes song labels and recently spent a few hours ensuring my artist list didn't feature 'one hit wonders', et al., so that I could readily select the more prolific using the 'Music > Artists' view. However, this was a time-consuming process; after changing a song or multiple songs' information, I was bumped back to the start of my Music Library and returning back to where I was could take a few scrolls or keystrokes. So, kindly give the user an option to stay where they are, after making changes to song information, too.
6. Suggest a shortcut.
The shortcut to quickly move through the 'Music > Artists' view is to 1. select an Artist's name, 2. Press down the shift key, immediately followed by the artist's name's letter(s) i.e. TKZ. It would be very helpful to highlight shortcut tips where I selected the same style of operation via the long keyboard way round! {And while you're at it, how about a shortcut function to quickly navigate through album titles?}
7. Please can I hide that artist, song, album or whatever?
In going through my iTunes song list, I was shocked and amazed to discover that it featured a remix of a Paris Hilton tune and some song by that woman-beating Chris Brown… or other. And then there was even Blondie's "Greatest Hits". Who added that; it could't possibly have been me :) ! As an alternative to deleting them, how can I prevent my (few) hipster, synth-playing friends spotting those trashy tunes and ridiculing my terrible taste? Well, I can't until iTunes gives me an option to hide them…
8. Where is that playing from?
While iTunes gives you great access to a range of media, the flipside is that it's sometimes hard to remember where you've been and to easily get back to what you're currently playing. Especially if it was viewed via the 'Music > Artists > In the Store' route and one's subsequently moved into the deep recesses of your Music Library. It'd be neat to have a show 'Currently playing in the iTunes Store' shortcut.
9. A best-practice user guide
In adding new music to iTunes from non-iTunes Store sources, it'd be useful to have an online reference showcasing the best ways to: title a single versus an album; assign a song to multiple artists, etc.
10. A 'request that song' function
I was searching for Qkumba Zoo's 'Cloud Eyes' under the South African iTunes Store and it wasn't available. It would be useful if I could add items that aren't currently in the store to my wish list, as a variety of 'back-order'.
11. More user-friendly network error messaging
Coming from a bandwidth-constrained, developing-world country, I'd appreciate better error-messaging around network issues. While 'Can't access the iTunes store' is accurate, it doesn't give the user much to act on. For example, warning the user not to 'simultaneously stream music, download songs and order new ones' would be more so...
N.B. Apple's iTunes team don't normally provide individuals with feedback, but I'll add it as a comment to this post, if they do.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
iTunes US Store music single and album costs versus local online prices.
Written for South African iTunes US Store users and online music buyers.
I recently enjoyed reading Thyon Design's blogpost on Apple's failure to offer games, music, books, movies and television shows to South African consumers. Interestingly enough, Apple calls its local offering an "App Store" to clearly differentiate its local offer from an iTunes Store. Further, a search for 'itunes store' on www.apple.com/za shows no results. Apple is certainly consistent in its online message that there is no iTunes Store for South Africans (if only local resellers would modify the international marketing material they use to reflect this truth, too!).
Given Apple's opaqueness (at best) around its future plans for launching an iTunes ZA Store, I agree with Thyon Design that the best course of action is to organize an iTunes (US) Store account. Once done, It's simple to buy online from iTunes voucher sellers including; wildtwig.com, mediawob.co.za, mp3sa.co.za, Maximus Cards, Evo Points and cardscodes.com.
As I use my iTunes US account to buy music only, it is interesting to compare pricing there for popular music albums and singles versus local online retailers prices for similar pop products:
Cost per voucher.
Let's say one pays a premium of $3 on a $25 a voucher, which one purchases on a South African credit card via PayPal. This translates into paying 10% extra on every online purchase versus a US consumer.
Cost per song.
So, a $0.99 cents song actually costs $1.09. Multiply that by today's exchange rate ($ 1 = R 8.232) and one pays R 8.97 per song. By comparison, Look and Listen charge between R 9.99 and R 10.99 per song on their most downloaded mp3s list, while OMusic charges either R 9.99 or R 11.99.
Cost per album.
