Audio Visual Round Up #1
In the 1969 film Carry on Camping, Mr Fiddler, the proprietor of the Paradise Camp Site responded to Sid James’ question “How much to camp?” with the answer “Just a pound, sir.” Sid James goes on to ask “Can we put up a washing line?” to which Mr Fiddler replies “Ah, that’ll be another pound”.
Sometimes I’m reminded of this exchange when using the iTunes Music Store. I’m a really recent convert to iTunes having seldom downloaded online, using various sites when there was a free voucher and so on. With so many internet radio stations I normally listen online as it’s free and you’re introduced to new music similar to the artists you’ve tuned in to hear.
The music I’ve downloaded in iTunes so far has been the iTunes Plus stuff - the higher quality tracks with no DRM at 99p. But I’ve also noticed music videos being sold in the store. Previewing the above video, Beggin’ by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the quality really stands out. Not having any device to watch them on whilst out, nor really wanting to watch music videos at home, I’d pass on downloading anyway. To download this video costs £1.89 - it’s a good video and everything, but £1.89 just feels a little steep.
The Apple iPhone includes a YouTube player, and once all of the videos are converted to allow playback on the iPhone I wonder how many people will be downloading videos like this when they’ll be available at just the cost of the data. The same video is available on YouTube, although the audio and visual quality doesn’t meet the iTMS equivilent.
What’s interesting about an increasing number of music videos on YouTube is that they’re uploaded by the record labels themselves. Entirely coincidentally today I watched Beggin’, which was uploaded by 679 Recordings (Warner), Popular by Nada Surf, which was uploaded by Rhino Entertainment (Warner) and Sophia by Nerina Pallot, which was uploaded by 14th Floor. These videos often seem to be in a higher quality and are free of the MTV logos and graphics.
Having first heard Feist months ago on a BBC Radio Cleveland programme, I didn’t see the videos until this week. I can highly recommend 1 2 3 4 and My Moon My Man, as well as all of the above videos.
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