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ECM Records streaming?


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Which streaming service has the largest ECM Records catalog? I naively assumed Apple Music would have it but have been disappointed. They've got a few titles from the ECM label but not many. I read somewhere that Google Play has ECM but haven't found much evidence that it does. In fact, it's hard to figure out just what Google Play has. I've also read that Manfred Eicher of ECM isn't crazy about streaming so I guess that's a handicap.

 

Being able to explore the extensive and wonderful ECM catalog would really sell me on a streaming service.

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Thanks for the feedback. I'm in the US so, unfortunately, Qobuz is not an option. And actually I was looking just for the streaming option anyway, although, I'm sure I would wind up buying some ECM titles additional to what I already have. I'll check outSpotify in more detail.

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  • 5 weeks later...
I googled three ECM faves at random (Eberhard Weber, Eivind Aarset, Nils Peter Molvaer) and all are on Spotify. Not sure how deep their catalog is, but they are there.

 

Those artists are on Spotify but none of the ECM recordings are available. I don't believe any ECM is available for streaming on any service at this time.

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There are a few of the ECM Rarum compilations on Apple Music; I haven't bothered to check if they're on Spotify. I think that's the only ECM content that's available for streaming. it used to be, but they pulled it a couple of years ago (not sure exactly when) because they weren't making enough money.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Depending on where you are in US .....check if your local library has Hoopla service . ECM recordings can be borrowed for 7 days and played through the app. They can also be downloaded for offline listening during the borrowing period and for my library you can borrow 10 a month . Definitely a good way to check them out and see if you want to buy them . I am not sure if Hoopla has same catalogue everywhere.

 

cheers

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  • 1 year later...

Bett

Thanks for the feedback. I'm in the US so, unfortunately, Qobuz is not an option. And actually I was looking just for the streaming option anyway, although, I'm sure I would wind up buying some ECM titles additional to what I already have. I'll check outSpotify in more detail.

 

I'm a Jarrett head and found that I had to buy the CDs. I also downloaded from HDTracks. Can't find much of his better known solo material on iMusic and none of it is available for streaming.

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Way to get your artists music out there ECM!

 

I think it's very short sighted on ECM's part not have at least a portion of their catalog represented in the fastest growing segment of music distribution today. People are using streaming services extensively for exploring and searching for new forms of music. I believe they are doing their artists a huge disservice by not having them represented. If they are waiting for the "fad" of streaming music on demand to pass they will be waiting an awfully long time.

David

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With the few exceptions mentioned here, ECM doesn't license music for streaming.

 

Eicher is on record as being philosophically and economically opposed to streaming, as he sees it as a way for the music labels-corporate conglomerates (who co-own a lot of the streaming) to reduce payout to artists. In his view, he is protecting his artists by not licensing streaming.

 

If discs and downloads totally disappear from the market, he will have to rethink his position.

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With the few exceptions mentioned here, ECM doesn't license music for streaming.

 

Eicher is on record as being philosophically and economically opposed to streaming, as he sees it as a way for the music labels-corporate conglomerates (who co-own a lot of the streaming) to reduce payout to artists. In his view, he is protecting his artists by not licensing streaming.

 

If discs and downloads totally disappear from the market, he will have to rethink his position.

 

If his artists end up not selling any recordings because nobody has a clue who they are because they are not in front of the public I don't see how that's taking care of them. If I was one of them I'd look for another label.

David

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If his artists end up not selling any recordings because nobody has a clue who they are because they are not in front of the public I don't see how that's taking care of them. If I was one of them I'd look for another label.

 

Streaming is being great to us consumers but bad for most artists due the extremely low income they get from streaming...Many artists have been looking for alternative ways of distributing their music, some going direct ways, some just focusing on live performances.

 

I would love to have ECM streamed to me as is maybe the most important record label for the jazz I ear; but for those kind of artist that are already a niche inside jazz, streaming would pay maybe a lunch from time to time. Makes no sense...

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Streaming is being great to us consumers but bad for most artists due the extremely low income they get from streaming...Many artists have been looking for alternative ways of distributing their music, some going direct ways, some just focusing on live performances.

 

I would love to have ECM streamed to me as is maybe the most important record label for the jazz I ear; but for those kind of artist that are already a niche inside jazz, streaming would pay maybe a lunch from time to time. Makes no sense...

