Spotify - crossing over to the dark side

[DJ TJ]

Nobody here is trying to not keep up with technology and changing times.
For the record, I have a personal spotify account which I use as a pre-event planning tool.
It has become a very valuable source to me for exploring new tracks and trends.
It does not mean I have to bow to every whim of every guest just because I might have the ability to do so.

 

[Proformance]

Yes, there is no additional fee for performance at private events however there is still an initial licensing/royalty fee that's paid to whomever if you are leasing music through an authorized hard copy subscription service or a downloadable dj pool.

If those pools change their delivery method from downloadable content to streaming content, the method of delivery does not change the requirement of those initial licensing fees to be paid.

Why don't we agree to stay on topics you actually know something about?

I thought it was pure gold when I bought air Supply's greatest hits and people liked it at dinner lol

I'd have given you my copy and paid you to take it out of my country.

 

[ittigger]

Yes, there is no additional fee for performance at private events however there is still an initial licensing/royalty fee that's paid to whomever if you are leasing music through an authorized hard copy subscription service or a downloadable dj pool.

If those pools change their delivery method from downloadable content to streaming content, the method of delivery does not change the requirement of those initial licensing fees to be paid.

Why don't we agree to stay on topics you actually know something about?

Bob, keep up - that was Post 68 from Page 4 - and in the context of the conversation at that point, he was on topic - discussing how things may play out in the future. I don't know where TJ is nor what he uses for music, so maybe with some explanation, we can figure it out.

 

[Proformance]

Oh I can .. and do. 'For the record', I have no inability to keep pace with technology - without people like me, you wouldn't even have wifi. I know very well what the limitations are. For those that are ignorant of those limits, there is no help for you - other than falling flat on your face.

You might want to review who 'cops an attitude' or the others - and study it hard. You won't find that in anything of mine. Keep reaching.

A simile to your approach. Sure, we can drive any car as fast as we want on any road, anywhere, at any time and everyone will be happy. Let me know how that works out for ya.

Thank you Al Gore for the internet. Thank You DJ TJ for WiFi. (Good grief!)

Ignorant would be thinking any of these self-imposed limitations will be appreciated or respected by clients or customers. What really stands out about a lot of posters on this board is how many excuses they can muster for being difficult to work with and copping a sh**ty attitude with customers. Good luck with that.

 

[ittigger]

Thank you Al Gore for the internet. Thank You DJ TJ for WiFi. (Good grief!)

Ignorant would be thinking any of these self-imposed limitations will be appreciated or respected by clients or customers. What really stands out about a lot of posters on this board is how many excuses they can muster for being difficult to work with and copping a sh**ty attitude with customers. Good luck with that.

TJ invented WiFi? Holy crap. I need to get his autograph.

Ignorant would be thinking that the limits are meaningless. If you have a V8, you will never get V10, V12 or V16 power out of it. Sorry - but it's impossible and no matter how big of a tantrum you throw, it will not change. Is that my fault - or yours for believing what you had could do more? I would much rather speak reality than to give a false reality. Your unreal, untangible, all music, 24/7, from anywhere, anyplace at anytime - is not real. I'm sorry if this is the first time you're hearing this.

 

[Proformance]

Bob, keep up - that was Post 68 from Page 4 - and in the context of the conversation at that point, he was on topic - discussing how things may play out in the future. I don't know where TJ is nor what he uses for music, so maybe with some explanation, we can figure it out.

How quaint the perspective from 2 1/2 laps behind.

 

[DJ TJ]

Please, explain to me in all your wisdom and knowledge then Pro, how with the ability to have theoretical access to every track available, you would handle a request you didn't want to play for whatever reason? You can't use the excuse anymore that you don't have it and if you are better at hospitality than the rest of us, you should play it and indulge that one person right?

 

[ittigger]

Please, explain to me in all your wisdom and knowledge then Pro, how with the ability to have theoretical access to every track available, you would handle a request you didn't want to play for whatever reason? You can't use the excuse anymore that you don't have it and if you are better at hospitality then the rest of us, you should play it and indulge that one person right?

Exactly.

 

[ittigger]

How quaint the perspective from 2 1/2 laps behind.

It doesn't change the discussion. Nice try.

Edit: There is no one being (to include you) that knows everything. Some people actually come here to share and learn from each other.

 

[DJ TJ]

TJ invented WiFi? Holy crap. I need to get his autograph

Not only that, I also invented and patented the internet itself.
I just licensed it to Al Gore.

 

[ittigger]

You're a frickin' celebrity!

 

[steve149]

Whoa .. whoa .. whoa .. I thought up that internet thingy way before everyone else ... I think it was in 2003.

 

[DJ TJ]

I'll see you in court!!!

 

[steve149]

I'll see you in court!!!

Tennis?

 

[DJ TJ]

No..........internet court, which I also invented by the way!

