Comments on: Sony, Warner, Universal and EMI to Launch iTunes “Cocktail” Album Competitor?

By: Ronna Pramuk

Ronna Pramuk — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:56:47 +0000

Should be a good year for Trance Music. 2011 should be good

By: built in dishwashers

built in dishwashers — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:36:39 +0000

Aw, that was a really quality post. In theory I’d just like to write like that too – taking time and real effort to make a excellent article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and also by no means seem to get something done.

By: Mr E

Mr E — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:21:01 +0000

The only way I would support the CMX format is if these things happen:

supports lossless audio formats, and not tied to any format vendor (FLAC preferrably)
publish the format as an open standard, no proprietary industry insider crap
support appears in the major multimedia players (eg, winamp, win mediaplayer, vlc)

By: eli

eli — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:35:08 +0000

I couldn’t agree more with Elric. If a band can’t consistently put together a proper album they generally aren’t worth my time any way. There is just too much good music out there.

By: earless puppy

earless puppy — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:00:25 +0000

Knowing the record labels and their inherent greed, CMX format will only allow you to play the album through your computer with a specific format, you won't be able to download it your iPhone or car stereo. I can see the record labels imagining you using your iMac like a boom box with no other way to enjoy the song...

Can you really see the record labels not locking this format down hard?

By: 0ysterburg3r

0ysterburg3r — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:16:47 +0000

ignore the another lol

By: 0ysterburg3r

0ysterburg3r — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:16:01 +0000

wait wait is this CMX and Cocktail another is going to be like mp3 or something ? or is it something else? and i agree…some albums aren’t worth buying only bcoz of one or two good singles. made that mistake once

By: Elric

Elric — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:59:35 +0000

I always have time for a great “album”, not a collection of “singles”, there IS a difference, a HUGE difference. Mainstreams with great “albums”? Kings of Leon and MGMT, but that’s it. Great “albums” of the past decade, all of Modest Mouse, every John Frusciante, Moby, Buck 65, Radiohead, Clutch, Razorlight, Magnetic Fields, Ratatat, Vampire Weekend, Eels… I could go on all day, there are 10 great albums for every crappy Eminem type “singles” collection. You just have to know what you like, and for god sakes, turn OFF the radio. Turn on Pitchfork and Metacritic, Last.fm can help, Sirius Sat Radio is worth every penny if you are sick of the one song wonders…. I’m here for councelling if need be.

By: fastlane

fastlane — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:02:20 +0000

While I agree that most artists have some lousy fillers on their albums, in all fairness, it’s not always because the artists don’t care to make a better effort. Artists have ten, fifteen, perhaps twenty years or more to write their first album while they struggle the club scene… but once they’re signed, they have to crank out one every year (unless of course they’re Boston )

As for the topic at hand, I’m just too old to be buying full albums anymore. Back in the vinyl days I loved all the artwork, credits, lyrics, etc… but who has time anymore?

@icebike:

You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.

Exactly.

By: Sean peters

Sean peters — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:52:16 +0000

Wow. I’m sure Sony will enjoy the same raging success with this new proprietary format that they did with ATRAC. I’ll be sticking with MP3, thanks.

By: Keys

Keys — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:46:17 +0000

Agreed with every post above.

It's nice being able to grab music instantly considering that b&m stores that carry a wide variety of music are quickly dwindling. Yet, the cost is still not much bang for the buck.

Sadly, I also expect this new format to also drive up the cost of online purchased music : /

By: icebike

icebike — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:32:33 +0000

@Elric:

what the hell kinda music are you guys listening to!?

You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

All good bands create albums.

So do all cRappy bands. What's you point?

Most albums are just a collection of songs, often unrelated, meant to be played in a mix rather than from first to last. They have to fill both sides. Therefore, lots of marginal songs and lame covers of old songs end up on the album these days. So Why buy the craP when all you want is the three good cuts.

By: Wyatt

Wyatt — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:26:31 +0000

Personally I still refuse to purchase music sold in someone’s predefined compression with inferior sound quality for the same price as a CD with superior sound quality. I can rip it myself to something that sounds better. Sell it uncompressed and DRM free and I’ll be all over it. Until then I find all this rather laughable. And like others have already stated. Music for the past decade has not been worth buying entire albums which is the prime cause of the music industry failing to sell decent amounts of albums or singles in the first place. Nuf said.

By: sting7k

sting7k — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:20:52 +0000

Both will fail. Who wants all that extra crap? Just give me the tracks. Album art already comes with iTunes songs anyway.

By: Elric

Elric — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:29:56 +0000

"The days when albums designed for full-album listening seem sadly past. Mostly reserved for Classical Music, this mode was fairly common a few years ago and still is with some Trance mixes, but your average mainstream album releases are simply “collections” these days and seldom are even half the tracks any good at all."

what the hell kinda music are you guys listening to!?

All good bands create albums. Perhaps you should re-evaluate your taste in music. All these cocktails will do is make the tweens buy the whole Jonas Brothers album instead of the singles.

By: Virtuous

Virtuous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:36:13 +0000

Consumers will see CMX as another lame attempt to lock consumers in to a closed proprietary digital format. Spectacular fail!

By: icebike

icebike — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:33:42 +0000

I think this would be great for those albums designed for beginning to end listening.

The days when albums designed for full-album listening seem sadly past. Mostly reserved for Classical Music, this mode was fairly common a few years ago and still is with some Trance mixes, but your average mainstream album releases are simply "collections" these days and seldom are even half the tracks any good at all.

Still I do buy full albums on iTunes more often than I would have imagined. In fact I find myself re-purchasing full albums I bought years and years ago, because those albums were designed for end-to-end listening and my vinyl collection disappeared. (I was amazed to find Quicksilver Messenger Service albums still on iTunes).

But mostly I just want the music. Maybe the cover artwork. But all the rest of the stuff, the inserts, the posters, adds very little.

Let see, buy Apples format or Record company format.... Which will be dead in two years?

By: Earless puppy

Earless puppy — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:21:35 +0000

songs (really it choose dongs over songs) haha

I hate the dishwasher iPhone pretype sometimes

By: Earless puppy

Earless puppy — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:20:09 +0000

Neither, most whole albums suck.. When the artists decide to write mire then 2 or 3 good dongs per album then I may consider..