The REAL Reason Algorithms are Bad For Art (iPod Week 2)
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2024
- My month with an iPod continues as I explore how algorithms affect what gets made by artists and creators.
Tune in next week for part 3 of 4 in this miniseries.
Thanks again to Revel Day - Check him out online:
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
Instagram: / revel_day
Also check out our full 30 min conversation on Digging The Talks: • Being an Artist in 202...
This video features original scoring by Andrew Reyes: / andrew_on_keys
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SOURCES
Spotify didn't save the music industry, it only saved the record labels ...
When they’re dealing in fractions of a cent, they’re not saving anything.
Spotify is really good at recommending random independent artists
I just checked the last 10 songs I saved and none of them were major label songs...
Basically anyone making music can use DistroKid to publish on spotify and get paid
That said I'm a huge fan of listening to full albums and I mostly switched to using Vox app on my iphone/mac, listening to pirated FLAC rips of 90s rap albums, that and listening to vinyl cuz I sample music
mmmm cook
They saved the music INDUSTRY. We need someone to save the MUSIC industry.
I think the biggest thing with this series I'm seeing thus far is the idea of intention. It's the idea of conscious effort to do something that you want versus leaving things up to some unknown puppet Master telling you what you should do. Yeah this applies to music but it could easily apply to anything else in life.
It's why there is such nastalyga for places like Blockbuster Video. If you wanted to watch a movie you didn't spend all evening with the endless scrolling. You sought out what friends, family, or the guys at the store recommend and you went with that. And a good 9/10 times you enjoyed the process.
I think you're at the heart of something important here. The idea of intention has been very central to me this last year, as I have started to develop a healthier relationship to technology.
I still have my phone, but I have started to use it only when I have a clear intention in mind about what for, rather than out of habit. When the task is completed, I put it down.
When I go to UA-cam, I try to do so with an idea in mind of what I want to watch and for how long. I ideally then close the app, but I do struggle with that.
When I open Spotify, I do so with the intent of listening to a specific album or a playlist of my own design rather than an algorithmic one.
When I use social media, I... actually, asking "What's my intention here?" rarely returns a convincing answer for social media use, so I am largely off of it. I sometimes browse reddit, but only to look at discussions in one of a handful specific subreddits that I care about - I avoid the main feed completely.
It's all made a huge difference for my mental wellbeing and quality of life. And I think it essentially ties in to what you were saying. Perhaps what I'm talking about should be called consciousness rather than intention, but it's closely connected in my eyes.
I wonder how much of this is generational. This Gen Xer has been much happier since ditching social media. I didn't need it, and wanted to work on MY life instead of following others. I guess UA-cam could be considered social media, but I try to stretch past the algorithm and have a strict NO NEWS AFTER 9PM.
Fr, all of the social media, Twitter TikTok IG ect is so poisonous to society
There is also a growing trend of Gen Zers and later Millenials who are growing tired of modern internet and social media and how far it's fallen from grace which leads them to embracing older tech they grew up around or with such as iPods or feature phones which are good ways to detox yourself from social media while still having a way to connect with the outside world. I would say it's less of a generational matter and more of a matter of attitude towards modern internet's reliance on algorithms and even AI.
@@molmol98Once our parents were on social media... killed it for me.. and I'm over 50 😂
Same here....my 88 old dad was (he died 2 years ago and still is on Facebook) on Facebook 6 hours a day. Me was on the Well.....then byebye. No smartphone, no phone most of the time (only for car emergencies), no modern car with datatracking. I guess when I go through US customs these days I will get arrested and send back, since I have no SM history, which off course is seriously suspicious 😂.
Im only 35 and about right around when Covid hit is when i started using UA-cam often
I had IG about 10 years ago
But i was only on it for like 5 months
I had facebook as a teen but i never used it and got rid of it when I was 25
It was useless
And i can tell the difference from how i live my life to social media users
I seem to be happier and seem less of a complainer compared to my counter parts
And compared to Gen Z
I seem to have less image or anxiety issues
Mentally it seems like im in a better place then the people on social media often
I live in my own world
In my own bubble
Listening and watching things i like
I tend to hear varying views without getting sensitive about things
And most of the content i watch on UA-cam
Is things i personally like
From sports,music,gaming
Regardless if its childish like South Park or watching someone do a Pokémon Nuzlock
Yes i found some of these creators through the algorithm
Just like i found this guy
But i dont watch or care about most of the things they feed me
The thing the lack of social media has given me
Is that im comfortable with myself and knowing that im just me and I'm not influenced or have skewed my views thanks to soical media
Regardless if people agree or disagree with them
At least i know its my own thoughts
One thing is for certain : sharing artists name or albums name is brilliant 😇
No algorithm will be able to do this the way another human being is doing it.
That is the part I really loved in this video.