 

[steve149]

For Lack of a Better Comic :: Internet Court

The Internet Court

 

[IceBurghDJ]

One guest.
date of a bridesmaid, knows nobody?
or best man's wife?

And as Ricky says, they can open their mouths and bitch (i've heard it myself).

The other issue is say, you can't play their request (exlplicit or you know it's a floor killer, too weird, etc) so you skip it, with a nice excuse..
Well, they'll just come back, drunker, with it on their phones 'here play this!! I have it ready for you!'

Been there done that...hate doing it (50/50 whether it works well or not in my experience). I"m looking for a polite way to tell anyone, sober or drunk, 5 to 95, random or MOB, NO, i will not play that from your phone.

He just liked the way you look.

Being fully engaged and responsive to customers has little to do with the instant gratification of playing a song this second via the web.

You're kidding yourself if you think clients don't rate you on your 'whole package' - with one aspect being fully engaged and responsive with the people. You're not fooling anyone by thinking that one song that was not with you will make an event a success. I have never had anyone leave an event upset because I didn't play blah blah blah. This poses another problem, specifically if you cater to this methodology. You then have no recourse or excuse for not playing everyone's request (explicit or not) or whether your client likes it or not because you never know who might book you because you played their one song - especially because you believe everything is available all the time from everywhere.

At the root of all of this - a request is just that, a request.

You're hallucinating if you believe that a single guest hired you for an event simply because you streamed one song that you didn't have.

 

[IceBurghDJ]

I get the mood thing - but many (most?) folks in their 60s grew up to rock n roll - NOT the rat pack. Anyone younger certainly grew up to rock or hip hop.

Just make up a list of stars from before the beatles and go ask folks under 20, or 25 'do you know...' and see what you get.
Elvis is unknown to many. Patti Page for sure. Patsy Cline probably. Sinatra, maybe, but sam cooke? perry como, mari lanza, les paul (he's a singer? yep), mary ford, paul anka...

Go to restaurants and listen to what is played in the BG - pop hits of today, not 40, 50 years ago.

What those crooners were in the 80s is today what 80s music is - 30 years old. It may not seem vintage and old to you or me, but to many, it is. Better yet, it brings back memories of THEIR youth, THEIR weddings.

THAT sets a mood!

Me too. I thought it was pure gold when I bought air Supply's greatest hits and people liked it at dinner lol

 

[IceBurghDJ]

I agree - but have quite often listened to a requested song..do school dances and you'll do it.

The tenth kid that wants 'my boo' (or whatever) and you realise you're gonna have to findit, listen to it and play it if at all possible, then you do it.

It's not hard to listen to a 3 min song - when you play a couple of others back to back you have 6 minutes, perhaps 10 even.

I'd not leave and go to the john to listen to it though.

Like I said, 60-80 songs per event.
Subtract from that client requests that you already know about pre-event.
Subtract from that top tracks that you already plan on playing.
When it gets right down to it, how many requests can you realistically accept within that time frame that you will have a reasonable chance of playing anyways???
Like I also said, if the track is that good you should already have it and have planned on how you are going to incorporate it into the playlist.
If it's a new and emerging track you don't know about that someone requests and may be available on a streaming service, simply take the request but tell them that you already have too many requests and it's not likely that you will have time to play it. Since you don't know the track you also have to take the time to listen to it (and for more than 30 seconds) to make sure it's going to not only fit the flow of the event but not contain overly explicit language or innuendos (odds are it will, given the majority of today's crap).
Do you really want to take your focus off of the event for that time period to perform those safeguarding tasks?
No, you note the track and play it later at your convenience and decide then if it's a track worth keeping.
As I and @ittigger already mentioned, allowing the guests that much instantaneous power and leeway does not make you "in touch" it only opens you up for self-sabotage.

 

[IceBurghDJ]

It's your business, you set the policies - for better or worse.
Most policies exist because of an issue in the past - bad check or two? Sorry, don't take checks anymore! Deposit size, meetings or not, playing explicit song lyrics, etc.

You can't let the nuts run the asylum - you must have policies. Be that you show two hours early for setup or charge extra for lighting, what you wear, what gear you use, etc.

I had a lady change my contract - adding more uplights, changing refund policy, etc. Did that cause me to have a shitty attitude? yep..I basically told her no, and sent her deposit back.

Does that make me hard to work with?

Well if you go in burger king and ask for a big mac and a frosty they're gonna maybe appear hard to do business with..is that their fault?

Thank you Al Gore for the internet. Thank You DJ TJ for WiFi. (Good grief!)

Ignorant would be thinking any of these self-imposed limitations will be appreciated or respected by clients or customers. What really stands out about a lot of posters on this board is how many excuses they can muster for being difficult to work with and copping a sh**ty attitude with customers. Good luck with that.