Are you savant, enthusiast, casual or indifferent re music?

[BillF]

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/11/echo-nest-spotify-paul-lamere-sxsw

[Chuck Nessa]

I think I'm a solvent.

[David Ayers]

Good to see that even spellchecking has not saved the Grauniad from its legacy of poor proofing

“Of course there’s a big red flag here: you can summarise a whole room full of poeple through statistcis, but when you’re describing an individual you’re gonna get into trouble. There’s going to be a lot of men who like teenpop and a lot of women who like gangsta rap,” said Lamere.

Edited March 11, 2014 by David Ayers

[A Lark Ascending]

Savant? Yuch! Well, at least they didn't use 'connoisseur'.

They need a John Peel setting on their 'big data' machine. After a couple of things you expect to hear you suddenly get a 20 verse Border ballad or 5 minutes of unaccompanied soprano sax.

The strange thing is with all these algorithms, meant to be able to predict what you like from what you play, they still manage to throw up some peculiar suggestions. May that's a malfunctioning John Peel setting.

Edited March 11, 2014 by A Lark Ascending

[jazzbo]

By their definition I am way more than a savant. Very unfortunate choice of words, I would never claim to be really knowledgable about music, as the more I learn about music the more I feel that there is so much more to know and the less I am certain of what I know.

I'm way beyond what they define as far as monetary and time investiment, so I must be either a musical "fool" or "stimulator of musical recording and musical playback industries."

Edited March 11, 2014 by jazzbo

[xybert]

I guess by civilian standards i am a savant (ugh), by jazz fan standards i would grade myself as an enthusiast but am probably a relative casual!

[paul secor]

I guess I'm an idiot savant - or at least the first part of that.

[Rooster_Ties]

This data only bolsters my wife's notion that my interest (and really, my spending habits) are completely off the chart (despite my protestations otherwise).

But let's not forget, this is all talking about people who actually PAY for music -- what is unfortunately becoming an antiquated notion.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Rooster_Ties

[Larry Kart]

I'm a civet, thanks to my "distinctive musky scent."

[JSngry]

[David Ayers]

But let's not forget, this is all talking about people who actually PAY for music -- what is unfortunately becoming an antiquated notion.

That's one thing I didn't figure out from the article - demographic. I'm assuming they are talking about spend on recorded music - spend on live music is a different thing. It seems to me that it is mainly an older age-group which was brought up on LP and/or CD who are in the habit of purchasing and collecting, and it is surely true that many younger people wouldn't dream of paying for downloads and have little interest in CD.

That said, the idea of Spotify was that people would pay for a service that was more convenient than illegal downloading. So the article is only really about how to reach people who are not that into this or that but might pay for a life-style service.

So maybe MORE people WILL pay if it is served up right. But the model a lot of us here have - of pay-per-recording - is surely now on the back foot. People commonly pay monthly for various services, and that's the target.

[BeBop]

I don't buy music anymore, in the sense of recordings or even streaming service. But I'd certainly hit the US$1000 threshold on live music, even though I complain about the number of concerts I can't attend. But that article is focused on buying - not MUSIC music, but reproductions of the real thing. And if you're really a music lover, ain't nothing like the real thing, baby.

So beyond "savant", let's have a category of "music lover" (or some such thing) - someone who accepts the substitute only when the real thing isn't available.

[johnblitweiler]

and I am insolvent

[johnblitweiler]

[A Lark Ascending]

Your are all wrong.

The only way to properly enjoy music is to take into service in your court some fine musicians and a composer to write completely new pieces each week.

Only when you can guarantee a fresh cantata every Sunday can you be a true savant.

[king ubu]

I guess I'm an idiot savant - or at least the first part of that.

that was my first thought reading the thread title ... but then I'm sure computer knows better what I really am.