7/12/2010 6:15:11 AM
Debut of new album

3/23/2009 12:10:14 AM
You reap what you sow...

1/1/2008 9:32:24 PM
membership renewal

1/1/2008 9:32:24 PM

membership renewal
Hi Folks....
There are alot of great musicians here. I like this site alot. Money is tight though and getting tighter and i am not sure about renewing my Prime. I would be the first to admit that i have not invested alot of time here, and that's probably why i don't get a big sense of community. I read the stats and struggle to believe that my songs have been listened to thousands of times and yet i get no comments or emails or messages. Seems kinda strange. The main reason i am affiliated with so many other links is d/t the kindness and support i have gotten from another artist here. Bottom line...is there anybody out there that really cares if i am here or not? My gut feeling is that the vast majority of folks here are musicians, just like most other OMD's (maybe all) Alot of musicians aren't that into listening to others...they would rather be making their own. I can easily understand that. So here i am for 12 more days. Maybe i'll rattle about and see what happens. Thanks for reading my ramble. Pine

1/1/2008 10:22:41 PM ---- Updated 1/1/2008 10:22:41 PM

Pinedog ... you are right ... the vast majority here are musicians ... but this place is full of a different breed of musicians...
I, for one, LOVE listening to other people's stuff, and there is a very large group of Artist here that do also ...
I'm streaming your stuff as I type these words ... I'm sorry I haven't found you until now ... good stuff...
Like you said ... there are a LOT of artist here ... I never knew you existed until now...
I've found it's all in relation as to what you want to put into the scene as to what you get back ... We are mostly musicians here and we appreciate people taking the time to listen to our stuff too ... but if I'm not putting forth the effort to reach other people, why would they put forth the effort to reach me ?
It doesn't take a lot of time to reach out ... even if you only have a few hours a week or even a month... but obviously the more you put in the more you recieve ...
... and your stuff is definitely worth taking some time to get people to listen !!!

Does anyone care if you are here or not ?
Well I don't know you... but I care ... mostly because I have found no other site out there compares with IAC ... I hate to see anyone leave ... because sooner or later this is going to be the only place to be ... Great music like I'm listening to right now from your page .... "Three Ships" makes this place FANTASTIC ! ...
I come for the music and I love the commraderie ... hey everyone is not the same ... but what ever floats one's boat it is here at IAC ..

...and I like reading rambles ... :)

Hope you re-up ... but either way ... I hope it's all good for you..

Peace
Sam

1/2/2008 12:09:37 AM

Hey Pine,

Sam is right on the Money about how do get the most out of this site...and similar sites. However, visiting your page I find that you are doing just fine! You have Stations playing your songs, pages linking to yours, downloads for sale....

IAC is not big on giving direct feedback on your songs in the way of reviews, but a very positive sign comes when someone chooses to add you to their station. In that regard, you are getting good feedback....as strong as any positive comment. What better commentary then someone liking your material enough to add it to their playlist??? The fact that you are getting plays here is another reason to stay.

I am a Musician/songwriter/engineer. I believe most of us who interact on the pipeline are creative types, and in my experience we are all very friendly and supportive.

Hope you stick around, no matter what you choose...good Luck to you!

Jeff

1/2/2008 8:48:17 AM

If you're asking about staying Prime
Then I'll have to reply in a rhyme

Now this may sound a little surreal
But it's true, Prime improves how you feel

So there really is no better way
To have ALL your songs on display

Our listening audience is vast
For the quality bands we've amassed

And if you're getting so many plays
Don't it prove that our marketing pays

It doesn't just stop at this site
Wherever you go then you might

Take your IAC player along
And the World can enjoy every song

Only one more investment, that's all
And you will be happy to call

Pinedog a fully fledged life devotee
Of the indie revolution that is IAC

Thank you and my name is Ver..i...ty

1/2/2008 11:26:06 AM

Hi Sam...Thank you for responding . I fully expected none...and three already! You confirm what i suspected...nothing invested, nothing gained. I was very involved in MIXPOSURE.COM...it crashed and along with it over 500 reviews on my songs and over 800 i had written...gone...poof! Bummer. I had and still have a site at Soundclick...they are bigger and better than ever with all the bells and whistles...over 3 million folks (not sure that's good or bad..lol) Social page like MySpace, unlimited uploads, and now ratings and reviews...radio stations.....along with video posting and slideshows...all for free. Free. Still, it lacks the warmth and community i felt at Mixposure.I have a freebie site at Broadjam.com...seems like a rather cold site..and lots of ex-Mix folks are flocking to IMUSICSCENE.COM....but i have not yet and may not. I really do like this site as it seems to have quite a different group of artists...and mostly to my liking. You get what you give and i have given minimally so i understand the lack of commradery. I am not in forums or the Pipeline so what do i expect. Well...i sure didn't expect three responses in one day to my ramble, i'll tell ya that! Reaffirms my faith in this place. I will certainly reconsider. Thanks again for your open, honest, and supportive feedback.

