Musical stars Jay Z, Madonna -- along with a globular cluster of other musicians and singers -- showed up in glittering style at the relaunch of Tidal, the streaming music service. Music industry pundits, bloggers, and journalists report back with a cacophony of opinion and analysis.
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers drown out the noise.
Today's humble blogwatcher is .
Admirable James Temperton launches a flotilla:
Jay Z and chart-topping musicians...have launched Tidal, the first genuine rival to Spotify. The streaming service is live now in 31 countries and will launch in six more in the coming months. MORE
Mike Fabio isn't known as a stuntman:
It was a brilliant publicity stunt. Credit [Jay Z] with that, at least. If artists are good at one thing, it's that.
…
But today's relaunch of the lossless streaming service TIDAL was nothing more than a 15 minute parade of fame masquerading as a protest march for justice in the war on artist compensation. MORE
Straight from the unnamed horse's high fidelity mouth:
TIDAL is the first high fidelity, lossless music streaming service with 25 million tracks, 75,000 music videos, and expert editorial from experienced music journalists. MORE
Bob Lefsetz says you don't have to pay to play (music):
So first and foremost you’ve got to pay for Tidal.
…
And therefore it's dead on arrival. ... Because people are CHEAP! They love their money more than their favorite artists, never forget it. And the kind of person who pledges devotion to Tidal artists is the same kind who's home alone, broke, waiting for their parents to put cash on their debit card. MORE
But Mikey Campbell pays for music the traditional way:
Apple is widely expected to [relaunch]...Beats Music in the coming months. Much like Tidal, Apple's service will reportedly be subscription based, but is thought to rely on a traditional song royalty model that sees labels get a taste of proceeds on per-play basis. MORE
Alex Howard asks a pertinent question:
Would fans & media be more excited about [TIDAL]...if the relaunch didn't feature multimillionaires? MORE
Meanwhile, Tom Coates gets creeped out:
Then they all put on their best Super Villain costumes and went to the launch (Creepy TV Two Face is the worst). MORE
You have been reading IT Blogwatch by Richi Jennings and , who curate the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites… so you don't have to. Catch the key commentary from around the Web every morning. Hatemail may be directed to @itblogwatch or itbw@richi.uk. Opinions expressed may not represent those of Computerworld. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. E&OE.