Take Beatport, probably the most respected mp3-shop brand in the whole club music industry. Partners with Native Instruments - one of THE music software makers of planet Earth -, promoted by highly credible artists like Richie Hawtin, better linked to digital DJ tools like Final Scratch/ Traktor Scratch/ Traktor than any other platform - and now this:

In a very revealing article about his review work for Beatport, the creator of Test Industries tells us the story of his ever declining relationship with Beatport. Not only was he asked to work for free to begin with, but also to only send in positive reviews. As if this wasn’t enough, he finally got the offer to sell (out) his blog entirely to Beatport - without mentioning the word “Sale” at all of course, since the price involved would have meant “gift” rather than a business transaction.

All this we find incredible and completely impertinent, thus totally inacceptable!

So much about the “we are the good guys” mantra of the “independent” music industry. Obviously these people haven’t learned a bit from the PR and business desasters of the major companies. Marketing is all about building (justified) trust and business about serving ones customers in an efficient, respectful and unbureaucratic way.
Not only is Beatport taking their customers for dumbheads (thus treating them very disrespectfully) in allowing only for “top” reviews, but also are they destroying any good faith and trust in the portal, thus destroying their very business model.

If any company is losing its passion for what it is doing and only becomes a “business model” it is dead indeed. Particularly in the so called creative businesses.

Result: I’ll buy my mp3s elsewhere - having hated the non standard Beatport interface and the sloppy tagging particularly with albums anyway.

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