For pop music albums (predominately by international artists) you pay either R 69.99 or R 99 on Look and Listen for any of its top ten and R 99.99 to R 129.99 for pop albums featured on OMusic's banner ads. In the iTunes store the cost ranges from $ 9.99 to $ 14.00. At today's exchange rate, that is between R 82,24 and R 115,25 per album (this excludes the voucher surcharge).
What does this mean for the South African consumer?
While it is at least 10% cheaper to buy singles using the iTunes US Store, South Africans will find it cheaper to buy select albums locally. This is interesting as I mistakenly assumed before writing this post that both songs and albums would inevitably be cheaper given the relatively huge US market. Despite the smaller South African market, our exchange rate and much lower level of competition, it seems that local online retailers believe our market is not willing to pay album prices at US prices. I'll definitely keep this in mind for future online album shops :) !
I recently enjoyed reading Thyon Design's blogpost on Apple's failure to offer games, music, books, movies and television shows to South African consumers. Interestingly enough, Apple calls its local offering an "App Store" to clearly differentiate its local offer from an iTunes Store. Further, a search for 'itunes store' on www.apple.com/za shows no results. Apple is certainly consistent in its online message that there is no iTunes Store for South Africans (if only local resellers would modify the international marketing material they use to reflect this truth, too!).
Given Apple's opaqueness (at best) around its future plans for launching an iTunes ZA Store, I agree with Thyon Design that the best course of action is to organize an iTunes (US) Store account. Once done, It's simple to buy online from iTunes voucher sellers including; wildtwig.com, mediawob.co.za, mp3sa.co.za, Maximus Cards, Evo Points and cardscodes.com.
As I use my iTunes US account to buy music only, it is interesting to compare pricing there for popular music albums and singles versus local online retailers prices for similar pop products:
Cost per voucher.
Let's say one pays a premium of $3 on a $25 a voucher, which one purchases on a South African credit card via PayPal. This translates into paying 10% extra on every online purchase versus a US consumer.
Cost per song.
So, a $0.99 cents song actually costs $1.09. Multiply that by today's exchange rate ($ 1 = R 8.232) and one pays R 8.97 per song. By comparison, Look and Listen charge between R 9.99 and R 10.99 per song on their most downloaded mp3s list, while OMusic charges either R 9.99 or R 11.99.
For pop music albums (predominately by international artists) you pay either R 69.99 or R 99 on Look and Listen for any of its top ten and R 99.99 to R 129.99 for pop albums featured on OMusic's banner ads. In the iTunes store the cost ranges from $ 9.99 to $ 14.00. At today's exchange rate, that is between R 82,24 and R 115,25 per album (this excludes the voucher surcharge).
What does this mean for the South African consumer?
While it is at least 10% cheaper to buy singles using the iTunes US Store, South Africans will find it cheaper to buy select albums locally. This is interesting as I mistakenly assumed before writing this post that both songs and albums would inevitably be cheaper given the relatively huge US market. Despite the smaller South African market, our exchange rate and much lower level of competition, it seems that local online retailers believe our market is not willing to pay album prices at US prices. I'll definitely keep this in mind for future online album shops :) !
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Buying from the iTunes US Store in South Africa
Written for South African iTunes users wanting to buy their favourite music online.
Having exhausted the wait for music to be sold via iTunes South Africa's store, whilst bemoaning the absence of great variety in local online equivalents, I decided to follow MP3SA's instructions on setting up my "US" account.
Despite initial reservations at potential technical aggravations, the process was surprisingly hassle-free. Once done, I used MP3SA and MediaWob to purchase iTunes vouchers. Both rely on PayPal to settle voucher payments; so register with it in advance (or check your credit card details are current). MP3SA's delivery was slower: MediaWob emails a voucher number straight away, but MP3SA first authorizes an online account before you get a voucher number (this can take up to 48 hours). Since both sites' voucher denominations may vary in availability, it's useful to check both before purchasing.
Redeeming the vouchers in the iTunes US Store was simple. However, buying, downloading and navigating the store at the same time could be an unreliable (and irritating) experience. Given my laptop's temperamental network card, Telkom's dodgy traffic shaping and other potential networking issues between SA and the US, this was not suprising. However, I will think twice before downloading a double-album for two hours...
