Invalid characterset or character set not supported TuneFreaks musings...





TuneFreaks musings...
October 10, 2006

I've been thinking a lot about TuneFreaks lately, which I think is pretty much headed nowhere because I was trying to start it out too big.

After a lot--and I mean a lot--of work on the part of snowdragon and I, we have thousands of songs listed and bands and genres and whatever else you want to name, and it's still just the start of the growing beast that is and always will be the music industry.

I think its sheer size highlights not only how far we've come, but how far we have to go. And it's not particularly useful, even though we list tons of musicians and even some complete discographies, because plenty of other sites do that and back it up with good reviews... or just reviews at all. We don't.

Part of that is me not really getting the code up and running since the re-design, but I think it's also a symptom of thinking too big too soon. It's entirely possible that it will grow into something special, but it's also true that it may never do so in its current form. it is, after all, a remnant of a design that was even bigger and more useless.

So the long and short of it is this: I'm thinking about reworking things from the ground up, with a new system. The way I think it should work is this:

1. You register for a user account.
2. With your account, you can then browse artist listings, which will start out meager.
3. When you see that your artist isn't listed, you are tasked with the job of doing something about it. What is that something?
4. You submit an artist profile with information that makes the listing relevant. None of that "submit just a name and call it good" crap. You submit a real artist with real details because you like (or hate) that artist.

That should build up a more useful list of artists on the site, and one with a lot more passion behind it. Once a profile is up, then a forum accompanies it and people can post concert news or whatever. But guess what? No discography!

The discography would be added in the same way the artists were. You find the artist that interests you and you notice a record isn't listed. What do you do? You submit the profile for the record, along with a list of the songs on it and a high-quality review.

So what would this lead to? Well, it would be a small but high-quality site. The users would determine exactly what content goes up. There would be no ghost listings. If something is worth covering, it's worth covering right!

Anyway, that's my idea for TuneFreaks. Am I crazy? Or do you think it would work? I'd like to hear from some of you music buffs, because I'd want you involved if I'm to go through the trouble of coding everything. There are a lot of music sites out there, so I figure it's either worth doing right or it's not worth doing at all...

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bluberry bluberry - October 11, 2006 (08:28 AM)
Being realistic, you have to focus on the reviews. Unlike with games, there are reliable sites that have more music information listed--accurately, unlike with games--than you could hope to ever put up. Maybe you could just put up info for albums/artists that actually end up being reviewed.
Halon Halon - October 11, 2006 (11:03 AM)
As Boo said there are plenty of sites for music that have lists, discographies, and reviews (such as allmusic). To me, it sounds like you're trying to make a similar site, but with forums and anyone can contribute. I like the idea of having forums and submitting info, but I see two problems with that. One is the fact that this is already done a lot. The interaction idea is pretty neat, but it will be difficult rivaling sites that have already been doing this for ten years or more. The other is what would happen once data is up for an album? Maybe I'm completely misinterpreting this, but you made it seem like once data is up for a game no one else can submit anything. This is more like a database where only a few can contribute (since once something's covered it's covered), opposed to a site where anyone can contribute to.

Focusing on reviews might be a good idea, because unlike games, those sites aren't as common. By that I mean it's a lot easier to find info about an artist/song on the Internet than a quality review. For video games it isn't hard to find a decent or better review (HG, Gamespot, IGN, etc), but harder to find statistical or background info on a game. There aren't many sites that encourage reviews better than those found on Amazon.

If you do settle on an idea, I would definitely like to help in some way.
honestgamer honestgamer - October 11, 2006 (03:06 PM)
I seem to have explained it poorly, as people definitely aren't getting what I'm saying.

I'm saying that there would be no record of anything on the site until a user cares enough to make its inclusion worthwhile. There won't be an artist profile until a user cares enough to not only submit it, but make it interesting. There won't be any records listed until someone has a review ready for them. Alternate opinions would then be able to be posted, as they are here.

The whole point of the changes I'm suggesting is to make the site a source for quality reviews, rather than an informational database like it was starting to become previously. The angle for TuneFreaks would in effect be what it is for HonestGamers: better reviews! Any time we had complete info for a given artist, that would represent a user or group of users who really got behind the artist to make the site provide the best coverage possible for that group. I believe it would inspire people to put up killer content just so their artists of choice are properly represented. I like the idea more every second I think about it. I think I might do it!
Genj Genj - October 11, 2006 (03:44 PM)
So it'd be kinda like Pitchfork Media but like with user reviews and no pretension?
honestgamer honestgamer - October 11, 2006 (09:56 PM)
I'll admit to not being aware of Pitchfork Media when you admit to liking the occasional Collective Soul song.
Genj Genj - October 11, 2006 (10:07 PM)
I like Animal Collective. Is that close enough?
bluberry bluberry - October 11, 2006 (10:23 PM)
That idea you had isn't bad. It's basically what I tacked on at the end of my post, you thief!
Halon Halon - October 12, 2006 (10:37 PM)
I like the idea and I'll be more than willing to support it.
Calvin Calvin - October 13, 2006 (07:00 PM)
I'm in.
goldenvortex goldenvortex - November 10, 2006 (02:36 AM)
I'll help out too. But I'll be painfully morose throughout.

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