B.P.M.
B.P.M., in musical terms, is the acronym for Beats-Per-Minute – the guiding method of tempo that all musicians use.
Here, I’m appropriating it, and changing the acronym to mean Buy Physical Media. My hope is to make this into a counter-movement. Counter to the free music movement that started with Napster in 1999. Since then, independent artists have struggled to survive on meager, infinitesimal earnings from online streaming services. I started seriously thinking about this issue when I published my article Thoughts on Napster and Free Intellectual Property Exchange 14 Years Later.
I believe we should start a movement to change public opinion. A counter-movement to show people the value of buying music on physical media.
This is a start. There will be more to come, but let’s get the conversation going. On this website, I plan on hosting music reviews of new physical media, where the reviews will not only focus on the music, but on the artwork, the notes, the physical object. I will be recruiting reviewers to contribute reviews, so if you’re interested, please contact me!
I will also host a comment thread or message board, where people can share what they’ve bought, and their thoughts on it.
I’ll also be working on incentives to buy physical media – whether that be CDs, vinyl, cassette, DVDs, whatever. I want us to get back to a physical media culture. I’m not sure that can ever be achieved, but if just a few are convinced to start buying physical media again, that will help artists tremendously. One CD sale could equal the compensation of hundreds of thousands of streams from Spotify. It’s significant.
Join me in this movement to help independent artists! More to come!
I buy CDs for three reasons.
1. To show other composers that I love and appreciate their music enough to buy it (though I don’t have nearly enough funds to buy everything I want to).
2. Way better listening quality than mp3s.
3. To be surprised and delighted. I buy the CD for one piece and often discover other composers (several years ago, I discovered James Macmillan on a CD I bought for another composer’s work) whom I grow to love.
Exactly, Christina – well said! And I wish I had more funds to buy more as well 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Hi! I’m a new devotee of your podcast, and I love it! I’ve been outside of music academia for 10+ years, so I felt “in the dark” on how even to know new composers and their works.
I understand the appeal of streaming, as it does have an advantage to “hook” new fans; but yes, it has changed the mentality toward the value of great music and the sacrifice composers make! BPM might re-revolutionize our musical dialogue. Back from isolated people with headphones, to (gasp!) actual personal engagement 🙂
Thanks for all your work!