And yes, it’s not your usual vid, but man, that’s true entertainment. Real, deep, rich, funny, light, etc
What a treat, Brendon.
Cheers to you
Part 1 of this series was served to me by an algorithm. Your creation of and my viewership of an anti-algorithm video still ultimately feeds the algorithm and supports the platform.
It’s like controlled opposition. The only way to win is to not play the game.
But, then, to not play the game is to a significant degree to not engage with these media at all. What a world we’ve built for ourselves
great summary of this conundrum
Week 4, time travelled to prevent the algorithmic future.
😂😂😂
How about week 52?
Ah makes sense I thought something has changed
"to Set Right what once went Wrong"
nothing feels better than hand-selecting one of my vinyl records off my shelf and taking the time to dust, clean, and set the record on my turntable, setting the needle and adjusting the volume to my home stereo.
And to be clear, I'm not an "Analog is better" guy. But there is something about tangible music that just hits different. To not be fed music, but to curate your own experience and to listen to an entire album literally "Front to Back"
Love these videos man. Stoked for the next part of this series.
There's really something about the process of it. The effort, however slight, of choosing the record, taking it off the shelf, putting it on the turntable, etc. really makes you feel more connected to the music. You get more buy-in. With digital music, that process, that RITUAL, doesn't happen, so you lose that buy-in. Which turns music from an experience into a mindless consumable.
Audio-Content is such a perfect way to describe the music industry post tik-tok! This series continues to scratch my brain in a spot that has been long neglected.
I've been off Facebook for seven years, off Twitter for five years, off Imgur for three years, and off Instagram for about a year now, and I don't miss any of them. All I do these days are watch UA-cam, listen to podcasts, and play single player video games, it's so much more peaceful and fulfilling.
Facebook is the only one out of those I still kinda use, but only sparingly to keep track of distant friends/family. I've never even had Instagram to begin with, or most of the other popular social media apps out there. Just never saw a need for them.
The way you're describing these like getting off drugs
@@ellelle Correct. I used to wake up an hour earlier than I needed to just so that I could roll over and grab my phone and check my Instagram & Imgur replies, and then almost always spend longer than that allotted hour checking them, until I would have to angrily force myself to stop. If that's not addict behavior I don't know what is.
Smino doesn’t get enough love. That dude was spot on with that recommendation
Facts!
For real! Smino is a legend in the making. Luv 4 Rent is such a great project. As a fan of Kendrick, Big Krit, Future, and Frank Ocean I feel like Smino is an evolution that brings those 4 worlds together.
More like smiyes
This is an important conversation. Musicians should always be keeping their finger on the pulse of counter culture and I think the somewhat-global undercurrent of looking to escape the platforms should be a call for anyone with the means to fight against them by providing alternatives to discoverability feeds. Good thing is we can see how much the platform doesn’t care about manipulating your attention by how much they pay their creators. It’s an inverse relationship, money and discoverability. The current answer is using discoverability platforms to funnel audiences to somewhere else where they won’t be influenced by algorithms. It’s not perfect but it’s what works right now. Great series so far.
got any recs?
@@joshcook957 for alternatives? Patreon is the obvious one. Fansly, onlyfans are others. There really isn’t a reputable one geared towards musicians (vault I don’t think is open to the public yet) so these might need an individual musician’s tweaking but they’re viable options.
Much respect to Jonwayne! I appreciate reading your perspective on this.
Great point
So… yall got tumblr or.
Love this type of video. I want to point out. HE BROUGHT THE ALBUM from a recommendation. That’s so important in this day and age.
if you're not using a walkman with home dubbed tapes then your life is already over
Those were the days
Dubbed off the radio or another tape. Shout out to the double cassette recorder!!
agreeed bro
I still have a shit radio dub of "Last Resort" by Papa Roach on tape. I was fortunate enough to race upstairs and slam the record button just in time. Gen "whatever" will never know.
Somewhere in my collection is a similar tape, a friend recorded a hip hop radio show, from his speaker into a crappy built in microphone in an 80s tape recorder. He was sick so every song has him coughing, talking, you can hear the buttons being pushed and the announcers. It had no bass, cut off songs, but goddamn I listened to that tape 1000 times @@adamgh0
One of the biggest differences to me between Spotify and an iPod is the behavioral change. Spotify encourages you to flick through playlists, whereas an iPod is about the full album experience. Ultimately, the latter is more satisfying to me, but I struggle with discoverability.
If I'm just using an iPod, I'm only ever listening to music I've already heard, which makes the experience somewhat stale. The excitement for me is discovering new music and constantly developing my palate. An iPod is like a favorites list, a time capsule of my favorite music, but it doesn't broaden my horizons, which is why I end up going back to streaming.
