Eliot Van Buskirk of Wired News interviews Josh Madell, co-owner of New York City independent record store Other Music about their upcoming move into digital downloads. Here's an interesting excerpt:
Van Buskirk: I read an article from late last year that included a quote from you about the notorious "Pitchfork effect," in which albums recommended by that site start flying off the shelves. Have you noticed a "MySpace effect," or is that something you'll be going after with Other Music's digital music store?
Madell: Sure, it's undeniable that these days the influence of traditional print magazines has been overshadowed by websites and blogs; they're quick and convenient, and have their ears a bit closer to the ground than traditional media. As for MySpace and the like, I guess I feel like the biggest drawback of these types of social-networking sites is that there is just too much information. If you don't have the time or energy to listen to every band in existence, but you love interesting new music, a place like Other Music can be great, because our staff is paid to sort through all the crap. We can feature the best stuff out there, and hopefully present a convenient, well-maintained site where you can listen, learn and buy.
You could argue that Madell underestimates the filtering capabilities of social networks with recommender systems built in, like Last.fm, but I think what's interesting about this quote is the blending of new technology platforms and informed human guidance.
I'm two and a half weeks from the deadline for the final version of my book — so that's why things are a bit quiet here at the moment.
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