Well – I’ve finally succumbed to the advertising and bought an iPod – a black 4Gb Nano. As part of the process of loading it with music, I’ve checked out an interesting download site called eMusic, which features independent artists/labels. One outcome of avoiding big record companies is that they can offer songs at a keen price. It’s a subscription service, so I guess they’re counting on subscribers not downloading their quota (after an initial rush …) each month, giving them some profit. Found the service via Fred Wilson (who can’t have much time left for "work" so prolific is he with blogging and podcasting!), or more accurately from a couple of comments on this post from James Governor and Pierre. I picked up my 50 freebies, and I believe I’ll try out the basic subscription for a while, and see if I can keep it up.
Why had I put off buying an iPod? Partly because it seemed such a cliche, and partly because I’m sure they’re overpriced. But in the end – they’re cool, and I wanted one – damn, I’m weak!
I was lucky and received an iPod as a gift. My friend, you will be hooked. Don’t forget to check out the podcast directories if you use the iTunes program.
Hey Ric, welcome to the White Side 🙂 I’m one of the people who has succumbed to the Apple “halo effect,” first buying an iPod and then later a Mac. Another great site for independent music (no DRM here!) is cdbaby.com. They offer decent 2-minute long samples of songs and there is a huge array of different styles there. I’ve wasted many a night browsing and listening. I received my first order from them today – 11 albums! Should keep me busy.