This is true but there’s ways around this. Even though I use Spotify for my music, I still ask all of my friends to what they’re listening too and I throw it on. I drive a lot so this time to explore is built into my schedule.
But anyways, my advice to you is just ask around and be open to things you would never listen to on your own. Try and see where your friend is coming from, why they like it, and how you feel about it.
Goodluck out there
Somewhat agree. Back in the not too far days, I used to trawl a ton of blogs, sites and forums discussing music. Listening to mixes and new releases and buying or downloading kinda blind. I learnt a lot. I guess streaming consolidated that somewhat, but that time spent digging and searching was part of the fun, and I'd listen to a mix to the end, which allowed me to find nuggets in the middle. I guess it was the digital version of crate digging. I miss it very much as the majority of those sites are long gone.
It was exciting downloading it all to whatever player i was using and giving the music time. That's the thing with me personally. The time I gave music I'd discovered. Now I feel like I skip a lot without giving the sound my time. I very much miss that.
You can always trust humar recs.
for discoverabolity, I’d recommend looking at bandcamp. not the biggest catalog, but a lot of unique indie stuff. searching by city is also really fun!
I use a mix of UA-cam and streaming to subsist my full album purchases. I treat the Internet like those old listening kiosks from back in the day of music stores and when I find something interesting I will purchase a full album to listen to uninterrupted. And I rarely let anything auto play for me, instead I am deliberate (it could be argued chaotic) with my choices, be it searching for specific styles, catchy band names or interesting titles, I try to make my music consumption something that is at least somewhat active and not passive.
The fact that subscribers don’t mean much anymore and viewers will only watch whatever the algorithm serves made me realize that it’s almost impossible to build an actual fanbase/community anymore, unless you constantly create whatever the algorithm favors, no matter the topic or genre, and sometimes it doesn’t even work. Every content feels like a one-off. I’ve seen so many UA-camrs who blew up because one of their videos got boosted by the algorithm, but after a while their viewership went back to normal and no one cared about them anymore even if they produce a video similar to the one that went viral.
I came into this video through the Recommended section and the most likely scenario after this video ends is that I leave a like, close it and continue my day. I don’t know anything about the creator of this video or whatever this channel has to offer, and it’s very hard to care. I just found this video in particular, no, the *thumbnail* and the *title* to be interesting. I don’t even know if I want to subscribe, because UA-cam most likely won’t promote videos to my sub box. It feels like subscribing only give a channel more harm than good because the algorithm will think your channel needs a certain amount of views and if you fail to meet such criteria, UA-cam won’t promote your channel anymore.
I really like the way you're going about this. I got myself an MP3 player a few months ago and ditched my iPhone. I basically told myself until I finish my album, I'm gonna stay off of it. I have honestly only seen the benefits of it. I am more present and able to actually do things I want to do, have more time to just chill. I've finished like 16 books already and just feel so much more clearer in my way of thinking.
I think ditching social media is possible, but not ideal. I basically chose to do this:
Live like it's 2008.
What this means is I check my social media when I'm at home on my computer, but I don't have any of this on my phone, which just has messaging, google maps, and call. I can honestly say I don't have much of an urge to check online, and when I do, I'm reminded of why I had to get off of it.
Good luck with your phoneless journey and thanks for some album recommendations. That's one of the first things I ask people about when I first meet them or am catching up with buddies.
again great series I'm hooked. I appreciate the time you put into your videos feel like I am watching an HBO special lol. This is something I have been researching and looking into myself. I remember the days of having a CD book with all the music I downloaded from Limewire. My wife and I talked about building a Media computer and buying movies and music just to host on our home network.
As a music producer and engineer, I have credits with music that's over half a million streams and I still can't live off the money I make from streaming. I look at Spotify as a marketing platform, to draw people in so they can actually purchase merch or music directly from us.
Talking to people in person and sharing music is a lost art. I still do it with a lot of my friends but getting off the algorithm is intriguing bro
This was one of your best videos. The guy you featured described human curation. It's what the algorithm automated. Back in the day, ALL travel included a finding and visiting a local record store and local book store. And live music - whether small club, bar, theater or concert hall - feeds the soul. I miss it all and appreciate the reminder.
In my effort to partially unplug, I deleted twitter, deleted IG for a while (I back slid), started buying vinyl records and PRAY I can get back to live music and live comedy again soon. While I sometimes go outside with just my Apple Watch (w/ LTE cellular connection), I don't see letting a smartphone go. Lyft, Waze, Google Maps and several other apps are too indispensable at this point.
This channel is criminally underrated
"I'm just going to say it for all the great stuff we have now, the pre-algorithm internet in some ways was better".
I'd go as far as saying in all the ways. Great sentiment.
I deleted FB and IG to reduce the endless noise. Then UA-cam introduced shorts and it's like whack-a-mole with a new worthless distraction.