Happy New Year!.......Pinedog

1/2/2008 11:37:55 AM

Hi Jeff....Thanks for also taking the time to respond. It surprised the heck out of me. The reason i am as "affiliated" on all those stations and links is largely due to the endless support i have gotten from Maria Daines and MaryAlice & Chris Pollard. They brought me here initially and i guess, in hindsight, i kinda dropped the ball.
Jeff...you mentioned plays. I have, supposedly thousands. Do you believe those stats are legitimate? I'd sure like to think they are, but ....for my music?
As i said to Sam, perhaps if i was active in the pipeline, messaging and forums, i would no doubt have a whole different experience. Your response has been very helpful. Thank you....and Happy New Year!.........Pine

1/2/2008 11:43:09 AM

Hi Verity...What a lovely basket of verse! You bring up many good points and did it in a fun way. That shows a joyous spirit! Thank you...i am strongly reconsidering my renewal.
Happy New Year to you Verity!.........Pine

1/2/2008 12:17:55 PM

Hi Pinedog

I thought you'd be interested to know that for some of my songs I have had less than 30 plays while others have gone into four figures so if the stats are not true then at least there is a true differentioal between good and bad stats :) I don't focus on them much now because you'll never know which 'visitors' are playing you...at least with Prime you can see the daily internal and Station plays.

Jilly

1/2/2008 4:25:09 PM

Just saying hi Pine. I think that there are probably others who feel like you. They are not making themselves known and then it feels like nothing is happening. If I had not made myself known by venturing out on the pipeline, then I would have never experienced the friendship and support that I have found here either. It was hard and scarey at first. But, seriously, now these pipeliners feel like a kind of family to me. Actually we are kind of like a family, one that keeps on growing bigger with new members. We even fight like a family sometimes. :-) deb

1/2/2008 7:11:42 PM

Hi Jillian...Thank you for taking the time to respond. Your experience with stats would tend to validate it to me. Mine are like that as well...some vastly outnumbering others....which is really interesting. I agree that the PRIME membership offers alot..in fact i won't stay at all if i don't renew. I think these sites are meant to be engaged and participated in...which i have done a rather poor job of. I got alot of plays because i was generously supported and promoted by my good friends Paul Killington and Maria Daines. Without them, i would have been all but invisible. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Pine

1/2/2008 7:30:43 PM

Hi Deb...I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this subject. I guess it's the same everywhere in that if you don't invest, you don't profit. I am referring to friendships and sharing, not money. IMHO, the music industry is a disaster. The glut of high quality music available is so overwhelming it has numbed the populus..lol...maybe it's just because i am a musician and closing in on 60 but it seems that it's all kinda just taken for granted anymore. Maybe i am just out of touch. Youngsters like Hannah Montana are selling out shows and making millions with a target audience of 8-12 year olds. That's cool...good to see that at least kids are still listening to something. But the days of the "album" are apparently gone. Folks don't buy CD's, they rent songs for iPods. Kinda funny and it doesn't upset me at all because the only thing in Life for certain is that things change. You bring up valid points about the Pipeline. Ya can't have fun swimming if ya don't jump in the pool. Thanks and Happy New year to you! Pine

1/2/2008 7:55:34 PM

As others have said: You reap what you sow. The more effort/contribution you put in, the more is returned (usually).

I felt as you did about IAC and stopped visiting until recently and now here feels much better. I went for Prime (expires 2108!) and, if nothing else, IAC provides a great mothership in cyberspace for streaming your music from, but it actually has more than that to offer if you want it to. The Stations are the heart of it in my opinion.

I still prefer MySpace because there's a far greater variety of people and also it's now beginning to snowball for me. Approx 30% of my MySpace 'Fwends' are not musicians but are genuine music lovers and it feels great to interact with them (and be told "You rock!!" by hot Portuguese laydee singers! Who can blame me!!?).

Whatever else you do or go to, there's nothing to be lost by sticking around here and lots to be gained. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Of course, if you are short of money, it's a different consideration.

All the best, either way.