That said, the variety on the US store is superb and I look forward to using it for music I can't find on local equivalents; travisnoakes, rock on :) !
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
Where to buy mp3s for your SA iTunes collection
Written for South African iTunes users struggling to buy music online.
By 2013, South African iTunes users can mark a whole decade of music NOT being sold through their digital music player of choice. Clearly, banking on a 21st century service for Mzansi music fans was utopian, so here's an update on earlier advice for local iTunes users on the best legal alternatives:
With its combined local and international offerings DSTV's Omusic is probably the closest one gets to the iTunes US store's range. Unlike other stores, you must pay upfront into a digital wallet. Choosing a song adds it to your download list and subtracts from your wallet. Music can be downloaded from the site directly or downloaded from an emailed link. Just be careful, there is a three day time limit to download the music straight after you have paid for it, so be careful if ordering many songs by different artists.
Rhythm Music Store.com is the self-described "South African Music Portal" and offers a wide range of local music. Mostly priced at R7 a song, the store offers a nifty browser-based music player which scrolls through an album giving 30 seconds playtime to each song. This is a nifty way to tell whether one should buy a select songs or an entire album. The purchasing process is smooth, one only pays on checkout and there appears to be no time limit for downloading the music one has paid for.
Music Overtone promises "High Quality South African Music" and its catalogue seems mostly Cape-based. One can easily preview an album selection with the site's music player. Clicking on the album's artwork allows one to view a track- listing to play individual tracks. For fans of tightfist.com, there are also eight albums that offer free downloads. However, as one can only select singles as there are no separate prices for albums one cannot "save" while bulk-buying.
If these three sites don't satisfy you, then it's time to get an US iTunes Store account by following the steps at MP3SA or MediaWob. After doing that, you can buy your iTunes vouchers locally and redeem them through the US-store.
If you've got any other sites you like or suggestions, please add them as a comment. Thanks!
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Where to buy DRM-free MP3s online
Written for internet-connected, iTunes and Mac OS-using, (South) Africans
If, like Steve Jobs, Mark Shuttleworth and I, you believe that the Digital Rights Management-free music is ultimately the way to go, then your options for purchasing music online in SA are still suprisingly limited :(.
As Lloyd Gedye wrote, despite the example of the success of the iTunes music store (launched way back in April 2003!) and EMI's success with moving away from DRM-protected music, the South African music industry is still dead-set on enforcing DRM! So much so, that typing in 'buy mp3' into its website's search engine delivers no results. DOH!
So, what options does this leave you with; as a socially-responsible customer, who wants to own (not rent!) the music you buy online? Here are three suggestions:
1 Get DRM-free MP3s from overseas
Check-out how to buy music from Amazon relatively easily at http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/25/amazon-mp3-a-quick-review. Alternatively, try prefueled.com or mp3.com.
2 Buy from your local...
You can buy proudly South African, DRM-free mp3s online from these shops*:
Rhythm Records offers mp3s from R 7 a pop!
Music.Overtone focusses on "high quality South African music".
3 Do the iTunes Music Store work-around...
Visit MediaWob to buy a voucher that you can redeem through the iTunes Music Store. The process is easy.
* Please note that this is not an exhaustive survey; these are the DRM free sites I could find through search engine look-ups. Please post other shop suggestions. Thanks!
Related links
Your 99c belong to the RIAA – Steve Jobs
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/11/07/your_99c_belong/
Waiting for iTunes to come to SA? Don’t. Use Amazon MP3!
http://www.jasonbagley.com/2007/09/27/waiting-for-itunes-to-come-to-sa-dont-use-amazon-mp3/
Find South African Music is a resource for promoting and exposing South African music to the world.
http://www.findsamusic.co.za/
If, like Steve Jobs, Mark Shuttleworth and I, you believe that the Digital Rights Management-free music is ultimately the way to go, then your options for purchasing music online in SA are still suprisingly limited :(.
As Lloyd Gedye wrote, despite the example of the success of the iTunes music store (launched way back in April 2003!) and EMI's success with moving away from DRM-protected music, the South African music industry is still dead-set on enforcing DRM! So much so, that typing in 'buy mp3' into its website's search engine delivers no results. DOH!