I'm fortunate enough that music and photography are purely hobbies so I've taken the approach of making exactly what I like, when I like, and decorating my house with my photos. If no one else ever sees them that's ok too. They bring me joy every time I look at them.
Loving this video series! Just went to find my iPod and gave it a charge!
Something i was thinking about recently is how with the algorithms, a "viral" video or meme that I see all the time, my friends/family might never come across. Used to be fun back in the day when a viral video was viral for everyone, Panda sneeze, Charlie bit my finger, Shoes, etc. Despite being online, it created a sense of community that connected everyone. Now we're all just in our own little niche bubbles that keeps going deeper and deeper.
Omg this is my sign to social media detox!!!!! The studies I ve seen of the impact of social media addiction scares me. They really connect it to be addicted to cocaine and heroin!!
Because of your video. I just pulled out my old digital camera, my iPod classic, my manual gps. Now all I need is a flip phone. I’m going do this and I’m already excited. I love the nostalgia behind technology always have but my mental has suffered a lot from social media.
Please continue with these videos and keep us updated on your iPod journey
This is an interesting experiment, and I find myself looking at listening to music via an iPod with rose-tinted glasses and a warm hug of reminiscence. My reality is that I pay for Spotify but I don't find myself going through playlists or AI generated content like others might. I only play my playlists that I put together, or ones that have been shared with me via friends, I'm very much using it like winamp or itunes back in the day. I do find myself in constant conflict about the subscription business model of everything these days though, because as you said, the generations that remember life without the internet, understand that feeling of ownership of a physical disc, VHS tape, etc.
I’ve had an iPod in my gig bag for a few years but I think I’m gonna really commit to it now
This makes me smile so much. I remember back on both my '07-'08 deployment and '10-'11 deployment, a Zune or iPod was my go to for music and now I've been regressing back to burning CDs again and putting music vids on a thumbdrive to play in my truck(it's old enough I don't an infotainment fortunately) and I've notice my mood has been changing for the better. I've also been canceling my video streaming one by one to break away to go back to the old ways and it's been fun.
Man! I have been hooked on your channel since the first episode I came across like a year and a half ago. I watch every week and realized I wasn’t getting notifications a while back. Algorithms at work.
You have truly hit a new level with this series and I thank you for it. All of your videos have clearly been labors of love and provide genuine depth and quality. Please keep it going.
Thank you! Much love!
iPod + iTunes is cool but No-Brand MP3 Player + Pirated MP3's is a fire combo
Yeah. That's great and all, but you know what's even better? Nugget (aka generic mp3 player) + Pirated FLACs! I can actually hear layers in the music that I listen to in that format.
A big part of why I made the shift back to using a media player was to support the artists better. I have been going to my local library and ripping CDs or finding albums on the high seas, but I wind up buying copies of the albums I listen to the most.
Not trying to posture like what I am doing is somehow better than anyone else, but I think I have found a happy medium. Better than the "free* buffet of music I can stream, while also keeping my options open.
v60 thinq is a great option. tidal-dl is a great way to dl stuff from tidal directly with an account :P
Even more fire is ipod + pirated mp3s
Yes yes, that's nice, but honestly modded 512gb Ipod + Pirated flacs + Rockbox is clearly the superior option.
I've collected so much music over the years, I'm 52.. that it seemed crazy to me, to pay any streaming service, to listen to the music I already have. I've uploaded all of my cd's to the cloud and basically stream my own music. Along the way I find new music, acquire it and upload it to the cloud, but admit I've missed out on so much.. can't miss what you never had right. This doesn't even include the music I can't convert from iTunes (which if I've paid for like the rest, why can't I convert it for my own use.. don't get me started)
I ditched music streaming services for almost a few months and it has made music SO much more enjoyable.
Now, I did sail the seas for most of my music BUT I don’t think I’ll go back again. Makes the music I listen to so much more special
Listening to a lot of music costs a bunch, i don’t fault you
Haha @ sail the seas
Had to chirp in as a huge fan of the iPod. There is something amazing about carrying my entire music collection in my pocket. And I don’t mean streaming files from a server. I mean carrying all MY CDs that I collected over decades in my pocket. When I push play, it’s my collection that plays. No cloud, just my collection.
I'm ALL about analogue, old school shit, and have said it for literally decades, vinyl will never die, film, paper, none of it, but WHY do you make us wait another week for the next episode!
I know, I know...
I listen to music mostly on vinyl, cassette, or CD at home now, but I still have my iPod with 15K songs on it. Never letting that bad boy go.
Coming from someone who’s part of Gen Z, I’ve began to appreciate music so much more ever since I bought a portable CD player and have started collecting albums. Ripped all of my albums to my PSP and that’s what I’ve been using to play my music. I still use Spotify for ease of use and recommendations but having all of my music curated by me is so much better. Hopefully these practices help influence my music so I can make whatever I want without having to worry about the algorithm.
