The Natalie Merchant removal has created a bit of a stir in her official forum. Again I’m being accused of “profiting” from live recording. The total ad revenue for this site for the entire 8 months of existence is a grand total of $56, which is just about exactly what I paid for the ticket for that singular concert.
The ads are exponentially more trouble than they are worth. This site loses money by the bucketful, so $56 less is just one less drop in that bucket.
The Amazon links that are currently in each existing post (for which nyctaper has received $11 in commissions total) will remain. No new Amazon product box links will appear for new recordings. The readers will have to seek out official releases through the links that will still be provided to artist’s official website. Please continue to support the artists, that is the primary goal of this site.
So the ads are gone. The donation button remains ($17 since the beginning of December for those who are curious). And yes, at the risk of the appearance of corruption, I will accept a beer if you see me at a show.
Now how am I going to fill up the sidebars!
In 1985, I was paid $1.00 to see 10000 Maniacs at the Living Room in Providence, RI. I should give it back. Anyway, here’s my $25 support. Enjoy. Oh, you know I’ll always pick up the bar tab.
Anyone downloading music freely from your website has no right to criticize your motives. “I sure hope the guy I got this free music from isn’t getting paid! That would be wrong, dude!” I say, do whatever you want. Naysayers can simply stop downloading the files you generously provide. I, for one, WANT you to make money. I want this site to stick around.
The site will stick around as long as it continues to be enjoyable, and not unreasonably financially burdensome. It is actually logistically impossible for it to “make money”, which is certainly not the reason I do it. I removed the meaningless ads to prevent new visitors from misconstruing the site.
For those who are curious, the Relix Magazine link on the bottom left is not an advertisement or a commission ad. It is a simple link exchange which they offer here:
http://www.relix.com/index.php?option=com_linx&task=add_link&Itemid=37
Dude, I’d totally buy you a beer, if only I lived in NY!