RedRobin

1/3/2008 7:27:11 PM

Hi Red Robin...Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and feelings. I agree that this site is somehow a bit different from the multitude of other OMD's. The folks here seem nice...and talented...and diverse. I guess the stations are good if anybody listens to them. In hope they do because folks take time to put together nice collections and it makes for a good listen.
As for MySpace...well....i have been there one year, had 4k plays, and enjoy communicating with non muusicians as well. 300 million folks there...but it is also kinda superficial and time consuming for all the "friend requests" from folks who couldn't care less about your music and are number hunting. My comments are from the same handful of friends and i am strongly considering cutting the cord there d/t the time it takes to respond to everybody. I am glad it's working out for you...it does for some..i see hundeds of plays daily on some sites...usually bands that play out regularly or tour. I'll see how things feel in 9 days when my sub runs out.
Happy New Year...........Pinedog

1/3/2008 10:32:57 PM

Pinedog,
You say your plays on myspace are around 4k then you wonder if the stats of 1k are correct on IAC because they are too many? I can tell you that I watch my stats and they do change each month. You can also get a yearly stat that shows all the months of plays. That should show you something in play veriety.

You also say that on myspace you are getting many friend requests and messages but then talk about removing it because its too much work. At the same time you complain that no one seems to notice you at IAC even though you have station adds and a thousand plays? Seems like you contradict yourself myspace is too busy but IAC is too laid back?

As you have noted you have had a few responses to your "ramble" and this is the first day of your blog. As you also noted you have not put in much effort in being a part of the community. Even if you decide not continue prime you can still stay basic. This is free but you can only have two songs. If money is the reason your leaving then at least you can keep your page with the basic account. Maybe now that others have noticed you this will inspire you to stay. That is your call.

Good luck whatever you decide.
TSC
Ken

1/4/2008 4:23:10 PM

Hi Ken...Thanks for dropping by on this. I can see where you might be confused by the thoughts i shared. As for MySpace, i would expect to get more plays...after all, there are i think over 300 MILLION members there now...how many is IAC? Bigger is not always better. MS is mostly all about socializing. I like IAC because it seems the socializing here is at least focused on or stems from the music. Everyone i have had contact with here was polite, intelligent, and respectful and i have always returned comments and offered thank yous for station adds. As i have stated, i have not put alot of effort into this site like i did at Mixposure.com, because after the crash there i was really disappointed with OMD's altogether...then there was the picture thing here and i thought "uh-oh...here we go again". I want to spend less time online and get more out of it...that's why MS is probably gonna go. I like Soundclick for it's solid operation and design...but it is not as "homey" as IAC.
The fact that so many have responded to this when i expected none says very good things about the site and it's members. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Pinedog

1/4/2008 5:00:54 PM

Funny, I don't find myspace social at all. To me, it feels kind of cold and empty. It feels artificial, very superficial. It's all presentation without heart. I can't get into that place at all.

It feels more real here. Even if the people bug you, at least they're real.

My daughter put us on myspace. I never visit there but I get the odd message. When I reply, I just tell them to come on over to IAC.

1/4/2008 5:50:41 PM

It appears i have again chosen my words poorly. By "social" i meant about people as opposed to sharing music and feelings of substance.
Cold, empty, artificial, superficial...well chosen words to describe MySpace. I am there because some family and close friends are...but then there is "all the rest"...which is what i was trying to say before. It is a time sponge if you try to be polite and respond. Alot of artists have sites there because it is populated by consumers...far moreso than OMD's like this, where i would venture to presume the vast majority are artists themselves.
If MySpace cost a penny i would not renew.

1/4/2008 5:51:22 PM

I originally put the Jammers up on MS, and we're still there, but I spend much more time here....there's much more music to find here, it's easier to get around, and I much prefer the Pipeline to the bulletin approach to meeting new people....including you, Pinedog. It's nice to meet you.
Jammerdood

1/4/2008 5:53:11 PM

can't resist putting in my 5 cents worth!

You're right ----We have been away from IAC since just b4 Xmas and the plays have dropped accordingly------we have several other sites also (including Myspace)
and use them as a network---with a domain page as a homepage to which they all link----www.silverwoodstudio.net
Costs $30 for that, ---------- energy in = energy out,

This place has the best people though----that's for sure!!

1/4/2008 6:01:44 PM

I don't think we need judge either IAC or MySpace as being 'better' than the other. They are slightly different and definably different in 'feel'. I think they also overlap and what they have in common is music (assuming we are talking about the music side of MySpace).

Regarding 'reality', I only know one person here in real life (and he isn't a musician) but I actually know in person quite a few of my MySpace 'Friends' - I don't think it matters either way.

MySpace is far more international - IAC seems to be mostly American or UK. Also, IAC seems to be mostly people of very similar generations/age-groups, whereas MySpace embraces interaction between people of all ages. And no-one can justifiably claim that the quality of music is better in one than the other.

