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Streaming Music Services Still Foreign To Many

From: Radio Hannibal

If Radio Hannibal were as big and influential as I'd like, streaming music services would be common by now.  Spotify, Rhapsody, MOG, Rdio, and the like would be well known brands.  The fact is they are still foreign to many.

I'm still of the opinion that Spotify will, far and away, be the leader of streaming music services so I'll focus on it.  Being the evangelist I am for Spotify, the topic comes up quite often in my conversations with people.  And the vast majority tell me they've never heard of Spotify.  In fact, they aren't even aware of streaming music services. Once in awhile, I'll get something like, "oh, you mean like Pandora?".  "Hardly," I'll reply.

This ignorance of Spotify isn't just from people with little interest in music.  Hardcore music friends of mine are clueless as well.  That includes the vast majority of local musicians I talk to.

The weird thing is that when I explain Spotify, that you can listen to just about any album or song you want with one click, they are suspicious.  They assume it's illegal. 

I understand.  It is hard to comprehend.  Especially when I tell them it's free if you don't mind the ads interspersed between songs.  That's when I'll pull out my iPhone and tell them that for ten bucks a month I can listen to Spotify anywhere I want. 

Now comes the demo.  I tell them to pick an artist, a band.  Ok, if they say The Beatles I'll explain that there are some significant holes.  Maybe they'll say Bob Marley.  I'll do the search and watch as every Bob Marley album populates the screen.  Yet even then they are skeptical.  It's like they're afraid to be amazed.  "What's the catch?" they wonder. 

I had one friend tell me that the concept seemed out of reach for him, like it must be for the music intelligentsia or something.  No, it takes about two minutes to sign up and download the software.

And still, even after I've wowed them, I'll see them again and ask if they got Spotify.  Most of the time the answer is no.  It's astonishing to me. 

I guess it's like the male fantasy of having more than one woman in bed.  In fantasy it's thrilling but in reality it may be too daunting.  Are you capable of handling having 90% of recorded music at your disposal...for free?

-Radio Hannibal

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