Regular readers of this mess I call a website will occasionally have seen me rant about metadata, especially where the iTunes Music Store is concerned. In short, it’s woefully incomplete, and at times, flat-out inaccurate. It was quite heartening for me to run across Jazz in 2500?, a jazz-lovers look at the disservice done to music when only the least possible information is preserved when purchasing music online.
The consumer that buys an album on ITMS should have access to the same liner notes, session information and songwriting credits that are sold with the CD version. Online music stores should facilitate rather than hinder access to this information before, during and after a song or album is purchased.
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Removing the identity of artists is one of digital music’s largest threats to jazz preservation. A full understanding of jazz goes beyond the “Great Man” theory and recognizes the influence of side players – the wide network of people that developed this musical language together. Selling songs and albums separated from names disrespects the artists and hinders the education of new listeners.
ITMS often does not list the names of the musicians who play on jazz albums. When they do list the names, it is never on a song-by-song basis, making the information confusing and useless on compilations and box sets.
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Box sets and CD reissues often feature meticulously researched session information, as well as essays from experts. Having this information sold with the music enables jazz fans to educate themselves and others. Most jazz albums for sale in the ITMS have none of the original album’s liner notes or session information.
Maybe it’s true that most people aren’t bugged by this stuff, or the lack thereof. However, those of us who do care, care a lot.
Besides — why in the world should we accept marketing to the lowest common denominator? There’s enough business out there that do that already. Apple and the iTunes Music Store should be at the forefront of showing how things should be done, and that they’re also music lovers, not just music retailers.
iTunes: “That’s It! (Dub)” by Hyperdrive from the album Club Cuts EP Vol. 1 (1998, 8:19).