People are people whichever part of the internet they mostly inhabit and all have the same faults and qualities.

Ultimately we each have our own individual irrational preferences and it's not difficult to enjoy both.

1/4/2008 7:17:47 PM

What a great thread Pine & all :)

I think it's a good idea to stay on the sites that you can manage financially and time-wise even if sometimes you hit a dormant patch or have no time to call in, that's happened to me a few times but coming back is always great! Bryan Anthony once told me he thought sharing music on the net should be like having a shop window on every street corner and if it's for free then even better! I love myspace for the animal welfare community (especially bulletins which are great to get petitions and news out fast) and we've met some nice people there that I know don't have pages anywhere else so we'd maybe lose touch if we didn't have a page, although it can eat time but I tend to write replies to messages once a week. IAC is fab for the stations & being able to export your music to other sites and it's a lively community & soundclick has always had a good crowd too. There are some sites we've joined and kind of forgotten about (Funender is one of those) and I think I'll close any remaining vacant sites this year as I also don't have as much time to communicate more than we're doing at present and if we're on a site I like to be involved or not at all. Anyway I think IAC, soundclick & myspace are the main OMD's of today for lots of different reasons. I hope you stay on all of three Pine! Good to catch up & bye for now, Maria xx

1/4/2008 8:14:48 PM

I've only just joined here, and was initially attracted by the facility to sell my songs as downloads, so my initial criteria was would I sell enough to justify the fee? (My money is very tight at the moment so even though the fee is not high it was a difficult decision, eventually I decided that in the longer term I couldn't afford to not have a facility like this site offers so decided to take the risk.

Having been here a few days I've noticed the community aspect and decided I like it. I was very gratified to get a couple of nice comments almost immediatly on uploading my songs and even a couple of station adds. Much better than myspace or mp3.com altough they have their uses. I guess this is like any community, more in more out, but how much time I'll personally have to put in I don't know. I'll stay at least 6 months cos I've paid for it :-)

1/4/2008 8:34:55 PM

The difference between IAC and those other sites mentioned is that IAC is about the artists and songwriting. The founders are artists and actually care about artists and music. My Space is about selling ad space and spammers. Soundclick I think was born as a clone of the old mp3.com and to me is just not a very interesting site. There's a huge difference in the quality of the music too if you ask me. I didn't find much I like at Soundclick at all. My Space you probably have to listen to 4 times as many songs as here to find an honest-to-god original tune. Also this site has such a great atmosphere too, I can't say I've felt that way anywhere else.

1/5/2008 6:37:17 AM

....I don't agree with you at all, Hola (?? - Do I have to go back just to see what your correct name spelling is? Why can't IAC improve their interface here!!? When you reply to someone you need to see their name along with their comment! Fecking tedious here!!).

In PERCENTAGE terms I would say that the quality of artist's music on MySpace is far higher than here, especially when you subtract those such as Ainjel Emme, Under, Alphastates, Juliette & The Licks, who are also on MySpace - But each to their own particular taste. I notice that there are loads of good musicians with music here who haven't visited for months if not years!

If IAC was as big as MySpace the hackers/spammers would be here too. The ads here are just as annoying - The trick is to automatically ignore them anywhere on the net.

1/5/2008 8:23:16 AM

Practically everyone on here has a myspace site too but if I had the choice I'd sooner listen to them here, in comfort, among real friends, with easy access to lyrics, instant messages, clear information, charts, Stations, a central community spot, stats, easy search, KIAC Radio plus, plus....everyone gets protective about sites where they feel cosy but when you find a site that feels like 'home' then you want to stay at home. Krysh.

1/5/2008 8:49:03 AM

I think it would do some people some good to read my "BEFORE YOU WHINE" blog post .... I find the interface here fabulous and much, much better than Myspace .... I have a page there but I never go there and I'm thinking of pulling it all together ... by being here, I'm enjoying myself and I'm not supporting the corporate assholes who only care about their pocketbooks ...

IAC RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWKS !!!!!!!!

1/5/2008 8:56:27 AM

....Yes Mr No Band, IAC is very good but there's always room for improvement and without honest feedback from people, how can IAC be expected to get even better? Perhaps it's good enough for you.

I'm not the only one who would like the ability to edit a Comment am I? And this is the only internet forum I have ever come across that doesn't include the simple and obvious feature of including the name of the comment poster that one is answering.

I'm not whining but simply pointing out and offering feedback. If people here are so offended by such then perhaps I shouldn't bother being here.