I went back to a portable CD player ‘cause I found myself so easily distracted by everything on my phone, and I absolutely love it! Realistically I can only carry three or four albums with me, so my choices become insanely intentional. Having said that, for any actual long-distance travel it’s pretty tedious; plus, I risk breaking my physical albums. I think the iPod will provide the happy medium between CDs and Apple Music on my iPhone.
Really cool to follow you on this journey man. You’re really on to something here. Much love
I watched a lot of these "get of socialmedia" videos lately, but i have to say yours has a special spin to it! May even motivate me to do this as well for one month
Loving the installments to this so far. The get rid of my iphone question is where I'm at right now. I've started using the "gray scale" filter to take all the color and aesthetics away and it's been a big help in cutting my screen time from 6-8 hours down to 3 hours. Highly recommend trying that and using dedicated widgets on your phone because I'm finding the less there is to look at the less time I want to spend on my phone.
I’m digging this series. I just picked up a copy of FilterWorld and as a software engineer I have to say I am really enjoying the book so far. Of course I also loved Dilla Time, and if you have any other books to recommend that would be dope! Definitely getting Questlove’s book next!
Now your pushing me to buy an iPod 😮
As 90s baby I have to say life was easy the internet and social media was fun when it first came out. Now it just feels overwhelming
@Digging The Greats maybe after all the episodes are out we could get a poster, T-shirt or something of the story board on the white background thing. coz i think its a cool concept as a way to follow the flow of your thoughts as the weeks progress. I appreciate your effort that goes into these videos so thanks and have a good day
yes I've finished watching this series all the way through now and i had such an appreciation for the whiteboard. didn't want him to get rid of it haha! i think a poster or something would be so cool. even if it wasn't too big. but it has so reminders and benchmarks for this journey and i would love to be reminded of them tangibly. i actually even took notes this time - this is my second watch through.
I love this. I ditched streaming a couple of years ago because I noticed how little I was paying attention to what I was listening to. I can't ignore the irony though that it was down to an algorithm that I discovered this great channel and video series
Might try this myself
I’m with you, I’ve been popping CD’s in my car this past month, wiping the dust off of some vinyls. I might as well just go all in.
I'm 39 and I've never used Spotify or any other streaming service. Still doing things the old school way - intentionally check for new music and purchase it if I like the snippets or singles. If I hadn't moved into my current apartment, which is really tiny, then I'd probably still be buying physical CDs. I even used an iPod mini until it died last year.
And I do it exactly for the reason outlined in these videos - I want to have a control / freedom of what I listen to, and I intentionally choose music to match my current mood. I don't want it to be dictated by algorithms. Plus I love the excitement of discovering new artists and albums.
EDIT: And there's one more reason that I didn't realize until I saw other comments - the ability of being offline. I don't depend on wifi or mobile data to listen to my music.
I seriously wish they still made iPod classic, I was so pissed when they stopped. It used to be one of the 5 things I needed to have with me when I left the house. I still use my iPhone like an iPod and just use my iMusic library but it’s not the same
Haha love this series man. Great job. had me genuinely smiling at your editing and fourth wall breaking moments within your own narrative. Truly great job.
This is such an interesting test. I still have my old 30gb ipod and last weeks video got me to bring it out and charge the old guy up. I'll be bringing it on my next trip. I tend to pick my own music to listen to anyway, but I do miss the ipod era. You appreicated the music more. I'd love to see if things went back to paying for your music, who would remain popular. I think it would make people really think about what they choose to listen to.
born in 1995, i refuse to stream. I download all my music to my phone, treating it like an ipod. it's the superior way to listen.
Youn should definitely get an iPod! You'll love it!
I was born in 2007 and well I grew up burning CDs and downloading mp3 files from UA-cam with shady converters and I also prefer just having everyhting downloaded on my phone on a 128 GB SD card that I bought for this. I do use Spotify for listening to to me new artists or albums but if I like it I will download it but CDs and vinyls are just the best. You can hold it in your hand and that's a feeling no streaming will give you.
just curious what kind of phone? Because I have been using Samsung mostly with Metro and thought they no longer had miniSD capabilities.
@@SpiderDan2099 Samsung A54 I think
Born in 2001, doing the exact same thing man, it's the best
If I’m going to think solely about my own listening experience (not cultural impact, not impact on musicians, etc), then signing up for Apple Music this year has been the best for my exposure to music that is new to me. I’m 47, and realize this has been a great tool to listen to older music (which is still new to me). I used to only listen to whatever the current music was of the time, but I’ve found myself looking backwards at what I’ve missed over time. I don’t rely on any algorithms, and don’t use any of the curated playlists. Sure, I’m still a slave to the UA-cam algorithm, but not when it comes to music.
