Life without on-demand music streaming

M

MusicDirector

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May 21, 2013
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I began my life without on-demand music streaming today. I had a MOG account for two + years and it was great, but I bailed out of the burning plane 2 days ago. They tried to get me to come back to Beats music service, but a big NO THANK YOU on that! I know a couple of the players in that organization (Clear Channel and AT&T) and have had a few unpleasant run-ins with them and want nothing at all to do with them. The structure of the service is also horrifying to me.
Anyway, I'm not a fan of Pandora and other radio streamers because again,.....it's radio. I heard about XboxMusic, but when I went to go check it out and sign up for the free service to do some testing I had to create a Microsoft account only yo find that I could not do so. Then some sketchy info was also presented making it sound like I needed two different accounts and just got too messy.
So I am without on-demand streaming. Do I miss it? Well, not as much as I thought I would, but still sort of miss it as it was a great tool for discovery and try before buy (a real money saver). So now I'll have to go back to 30 second clips on whatever I can find on Amazon like I used to do. The only drawback is some frustrating little money mistakes have higher potential of being made with that method, but it has not happened often to me in the time before MOG.
 
Update: I had one more trick up my sleeve and it worked. I have now successfully created an account at XboxMusic. Let the testing begin! Perhaps I may not have to live without on-demand music streaming for very long which would mean I can get back to my research and discovery in a lab setting thank you very much. I have far too much experience in that, it's practically ingrained in me.
 
MusicDirector said:
Update: I had one more trick up my sleeve and it worked. I have now successfully created an account at XboxMusic. Let the testing begin! Perhaps I may not have to live without on-demand music streaming for very long which would mean I can get back to my research and discovery in a lab setting thank you very much. I have far too much experience in that, it's practically ingrained in me.
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So my email was just sent to you and seems you beat me to it..and have NOT limited yourself my friend. And you heard unbiased opinions from the folks on Ak (who can be a stubborn bunch) about the good sound quality and the 40million + titles...so..let the music play...
 
Although Spotify and previously MOG might have a slight edge in SQ over Rhapsody I would miss the way it integrates seamlessly with my SooLoos. I use this to locate and determine whether I want to purchase discs. If it is a marginal CD I will just add it to my library and have it for the occasional play with just a slight loss in SQ. A real Win-Win.
 
MOG is the greatest thing since 'sliced bread' for me. I stream it through my Airport Express to my D100. Convenient and sounds darn good. Gives me a chance to better organize and hear a lot more music before I consider buying the CD.
 
Hiker said:
MOG is the greatest thing since 'sliced bread' for me. I stream it through my Airport Express to my D100. Convenient and sounds darn good. Gives me a chance to better organize and hear a lot more music before I consider buying the CD.
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You mean "was" the greatest thing. MOG is officially no more come 01/31/14. If you are still with MOG you will be switched over to Beats. I know Beats will not run on Sonos or Squeezebox, but I'm not sure about Airport.
 
UPDATE: As sad as losing MOG is, all is not lost. Thanks to Rob who told me about XboxMusic. I used MOG for the very reason mentioned here. To find listen before buying. Anything I was not sure I wanted would stay on streaming while anything I really liked I would go purchase the CD or vinyl. It also helped in discovery as well. I never used MOG for serious listening because obviously MP3 320kps lacks the dynamics that vinyl or CD can offer. Again though great for research.
That said though, I did find it very hard to listen by direct connect from PC to audio system. That's why the squeezebox is great because of the dac in it.
I am currently doing testing of XboxMusic and also researching Spotify, Rdio Rhapsody, Beats and the old MOG. I'm going to compare them against each other and then decide. (I'm obviously not going with Beats and with MOG no longer around, but including them for comparative reasons and scope.)
 
MusicDirector said:
You mean "was" the greatest thing. MOG is officially no more come 01/31/14. If you are still with MOG you will be switched over to Beats. I know Beats will not run on Sonos or Squeezebox, but I'm not sure about Airport.
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According to the Beats press release MOG will continue as it's own entity under the same management and staff. No change.
 
