3 ms·

I can get behind the corporate curation of apps, which are essentially just tools. However, the idea that a corporation can curate something like music seems ve

I can get behind the corporate curation of apps, which are essentially just tools. However, the idea that a corporation can curate something like music seems very arrogant to me. Music is art. Even if you cut out the crappy 90% as per Sturgeon's law, the remaining 10% has so much variation that you couldn't possibly pick out "the best" to any measurable degree — especially when you consider the fact that, historically speaking, most of the best (read: most influential) art pushed the boundary of the medium in some way. Maybe it's possible to find the slice of music that most people would enjoy listening to, but that's so music business-y it makes me sick.

sliverstorm 11y ago
Isn't an art museum a business curating art?
- archagon 11y ago
  Sure, but you have your choice of museums. Apple aiming to curate the world's supply of music is a different issue.
  - oldmanjay 11y ago
    >Apple aiming to curate the world's supply of music is a different issue Well it's pretty much a non-existent issue since there's no possible way they become the gatekeeper to all music. I think you're raging against a scenario that exists only in your mind.
    - archagon 11y ago
      Well, my understanding is that one of the primary goals of Apple Music is to provide human-curated playlists in contrast to the algorithmic playlists offered by servies like Pandora and Spotify (in addition to the Beats 1 stuff). These playlists aren't listed under the names of the individual curators, nor is there a way for new curators to become part of the system. It's all by Apple. So no, not "gatekeeper", but maybe "tastemaker".
jameshart 11y ago
Corporations have been arrogantly curating music for a century now. Didn't stop jazz, hip-hop, punk, or electronica developing, thriving, being sucked into the corporate curation machine, and then spawning a dozen rebellious reactions outside it. Curation doesn't mean 'have someone pick out the top ten best'. Curation means things like 'have someone knowledgeable pick out fifty underappreciated forgotten masterpieces'. Also, 'apps' includes 'games', not just tools, and you could replace the word 'music' in your rant with 'videogame' pretty easily.
- slfnflctd 11y ago
  > Curation means things like 'have someone knowledgeable pick out fifty underappreciated forgotten masterpieces' Ideally, this is how it should be, and can be. Tastemakers have been effective for a long time and will continue to be, it's a fuzzy thing they do. I recently started listening to an internet radio service curated by humans (after spending years exclusively on one with selections done by algorithm)-- it could be my imagination, but so far the overall quality seems better.
  - soylentcola 11y ago
    I've been listening to streaming radio for over 15 years now and to this day, none of the algorithm-based services can compare to my list of Shoutcast bookmarks. I always wonder how things would've played out if anyone did a better job of promoting such things (although I guess there's not much money to be made in promoting tens of thousands of small-time DJs and music enthusiasts who are doing the streaming). The whole Apple music streaming thing made me do a double take because they're basically offering a much smaller set of the kinds of stations that have been freely streaming for years. Streaming mp3 like shoutcast/icecast streams will play in just about any mobile or desktop media player. They can be bookmarked, creating your own custom "radio dial" of stations you personally like. And the variety of music is astounding. I've got maybe 15 or 20 stations that are programmed by people that consistently expose me to new and interesting music along with stuff I already like. I get to enjoy those simple pleasures like realizing the common thread between the last 3 or 4 songs played since there's a real human DJ behind the playlist. And I can access them anywhere I could access Pandora or Spotify.

sliverstorm 11y ago

Isn't an art museum a business curating art?

archagon 11y ago
Sure, but you have your choice of museums. Apple aiming to curate the world's supply of music is a different issue.
- oldmanjay 11y ago
  >Apple aiming to curate the world's supply of music is a different issue Well it's pretty much a non-existent issue since there's no possible way they become the gatekeeper to all music. I think you're raging against a scenario that exists only in your mind.
  - archagon 11y ago
    Well, my understanding is that one of the primary goals of Apple Music is to provide human-curated playlists in contrast to the algorithmic playlists offered by servies like Pandora and Spotify (in addition to the Beats 1 stuff). These playlists aren't listed under the names of the individual curators, nor is there a way for new curators to become part of the system. It's all by Apple. So no, not "gatekeeper", but maybe "tastemaker".

jameshart 11y ago

Corporations have been arrogantly curating music for a century now. Didn't stop jazz, hip-hop, punk, or electronica developing, thriving, being sucked into the corporate curation machine, and then spawning a dozen rebellious reactions outside it. Curation doesn't mean 'have someone pick out the top ten best'. Curation means things like 'have someone knowledgeable pick out fifty underappreciated forgotten masterpieces'. Also, 'apps' includes 'games', not just tools, and you could replace the word 'music' in your rant with 'videogame' pretty easily.

slfnflctd 11y ago
> Curation means things like 'have someone knowledgeable pick out fifty underappreciated forgotten masterpieces' Ideally, this is how it should be, and can be. Tastemakers have been effective for a long time and will continue to be, it's a fuzzy thing they do. I recently started listening to an internet radio service curated by humans (after spending years exclusively on one with selections done by algorithm)-- it could be my imagination, but so far the overall quality seems better.
- soylentcola 11y ago
  I've been listening to streaming radio for over 15 years now and to this day, none of the algorithm-based services can compare to my list of Shoutcast bookmarks. I always wonder how things would've played out if anyone did a better job of promoting such things (although I guess there's not much money to be made in promoting tens of thousands of small-time DJs and music enthusiasts who are doing the streaming). The whole Apple music streaming thing made me do a double take because they're basically offering a much smaller set of the kinds of stations that have been freely streaming for years. Streaming mp3 like shoutcast/icecast streams will play in just about any mobile or desktop media player. They can be bookmarked, creating your own custom "radio dial" of stations you personally like. And the variety of music is astounding. I've got maybe 15 or 20 stations that are programmed by people that consistently expose me to new and interesting music along with stuff I already like. I get to enjoy those simple pleasures like realizing the common thread between the last 3 or 4 songs played since there's a real human DJ behind the playlist. And I can access them anywhere I could access Pandora or Spotify.