I’m surprised you didn’t talk about the iPod featured in wwdc for like 4 seconds. Also I’ve ditched Apple Music and use the music app on my phone as an iPod (daily driver is 7th gen classic) and I’ve been loving it
not gonna lie, i broke my phone about 6 months ago and lived without it. I had the iPod idea back then. Now I'm thinking I shoulda made a video about it lol. Synchroneity is a weird thing. I live in India and you, 2 oceans away and yet we stumble across the same thing. Amazing
You went all out there in using an iPod with a headphone jack lol and even wrote in a book with a pen! Most people take this for granted these days I need to start using good old notepads and pens myself 😊😊
I find myself going more in the analog ways again. For the car, I just have 2 CDs, Nevermind and Toxicity. One is for getting somewhere fast, the other one is for concentrating on getting someplace new. I also plan on getting a FLAC player to put all my CDs on to. I really like this approach you're doing.
To make some suggestions for the iPad : pivot gang- you can't sit with us , lil Simz - sometimes I might be introvert, kojey radical - cashmere tears, RAP ferreira - purple moonlight pages, koreatown oddity - little Dominique's nosebleed, balming tiger - Jan never dies
I had purchased an iPod last year and upgraded it to 500gb ssd and to have a better battery, for sure there is still something special about running your own collection.
Also smino is amazing, His first albums blkjuptr and blkswn are still the best for me
I was just thinking I would have recommended Smino's first albums over Love 4 Rent. It's still good, but blkswn it fantastic.
I was using my ipod classic up until the start of the pandemic when it died on me. I thought about figuring out how to buy new components and fix it myself, but never did. I was mostly only using it in the gym as by that point I had already been using google play music (now youtube music) since about 2016. I was fine with it at the time,but ever since we were forced to switch to UA-cam music, my relationship with music streaming has become much more frustrating. Not alerting me of new albums by artist, I listen to all the time until after I've already listened to the album. But instead, recommending some artists that are waay off the mark from my personal tastes. My biggest frustration is that I have really big playlists that i love putting on random. Unfortunately YT music's "random" feels far from it. There's a clear pattern of the songs it selects,it seems to select the same ones, and it will repeat a lot. It's improved a bit lately, but it also feels like it's trying to curate a playlist instead of just being random.
Anyway, your series is inspiring me to either go back to the ipod or some other mp3 player. Ipod probably is the best bet so I can add new music if I want to (I dont have it in me to go back to pirate life lol). Although, I'm going to have to develop a budget for it. I do feel like I've lost a lot of intentionality with my music listening, and this could potentially help keep me away from my phone. Only issue is, idk if I see me using it outside of the gym again. But maybe that's enough.
loving this series! this is on my mind too.
i'm not using iPod but im also trying to listen to albums more than playlists. but the music industry has already changed and it feels rarer to have great albums that were made to be listened to in one. or is that just me projecting?
in my car i listen to CDs cause thats all there is and i love it, i find new ones 2nd hand and i'm enjoying it so much
i bought lil simz' newest and that one is on repeat
Man, this has been the content I have been searching for. Most videos feel like they were made for short consumption but this here is gold. I have been able to get through watching both videos without clicking off. Amazing! Just ordered myself an Ipod classic last week. Looking forward to disconnecting with the algorithm.
if you think going back to an iPod is good look into digital audio players (daps) essentially the same concept as an iPod but with current Hardware this will enable you to enjoy music on higher quality headphones there are some portable daps now that output enough power to drive tungsten which is fantastic
I've read some 10 years back that a study showed stuff you write stick to you longer and better than stuff you type. Since then I've make a point to write down in paper anything I'm learning. I write it in a way that makes sense to me and makes my brain recall stuff better.
Speaking to the maker/artist/creator side this go around, IMO the point about making something (a video, a song etc.) for the “algo” when zoomed out from its unique peculiarities for a moment is not particularly unique at all at a broad distilled level. Remember when folks tried to write a hit song so they can get on radio, on MTV. That you were held in disdain in some quarters as a “sellout” if you wrote a pop-radio friendly song.
Revel Day’s anecdote about live music mostly being a drag speaks to the same sense that this climate exists beyond and before the current “algo scene”. Yes there are specific issues with the current situation but they are not unique in that these don’t exist elsewhere or in other times. There’s a recent clip of Beck telling Martin Short about his struggle amidst the grunge era.
IMO the algo problem is a manifestation, a symptom but not the actual disease. Manage the symptoms yes if we like (iPod only, vinyl, delete social etc.) but IMO it’s worth not being confused that the underlying issues.