Hiker said:
According to the Beats press release MOG will continue as it's own entity under the same management and staff. No change.
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Don't believe everything they say. I was given the scoop (or confirmed my suspicions) when I cancelled my MOG the other day. MOG will be it's own entity so to speak through 01/31/14, then it is Beats and not anything resembling MOG after that date. That is what MOG staff said. The folks who work at MOG will then be employees of Beats, so I was told by several staffers.
 
If MOG or Beats will not be streaming anymore on Sonos, then I will cancel them. If it continues, no problem for me.
 
Unless you are downloading and listening to hi-res samples of this "new to you music" that you plan to purchase from said hi-res service, I have a hard time understanding the justification of beating up any of the other services (Mog, Beats, Pandora, Spotify, etc.). You say you listen with these other services to gain insight to the music and to help you decide whether you want to ultimately purchase, but if these other services are of a lesser sound quality, then what's the difference most of us faced 10-30 years ago?....we hear something we think we like on the radio and we go out and buy the LP or CD or Cassette and hope for the best. Sometimes it blows us away with how good it sounds and sometimes it just sucks with regard to sound quality.

These streaming services ARE our radio today.

In today's compression / loudness wars, so many recordings truly suck but to say because a given track/recording sounded good on Pandora, or Mog or Beats or Spotify (at their ideal streaming rates), it's still a dice roll when you go to purchase the actual LP or CD or DSD even....just like in the old days.

Am I wrong and/or missing something here?

Mike
 
MikeCh said:
Unless you are downloading and listening to hi-res samples of this "new to you music" that you plan to purchase from said hi-res service, I have a hard time understanding the justification of beating up any of the other services (Mog, Beats, Pandora, Spotify, etc.). You say you listen with these other services to gain insight to the music and to help you decide whether you want to ultimately purchase, but if these other services are of a lesser sound quality, then what's the difference most of us faced 10-30 years ago?....we hear something we think we like on the radio and we go out and buy the LP or CD or Cassette and hope for the best. Sometimes it blows us away and sometimes it just sucks with regard to sound quality.

In today's compression / loudness wars, so many recordings truly suck but to say because a given track/recording sounded good on Pandora, or Mog or Beats or Spotify (at their ideal streaming rates), it's still a dice roll when you go to purchase the actual LP or CD or DSD even....just like in the old days.

Am I wrong and/or missing something here?

Mike
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To me personally, it's not about sound quality at all if we are talking streaming for purposes of listening before buying. For my purposes as long as I can make out what is what I don't care. Streaming is streaming and only so good no matter who is doing it. I used to just listen to 30 second clips on Amazon for the same purpose and that's about as low quality as it gets, but it was good enough. At a certain point it's the gear being used and I don't have a PC with a high-end soundcard and built in uber dac so anything I play direct will sound like ass after a short time.
So if I understand you correctly, your saying that most recordings are crap out there today with the loudness wars and such. I do agree there are plenty of bad recordings out there due to those things. However, I don't think it is quite the dice roll you claim as long as one knows what they are purchasing by trying to find a good recording say Remaster or whatever. If it is the way you claim then I have to ask, what do you listen to?
 
MusicDirector said:
To me personally, it's not about sound quality at all if we are talking streaming for purposes of listening before buying. For my purposes as long as I can make out what is what I don't care. Streaming is streaming and only so good no matter who is doing it. I used to just listen to 30 second clips on Amazon for the same purpose and that's about as low quality as it gets, but it was good enough. At a certain point it's the gear being used and I don't have a PC with a high-end soundcard and built in uber dac so anything I play direct will sound like ass after a short time.
So if I understand you correctly, your saying that most recordings are crap out there today with the loudness wars and such. I do agree there are plenty of bad recordings out there due to those things. However, I don't think it is quite the dice roll you claim as long as one knows what they are purchasing by trying to find a good recording say Remaster or whatever. If it is the way you claim then I have to ask, what do you listen to?
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I understand now....so the HEART of radio isn't dead afterall ;)

Most of my casual listening is with various streaming services (Pandora and Spotify mostly), but my sit-down-and-listen is always a dice roll with older LP's from the 1950's thru 1980's or CD's that I still roll the dice with. Both formats have their warts and gems, but that only comes with listening and then culling the ones to re-listen to and put in the keep pile. I've purchased only a handful of new LP's or CD's this past year and have had 50/50 success with the quality....kind of like it's always been.