I only partially agree. It is pretty obvious no Jazz artist will ever live on streaming revenues.

 

However, I believe that the Jazz audience is actually one of the few customer groups who is actually still buying albums. I often use streaming like I used to use a record shop: to sample an album.

 

The beauty of streaming is you really only have to buy an album if you really like it. For me, if there's an album I like, I usually buy it.

 

These days, if an album is not available for streaming, I'm actually less likely to buy it as 30 second samples really don't mean anything for 5min+ jazz tracks, and unless I love the artist, I hate buying blindly (and there simply aren't any record stores out there any more).

 

I have no idea how many people are out there like me crazy enough to pay for both streaming and downloads. But I hope Manfred Eicher has done this assessment properly before making his decision.

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I only partially agree. It is pretty obvious no Jazz artist will ever live on streaming revenues.

 

However, I believe that the Jazz audience is actually one of the few customer groups who is actually still buying albums. I often use streaming like I used to use a record shop: to sample an album.

 

The beauty of streaming is you really only have to buy an album if you really like it. For me, if there's an album I like, I usually buy it.

 

These days, if an album is not available for streaming, I'm actually less likely to buy it as 30 second samples really don't mean anything for 5min+ jazz tracks, and unless I love the artist, I hate buying blindly (and there simply aren't any record stores out there any more).

 

I have no idea how many people are out there like me crazy enough to pay for both streaming and downloads. But I hope Manfred Eicher has done this assessment properly before making his decision.

 

Maybe Manfred is listening to you and create a streaming service in ECM...or something like linn radio would be nice. Good enough for sampling...

 

I can only guess what happens with ECM if they start streaming...

In last year I only bought 2 albums from ECM (and it was high-res downloads).

That was a marked decrease from previous years and it happened because my limited time was more taken by streaming...Not to imply that the rest of the folks are like me, but there is a big loss of market share (for CD and downloads) when one starts to stream a lot... There is simply less time available to enjoy your collection...

 

So If ECM could offer a own streaming solution, it could be a good future solution, because they would still retain their earnings. Their catalog is deep and rich enought to make it work...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Pandora streams ECM. I have no idea how much of the catalog is there, but I have a couple of channels that I Thumb Up whenever an ECM track appears. It will have to do until ECM comes back to Spotify. I rarely play any other channels on Pandora.

 

I don't buy much music these days, and 99% of my listening now is streaming stuff that I don't 'own'. I don't have time to manage a media library in any form (I used to have over 100 vinyl and probably still have 30-40 CDs ECM's, stored in boxes), and I'm very happy with Spotify, would not go with anything else just to get ECM, which I dearly love, but not enough to pay for another service or buy it and have to manage the content. Spotify has vast unexplored realms of great music, and if ECM doesn't want to be a part of it, so be it. We've seen folks drop Spotify and come back, hope they will too.

 

I have found a couple of ECM albums on Spotify: In Praise Of Dreams (2004), and Esoteric Circle (1983), both by Jan Garbarek. Probably a mistake, and perhaps there are others. Also, on the horrible Windows Phone app, when it worked, showed me the entire ECM catalog when I was on freemium. I could not actually play that content, however. Maybe it is a regional restriction, or a holdover from when it was available.

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I believe ECM's position on streaming has to do with the fact that artists are paid peanuts every time their music is streamed.

 

Sure, I understand the theory. But album (digital and CD) sales are dropping off fast. Soon that will be peanuts as well. It is not coming back.

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What there used to be was places to go and see what new released cds were available and then listen to those releases that just came out. One bookstore chain in particular (Borders) had a great revolving selection of cds so that you could put headphones on and listen to cd after cd. Nearly every time I stopped and looked what was new I ended up buying at least one if not multiple cds, including ones from ECM. That wonderful experience is now gone. This was probably 4-5 years ago. So. Here we are in 2017, 5 years later, and where do I go to listen to recordings to see which I'd like to buy?

Name one of the major streaming services.....there you have it. No listen, no buy. Get the picture ECM or risk losing your artists to more forward thinking recording companies. The times are changing and they had better change or they will find themselves an even smaller niche player than they already are.

David

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