What are these issues? We could go on and on about what these possibly are - just turn on the news, go onto the forums and Twitter. Pick your rabbit hole and anger fuel. But IMO to cut through the noise and zero in - the issue is a whole bunch of people across generations, across societal strata who have chosen whether wittingly or otherwise to poison the well from which we all drink from. We take what we want, and dump our waste into the river, thinking it’s someone’s else’s problem.
“Be kind, rewind”. Why bother? Doesn’t benefit me. We make our choices.
Artists, musicians, makers, creators also get to make our choices. If we have the ear and the trust (and yes..”attention”) of subscribers, patrons, listeners, fans..do something worthwhile with it. Make it count. Don’t seek for more subscriber etc. numbers. Do something valuable. Make something valuable. Don’t just “get yours”, take from the well and not gaf. Replenish it. Clean it. Take care of it. Keep it healthy. As makers, musicians, artists etc. we are in a unique position to do so, to do something about it.
These apps COULD in theory, make it incredibly easy to find new music that's to your exact tastes. They wont. It's still a headache and you still constantly get railroaded to crap you don't want. Human curation is more important than ever
Maybe I’m crazy, I don’t know, but I have an iPod touch filled with music. And an Android phone with 128 gigs and a SD card with 128 gigs. 256 gigs full of songs. They go with me in my car. I still listen my CDs and vinyl. And I still do my mixtapes on cassette tapes, which is absolutely nuts, but I love hear songs in this format. I just can’t adapt myself to streaming music services.
We need a website that people can recommend stuff and send links without some company discouraging it so we can share the things we love without some ulterior motive to make money or keep you on their page.
Ma brotha. Please find a way to continue the series. 3 week aint enough. I dig it.
Bought the book, got the iPod out of storage. Thank you for the inspiration !
I came back here 3 days later to say thanks to your band member how recommended Peado Bryson, some great morning listening! Thank you my guy!
What I’ve loved about this video is that it clearly demonstrates the point of “fluff vs quality”. This video (and series) is produced in a quality manner. And quality content allows you to THINK about what you’re watching, not only whilst you’re watching it, but also after. Short form “content” doesn’t give you a chance to do this. With content, you consume, you move on to the next thing, you consume, you move on to the next thing. With quality materials your brain has something meatier to grasp onto and DO something with. There’s a purpose and a point and a story and the experience of watching/listening is so much more satisfying. It’s like having a well balanced meal rather than constantly snacking on “content breadcrumbs”
It took be about an hour to watch this video because I had to check out all the album recommendations in between. Thank you very much for this!
I bought an iPod at the start of this month. So good to see someone else going through the same process I am going through. Can't wait for the other videos, subscribed instantly.
Got rid of my iPhone and switched to an old T9 nokia with only call and text 5 years ago. Don't miss it for a minute. Bought a 4th gen monochrome iPod two years ago and barely stream music anymore between iPod and vinyl.
Doesn't feel that life altering anymore but going back to a smartphone does not appeal to me in slightest.
I've been using an iPod Classic for almost 2 years. Makes your music feel like YOUR music. Great vid!
just for reference, I subscribed to personalized but no notifications to this channel, but the "... " only displayed this on my feed 12 hours after it was posted... 5:11 cheese bro!
Things like this are why I go and play side events at Pokémon tournaments. It's expensive (travel + event costs), but it's way easier to connect with folks meaningfully by playing a 15-30 minute game.
In case anyone reading this will be in Honolulu at worlds next month, look for the guy dressed like Michael Hutchence from INXS with a Shinx plush.
Love your videos, it’s amazing to see such an immense appreciation of music in them! My favourite videos you’ve done are on the native tongues movement and I was curious if you’re going to do a video on Tribe’s first album? Specifically their song Youthful expression
Reaching For The Sky · Peabo Bryson. Great shout there. I'd not even heard of him before.
I love this experiment. I guess I'll check back in next week. I'm looking forward to you moving into the woods in week 4
On the plus side, the algorithm sent your video my way because I've been watching videos about people using pocket notebooks to simplify their lives (I'm 33 days in myself). Yes, I am well aware that I am contradicting myself, but at least I get to watch some content I normally would not be exposed to. Ready for your week 3.
And the plot thickens…. Looking forward to week 3 🤙🏼🤙🏼
I love how the universe (or, in this case the algorithm) usually presents you with the things you most need at the right exact time, case and point this video. Thank you for this, I'm excited to see the struggle unfold in week 3, but your conclusions about our society and curated content is so spot on, especially with some doubts I've been having, this is helping a lot ❤
The storytelling here is next level. I love the intercut between past and present (future?) you. Class.
This is an amazing series!! You're really hitting the right tone. Intention and authenticity are what matter. The rest is fluff.