1/5/2008 9:18:35 AM

... and it's getting better everyday .... I mean no disrespect to you Red Robin ... please don't be so thinned skinned as to pull that "well maybe I shouldn't be here" crap ... aren't we all adults that can express our opinions without someone using the ol' "I'll just take my ball and go home then" routine ?

1/5/2008 9:25:32 AM

Pinedog ... Sorry ! ... for cloggin' your blog ! ...

See what you started ... :) ........ (ya can't leave now) !!!

1/5/2008 9:32:38 AM

....But didn't you know, Mr ManNoBand (Sam?), that artists are usually thin-skinned and ultra sensitive types! ;)

1/5/2008 9:37:34 AM

... he he he ... touche ! ... Have a GREAT Day Red Robin !
(and everyone else)

1/5/2008 10:16:18 AM

Red Robin, that comment wasn't intended for you specifically in any way, I don't know why you'd assume that.

As for being able to edit, this isn't a traditional forum, when you post it's either on your own or somebody else's blog. You can edit on your own blog. This is a different concept and that probably contributes to making this pipeline more interesting in general, the way your blog shows up on the front page and the way it's an integration of blogs and forums.

Re: the question of which site has a higher percentage of quality music, I don't think it's even debatable but then again if you think the presence of ads on the 2 sites are remotely similar, it's not hard to see that you're some kind of a My Space apologist. Which is ok, to each his own.

1/5/2008 6:45:11 PM

WoW!....kind of an emotional subject! Never thought it would lead to this. I've heard of gateway drugs but gateway threads? :-)
Thank all of you for sharing your thoughts and feelings. You all make valid points. There are alot of sites and each has it's own merits. What an old hippie like me wants from a site is surely quite different than what a teenager wants or someone who is seriously trying to "make it" in the music business. It's fortunate that there are so many choices. This is a good site, with good folks, management, and alot of good music. In one form or another, I'm staying. Thank all of you for your input...it says good things about the members of the IAC community.


Pinedog

1/5/2008 7:13:09 PM

A few things that should be mentioned on this topic that haven't been yet are:

We call the Prime member IAC Prime Supporters because you know, nothing in the world operates for free. All money coming into IAC thru sub_scriptions goes directly back into the site, so by kicking into the deluxe plan for yourself as an artist, you're also helping the community by providing extra funds to be used on programming projects and the like.

Also, in a few short weeks our annual Golden Kayaks are coming around again, and we feel it's the most important indie awards program in the era of the mp3. IAIA members only (membership is included in Prime Supporter package) can nominate and vote which keeps the whole thing workable and not a free-for-all like some of the other contests where everybody is spamming votes crazily into the fray. So going prime is a way to participate and be a member of this one-of-a-kind Academy.

1/5/2008 11:31:01 PM

Pine,

I look at IAC like a Caffe` in Paris where all the artists went and socialised. So may be we are mostly musicians here. It doesn't matter, it is a place where we can all support each other and give each other the strength to keep doing what we do. This is good enough reason for me to stay right here.

We do it for passion first, anything that may follow...it's a bonus...in my humble opinion.

1/6/2008 2:14:24 AM

GREAT, Pinedog is staying! I've been on the sidelines wondering what he'd do and 'listening' to all your great persuasive speeches folks...What an effective collaboration we are when roused.
I hope that you get lots of plays Pinedog but most of all I hope you feel that you're getting something really good for your money. -l isteners with heart and friends that work as a team - regards KM (Listener)

1/6/2008 6:22:46 AM

Yay! Glad you're staying Pine! deb

1/6/2008 3:16:33 PM

This is great news Pine!! Really pleased to hear you're staying with IAC :)

Thumbsup!!!!!

M&P xx

1/6/2008 8:02:54 PM

Glad you have decide to stay as well Pinedog. I am on Myspace and Soundclick as well. To me, Myspace is to gain the younger crowd to your music, Soundclick listeners are really young. Most of my listeners age averages 21 on a daily basis. Here at IAC, there are mostly artists, but I cherish the comments here moreso because I see and hear more of the TRUE artists hear and I think you can get more of an artistic evaluation of your music. I have had more collabs here with top notch artists than the other sites. I seem to get better recognition from sites such as CASHBOX and IAC and I have been treated like a "person" here as well as an artist. That's why I have gone Prime here where as at Soundclick and Myspace, it's not as personable. Your chances to get heard as a "serious artist" and to be recognized here, to me, are better than the chances at the other sites I am on. IAC has some great things in store for the future and I believe Dave Walton when he says the indie revolution will get it's chance to be heard, starting here!!!
As far as ease of use here at the site, I believe IAC listens to all suggestions and I am sure some of yours have been heard and taken to heart. I am happy where IAC is going. Good luck with your music Pinedog.

Slimdog

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