Spotify

Right now, I'm listening to Bruce Springsteen on Spotify. It is a track I bought 25 years ago, but only have it on vinyl, and I no longer have a working record player. My spotify track list so far is almost all comprised of tracks that I already own on vinyl, many dating back to the 70s when i was a teenager, so it is very much a tool for reliving memories for me. I wonder how many other users are treating it as an easy way to rescue tracks they already own, rather than for getting access to new stuff. I suspect the estimates of how much money is being lost must overstate the value. I've often thought I would like to be able to drag my vinyl collection to a recycling centre, receiving the tracks back on MP3 instead. Hopefully for free, or for nominal costs, since I've already paid my dues for them. But even though I can't, not here anyway, Spotify has filled that need, almost. A few of my records aren't on Spotify, so I can't get them that way. After the goldrush, by Prelude for example (though there are variants by lesser artists), or any track by Slik. It has lots of errors too. It lists 'the last time' by Nena, as 'After the goldrush'. but not bad for a new enterprise. It also has crashed a few times, and even de-installed once in the few weeks I've had it. But not bad as a first effort.

Spotify of course is a music industry venture, rather then the usual pirate affair. If it is a sign of repentance, and an industry newly responsive to customer needs rather than being intent on exploitation, then it will survive and flourish.