OK, pt 2 has made me so sad. I'm in my mid 40s now and going back around 20 years, I would go music shopping every Monday to check out the new cds and vinyl. To be honest that was a habit I had from about 16, so music shops started disappearing from the high streets. I didn't help, I started buying cds online. I miss finding out about music from chatting on messageboards, specific to my tastes in music; searching online for a DJ mix that cannot be found on any streaming service; buying magazines for to read the reviews of of the months releases and then discovering something that sounds great, but I would have normally ignored and buying it, loving it or hating it. Didn't matter is was all part of the fun.
I still have 3 iPods in a draw, I bought a duplicate of the very last one released just in case I previous one died. But now they all sit in a draw, because I succumbed to the streaming platforms. Maybe it's time to got one of those iPods out of a draw, put down the Bluetooth headphones and get back to intentionally deciding what I put on my iPod and choose to listen to, rather than being fed what someone thinks I should be listening too
I'm about it man. Waiting for week 3 update!
Hey Digging, loving this series so far and would love to hear more about how spotify, etc. affects the way we enjoy media in ways we didnt notice until its too late. I love the similar video by mic the snare about using a CD player instead of streaming subscription.
I just can relate with nearly everything you're saying, doing or thinking and that makes your work so wholesome and precious. Greetings from Germany!
Smino is right down your alley, hope you got to dig into his stuff. I'm surprised you hadn't heard of him before tbh but that just means you get to enjoy his whole catalog
Great video man. really makes you think about what's real art and music.
This video series is awesome! Awesome content, awesome story telling, awesome subject matter. I'm curious where the story is going, but currently I am rooting for the Ipod!
Your editing is amazing, it’s like a movie and story telling
I have been a subscriber for around a year, and i watch and "like" lots of videos of yours. I had no idea and was never recommended your other channel "Digging The Talks". Algo's suck
That payson Lewis album was incredible.
good stuff man. yeah as a gen x'er IT guy, i still have tons of old tech lying around. i think just like throughout history there are leaps in technology that actually move us forward. fire, printing press, etc. but everything in between is just us trying to find wha the next thing is that we didn't know we needed. mp3 players were just one of those golden moments where we didn't need to drag a backpack full of cd's, tapes, etc with us everywhere to listen to our stuff. after that, meh. i do have to admit that i've picked up a bluetooth 'dongle' to headphone jack so i can use my wireless headphones with my zune. :D can't wait til next video :D
just because of part 1 I bought a 5th generation ipod yesterday...
YES 🔥
until just a couple years ago I ran with a huge ipod touch and an android phone so it was easy to load media vs iPhone. I would buy either physical or digital copies of albums to directly support artists, and I would use Spotify when I wanted to follow a playlist or listen to something not otherwise available or that I wouldn't listen to enough (or who were too big too need my money). I reached a point though where my car finally had Android Auto and it didn't work to have Android Auto loaded for phone calls / navigation / etc. and my iPod for music. Had to put all the media on my phone.
it's just something about physical media - for me, it's cassettes in particular - that no algorithm-driven, AI-inspired, glossy online technology will EVER come close to.
That feeling of just LISTENING from start to finish, to whatever was on that tape. Whether it was a greatest hits collection, a full album, something you recorded off the radio...it all had meaning in that context. I made a choice to listen to that cassette, and whether it was a good or bad choice, I stood by it.
I first got into music in my teens in 1997. My family had relocated to Saudi Arabia for my dad's work. So you can imagine at that time, there was nothing. A barren landscape, just like most of what Saudi looked like to me!
There was one music chain (there are probably more now) Megastar. They sold a limited number of cassettes and CDs. If I was lucky to go there, and if my parents agreed to buy something from there for me.
So, it was left to me to rifle through my Dad's cassette collection, listen to everything he had, ask around in school, borrow tapes from friends, recording my own mixtapes. Occasionally I bumped into someone with vinyl records, and he'd record an entire album onto cassette for me.
I never get that feeling now with Spotify, Tidal, iTunes or any other app. That conscious decision that you made, the work that I had to do to find stuff I enjoyed, discussing music with friends... I miss that now. I had the same feelings too when I bought my first Sony mp3 Walkman. This video brought back some great memories.
for the past few years, when I come across an album/song/artist that I really really enjoy, I will pick up the physical CD and/or vinyl. I'll rip the CD to my pc in ALAC and keep it all on a private server. Its way more satisfying, and you actually OWN a physical copy of the music which is huge to me. I've been collecting blurays of movies and tv shows as well.
"So by Peter Gabriel" ... Yes x 1000!!! That's one of my all time faves right there.
Sat down and wrote down the recomendations from all of the comments there is to the video so far, I feel like I just found a gold mine of music
Would be very interesting to see this type of experiment on a younger person. Taking away the iphone and replacing it with an ipod. What would they think or feel about that sort ‘analog’ way of interacting with music and creation in general? Would they enjoy the human to human discoverability aspect of it? Nice video!