Mike
 
joeinid said:
If MOG or Beats will not be streaming anymore on Sonos, then I will cancel them. If it continues, no problem for me.
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Last I heard Beats will not be on the Sonos, but who is to say for future, near or far? As far as I know Beats will be available on PC, smart phones, tablets, Roku and I think Apple Air or whatever that thing is, but not sure on that.
 
MikeCh said:
I understand now....so the HEART of radio isn't dead afterall ;)
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The big turnoff in the case of the Beats service is who is in control. The Beats structure if the powers that be are to be believed does not allow much if any, listener control. It's not about albums with them, it's about songs. (It's really just about unseating Spotify). The listener has to choose playlist that somebody at Beats or wherever provides. This is not the first attempt at offering streaming service for Beats. Long ago they offered something similar to Grooveshark and early Spotify and it failed quickly. This time they think that by dictating what the listener wants that they will make it big. With the structure they claim they are targeting a narrow demographic, mostly of young kids and the uninformed. Sure, they will most likely do ok for a time, but only a time. I predict it will go under in no more than two years max.
I would also think the new wrinkle Spotify just threw into the ring has given Beats some hiccups. On top of all else, Beats doesn't even offer a trial period, at least of any reasonable time (I heard rumor there was a 7 day trial, but it's just rumor and 7 days is short of the time it takes to evaluate a service much less cancel in time if not wanted). Every other service offers at least a 30 day trial which is plenty. The leaders at Beats said it themselves in a press release that they place no value in trial periods and are counting on names to make folks want the service.
(I know I sure don't and amongst everything else some of the names right turned me off for good).
 
MusicDirector said:
The big turnoff in the case of the Beats service is who is in control. The Beats structure if the powers that be are to be believed does not allow much if any, listener control. It's not about albums with them, it's about songs.
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Yep, just like Radio with a Radio Station Director (the job/career) and everything. Interesting to say the least. This might well be the last breath that Radio is trying to breathe.

Mike
 
Very interesting Eric. Thanks for the insight. I am very curious to see what happens.
 
MikeCh said:
Unless you are downloading and listening to hi-res samples of this "new to you music" that you plan to purchase from said hi-res service, I have a hard time understanding the justification of beating up any of the other services (Mog, Beats, Pandora, Spotify, etc.). You say you listen with these other services to gain insight to the music and to help you decide whether you want to ultimately purchase, but if these other services are of a lesser sound quality, then what's the difference most of us faced 10-30 years ago?....we hear something we think we like on the radio and we go out and buy the LP or CD or Cassette and hope for the best. Sometimes it blows us away with how good it sounds and sometimes it just sucks with regard to sound quality.

These streaming services ARE our radio today.

In today's compression / loudness wars, so many recordings truly suck but to say because a given track/recording sounded good on Pandora, or Mog or Beats or Spotify (at their ideal streaming rates), it's still a dice roll when you go to purchase the actual LP or CD or DSD even....just like in the old days.

Am I wrong and/or missing something here?

Mike
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This has not been my experience with MOG. Unlike radio where I have no control other than station selection, I have album art, I can choose what I listen to, when I listen to it, and I can create favorites and playlists and manage them for future listening and reference. I sure don't miss the advertising and DJ talk on radio.

Most of what I listen to on MOG is @ 320kbps and very similar to the CD, sometimes so close I have a hard time telling a difference.
 
MusicDirector said:
Don't believe everything they say. I was given the scoop (or confirmed my suspicions) when I cancelled my MOG the other day. MOG will be it's own entity so to speak through 01/31/14, then it is Beats and not anything resembling MOG after that date. That is what MOG staff said. The folks who work at MOG will then be employees of Beats, so I was told by several staffers.
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It seems that what may be happening is that MOG will be discontinued in the US as a stand-alone service. Instead Beats will be offering various apps where music can be streamed to Web, iPad, Sonus, etc. I assume that the 'base' MOG program service will be providing the music for these apps (just a guess).
 
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