So, what options does this leave you with; as a socially-responsible customer, who wants to own (not rent!) the music you buy online? Here are three suggestions:
1 Get DRM-free MP3s from overseas
Check-out how to buy music from Amazon relatively easily at http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/25/amazon-mp3-a-quick-review. Alternatively, try prefueled.com or mp3.com.
2 Buy from your local...
You can buy proudly South African, DRM-free mp3s online from these shops*:
Rhythm Records offers mp3s from R 7 a pop!
Music.Overtone focusses on "high quality South African music".
3 Do the iTunes Music Store work-around...
Visit MediaWob to buy a voucher that you can redeem through the iTunes Music Store. The process is easy.
* Please note that this is not an exhaustive survey; these are the DRM free sites I could find through search engine look-ups. Please post other shop suggestions. Thanks!
Related links
Your 99c belong to the RIAA – Steve Jobs
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/11/07/your_99c_belong/
Waiting for iTunes to come to SA? Don’t. Use Amazon MP3!
http://www.jasonbagley.com/2007/09/27/waiting-for-itunes-to-come-to-sa-dont-use-amazon-mp3/
Find South African Music is a resource for promoting and exposing South African music to the world.
http://www.findsamusic.co.za/
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Hey! Mr South African Music Industry...
This post is written on behalf of South Africa's Mac-using, internet-connected, music buyers.
"Hey! Mr South African music industry, provide a better shopping experience to me,
I'm not pirating, this Mac-user just wants to buy mp3's so easily,
I'm not traveling to your store, being ripped-off no more or changing to a friggin' PC."
Apologies to Bob Dylan's 'Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man'
Instead of emailing each one of you Music CEO bigwigs, I'm just going to blog my thoughts on what I think each-and-every South African, Mac-using, internet connected music buyer is looking for:
1 Convenient access to music
My music is on Mac. Your website doesn't work on Mac. I don't see why your failure to implement web standards should be the problem of every Mac-loving South African... Musica, Pick 'n Play, Look and Listen... I'm talking to you! Then let's not even get into the delay of launching iTunes' Music Store. Sony BMG, you suck! Guess I'll be using Amazon until you sort this out for me....
2 Access to thorough back-catalogues of local and international music
OK. Since your website didn't work, I've walked into your store and you only had the most recent albums of my new favourite artists... but I want albums from Guster and Watershed's back catalogues! Oh, and there's no convenient way to order in-store... Too bad, I'm walking out, empty-handed and wallet-full. I mean, didn't you read the Long Tail?
3 Create exciting buying experiences
I'm demanding, I know, but how about tying-in custom product bundles with discounted gold-circle seats, single remixes with club complimentaries, etc. would do wonders for sagging customer loyalty. We're in an experience economy, after all!
4 A bit of value-add
I know the more I pay you, the more profit you make. So, I'm not expecting your pricing to change BUT I've spent gazillions on music in this lifetime with no recognition (AKA value-add) from you, Mr Scrooge Mc'Label. Wouldn't it be cool if you provided me with the odd ringtone-or-two, bulk-purchasing options online, special offers to concerts, decent recommendations on new buys... or even just updates on the bands I like? Yip, I think it's about time to be changin'. Oh, and if a new version of an album I own is released with bonus tracks, please prompt me to check out the the songs I don't have. Who knows, I just might buy them!
5 Automatic, accurate indexing of the music I buy
OK. So I put your band's CD in iTunes and guess what... the song's name is the artist's name, there's no album artwork or lyrics, the genre's completely wrong... Now, I've got to spend my time sorting this out (like the anorak I am). Now, imagine thousands of iTunes users having to do this... a loop is a loop is a loop! Can you not share our pain AND fix it, huh? Well, at least for contemporary releases. And I bet you could enlist die-hard fans to help with accurately cataloguing your older material. This brings me to...
