I've Drifted So Far Away
Taking Music Surveys
For well over five years (so long I can't remember) I have participated in music surveys at RatetheMusic.com. They claim to be "the internet's first music rating site."
The service selects a genre for you to participate based on your submitted profile.; My recent survey was for "Adult Rock". A short 15-20 second snippet of a song is provided, as well as the song title and artist. The survey asks:
- Are you familiar with this song? (yes/no)
- Rate this song: (Unfamiliar/Dislike It a Lot/Dislike It Some/So-So/Like It Some/Like It A Lot)
- Are you tired of hearing this song? (yes/no)
After you submit your response to the 30 songs, the survey provides you with a list of the songs that you heard and the opportunity to listen to them again.
Becoming Unfamiliar
I have found over the past several years that my survey results are becoming quite predictable. It seems that my responses to almost every survey I take starts with "No, I am not familiar with this song." This happens even with songs by mainstream artists and many artists that I at one time considered to be favorites. The survey I took this morning had ONE song that I'd heard. Almost all of the artists were familiar names to me.
My listening habits over the past few years have been focused on independent artists. I RARELY turn on a commercial radio station. When I do turn on the radio, I do so under duress because other options, such as my iPod, are not available to me. I often find myself switching from station to station to avoid commercials or songs that simply do nothing for me.
As a result, I find that I have drifted so far away from the mainstream. I am probably not the best candidate for the RateTheMusic service these days. When I attempt to update my profile I cannot fill in the radio stations with any clarity. I don't listen to terrestrial radio, so there's nothing to add. So I fill in the three slots with "Pandora", "Slacker" and "ooTunes". All are services (with apps on my iPod and phone, as well as the computer) and all offer a myriad of listening options. But I don't stick to any one channel or station on any of these.
So Many Options
I hope that people will explore more options than what is offered on their local, terrestrial radio stations. If you are being spoon-fed music that the corporations are offering, you are missing the many talented musicians that have tunes to offer. Explore music podcasts, such as can be found at the Association of Music Podcasting. Visit online services such as ReverbNation, CD Baby, and Bandcamp, among others. Find out what you're missing.
And if you want to hear my show, please visit AudioGumshoe.com. I feature an independent artist on every episode.