6 South African music that's ready-indexed
OK. So not everyone's into Jonny Cooper's Swingin' Safari, but do I have to be the first to index all its track titles, composers, etc? Well, yes, if I want to be able to tell track 1 from 2! Then there's no artwork. Bummer. So, now I've got to do a Google search. And failing that, I'll scan the artwork in myself. This is not an unusual experience when importing local artists' music into iTunes. Yes, I do have too much time on my hands, but I could be using it better!
7 Partner-up
My health has improved and my medical insurer's rewards program wants to reward me. Now, wouldn't it be cool if I got some tunes from you to motivate me even further on the ol' glide master? It would also be sweet if you sponsored social networks where I could easily share my enthusiasm for music, too.
OK, which of my musical Santa CEOs is going to deliver first; earning increased loyalty and respect? This music buyer is not a cash cow or criminal, he just wants a 21st Century service for Mac-users in South Africa, capisch.
"Hey! Mr South African music industry, provide a better shopping experience to me,
I'm not pirating, this Mac-user just wants to buy mp3's so easily,
I'm not traveling to your store, being ripped-off no more or changing to a friggin' PC."
Apologies to Bob Dylan's 'Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man'
Instead of emailing each one of you Music CEO bigwigs, I'm just going to blog my thoughts on what I think each-and-every South African, Mac-using, internet connected music buyer is looking for:
1 Convenient access to music
My music is on Mac. Your website doesn't work on Mac. I don't see why your failure to implement web standards should be the problem of every Mac-loving South African... Musica, Pick 'n Play, Look and Listen... I'm talking to you! Then let's not even get into the delay of launching iTunes' Music Store. Sony BMG, you suck! Guess I'll be using Amazon until you sort this out for me....
2 Access to thorough back-catalogues of local and international music
OK. Since your website didn't work, I've walked into your store and you only had the most recent albums of my new favourite artists... but I want albums from Guster and Watershed's back catalogues! Oh, and there's no convenient way to order in-store... Too bad, I'm walking out, empty-handed and wallet-full. I mean, didn't you read the Long Tail?
3 Create exciting buying experiences
I'm demanding, I know, but how about tying-in custom product bundles with discounted gold-circle seats, single remixes with club complimentaries, etc. would do wonders for sagging customer loyalty. We're in an experience economy, after all!
4 A bit of value-add
I know the more I pay you, the more profit you make. So, I'm not expecting your pricing to change BUT I've spent gazillions on music in this lifetime with no recognition (AKA value-add) from you, Mr Scrooge Mc'Label. Wouldn't it be cool if you provided me with the odd ringtone-or-two, bulk-purchasing options online, special offers to concerts, decent recommendations on new buys... or even just updates on the bands I like? Yip, I think it's about time to be changin'. Oh, and if a new version of an album I own is released with bonus tracks, please prompt me to check out the the songs I don't have. Who knows, I just might buy them!
5 Automatic, accurate indexing of the music I buy
OK. So I put your band's CD in iTunes and guess what... the song's name is the artist's name, there's no album artwork or lyrics, the genre's completely wrong... Now, I've got to spend my time sorting this out (like the anorak I am). Now, imagine thousands of iTunes users having to do this... a loop is a loop is a loop! Can you not share our pain AND fix it, huh? Well, at least for contemporary releases. And I bet you could enlist die-hard fans to help with accurately cataloguing your older material. This brings me to...
6 South African music that's ready-indexed
OK. So not everyone's into Jonny Cooper's Swingin' Safari, but do I have to be the first to index all its track titles, composers, etc? Well, yes, if I want to be able to tell track 1 from 2! Then there's no artwork. Bummer. So, now I've got to do a Google search. And failing that, I'll scan the artwork in myself. This is not an unusual experience when importing local artists' music into iTunes. Yes, I do have too much time on my hands, but I could be using it better!
7 Partner-up
My health has improved and my medical insurer's rewards program wants to reward me. Now, wouldn't it be cool if I got some tunes from you to motivate me even further on the ol' glide master? It would also be sweet if you sponsored social networks where I could easily share my enthusiasm for music, too.
OK, which of my musical Santa CEOs is going to deliver first; earning increased loyalty and respect? This music buyer is not a cash cow or criminal, he just wants a 21st Century service for Mac-users in South Africa, capisch.
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