This means to much to me??

[bmd]

Comment posted on latest cast -

at 09:46AM Monday on April 23, 2007, DWick said:

The self-promos, etc in the middle of songs is very annoying. Way too much talking!!! Let the music speak for itself. I won't be downloading any more.

Averaging at a rate that will see me top 50000 combined downloads and listens this month and I'm worried about number 49,999. I, with my need to people please actually care that this one person (and there are most likely more who don't post this same comment) thinks. He gets a free selection of music, put together for him that I pay for him to be able to download in the first place. Sure I chat, partly on purpose to prevent wholesale ripping out of tunes. I have also found through some natty research (ie, putting up pure continuous mixes/one riddim selections etc and comparing the take up to shows with chat) that people like the chat, and come back for more. Of course not exclusively, but there is a reason why the show is popular, and I believe that my on air 'persona' is partly responsible.

An increase from 100-12000 listens a week over a six month period would seem also to indicate that people come back for more, and numbers increase as I maintain the current audience while expanding into a new one, with those listeners making an 'appointment' to listen. Gold dust in TV and Radio programming terms. It ain't just that I'm available on itunes, becuase quite frankly so are a lot of other people.

So why today am I weighing up 49,999 people against 1? Probably because I care, and perhaps because I care too much about trying to please all of the people all of the time. I'm doing well not to piss more people off without knowing it probably!

Anyway, I replied to them, then thinking I was being a bit dictatorial tried to delete my posts on podomatic and couldn't... a pity.. unfortunately comments are shown next to the show blurb on the podomatic embedded player, and so the first thing people will see when they look at that show on the embedded player is his comment,...

I replied ....

Well, that's your choice, nearly 50000 people a month disagree with you ! I'm not too concerned that you don't care for it. I do this for free, you don't pay a jot towards it, and considering that it's my show, started by me, put together by me, I can after all do what I want to with it. If you want the music without comment, or me alongside it, then by all means go and treat yourself to the Lps/Cds 12" and 7" singles that the music came from.
I question why you say you don't like the podcast, but care enough to comment negatively about it!

p.s. I talk into and on the tracks, to a small degree, to prevent people just ripping the music out of the shows. Perhaps this is what has annoyed you about what I do. Again, I would say, if you don't like the chat, go and source the original material and put your own show together and listen to it all on your own...

GORDON, having just read your post about ceasing your podcast, I would say 1. I son't even understand what you're saying, 2. Alongside your recent comments about the Deejaying spot that might not materialise, don't make any rash decisions based on feeling a bit negative right now... and 3. Please carry on, becuase I'll be back on broadband soon, and want to be able to listen...!

[Freddy C]

You can't please all of the people all of the time, Mikey. But you must be pleasing a helluva lot of them for a fair bit of the time. ;D

I think some people just come to the internet to strip-mine it of what they want, free, gratis and for nothing.

Some may just want to extract certain tracks from your 'cast without having to deal with a smidgeon of your charming banter at the intros of the tunes.

There can be quite an arrogance and ungratefulness in these types, where they will be blunt or even abusive when they don't get what they want but can also neglect ever to say thank you for the many things they enjoy.

More concisely: HARD CHEESE.

You responded with more words than he probably merited.

[Mick Sleeper]

Mikey, I have to agree with this Wick fellow. Chat is good on a podcast, but after 3-4 songs, not in between (and especially not on top of) every song. Quite often I listen to your 'casts, love the selections, but have to tune out because of the constant chat interrupting the vibe.

And before you go off on a tear, keep in mind that I have 12 years of broadcasting experience to back my opinion. And IMO, if you're pulling in more than 50,000 listeners you should appreciate the juice and not tell someone off when they leave some negative feedback! If I had half of your listeners I'd be happy.

[Benj52]

Well I really like Ian's podcasts because he chats between each track, giving well-researched comments on the sometimes obscure artists he is featuring.

All part of the charm... so it takes all sorts to make an audience.

[admin]

I've just started dropping a few jingles and effects at the start or end of tunes and not playing full tracks.

I'll keep going til the reggae police feel my collar......

Respect

Gordy

[admin]

And Mikey, when the majority love what you're doing, fuck the minority.

Respect

Gordy

[Mrs Trellis]

benj40 said:

Well I really like Ian's podcasts because he chats between each track, giving well-researched comments on the sometimes obscure artists he is featuring.

All part of the charm... so it takes all sorts to make an audience.

Thanks Ben, glad to hear I've got 1 satisfied listener!

Sometimes I think I talk too much and I agree to some extent with Mick's comments, that chat is good but should be limited, especially if its just talk about yourself or promoting your gigs, shows etc which I do find a bit tiring and is what I've tried to avoid doing. Also I'm not thinking about anyones shows from here when I say that but 1 or 2 others I've heard on that site.

So basically for me, I just wanted to make a show that I'd want to listen to and that I didn't hear anyone else doing, which I guess is what everyone is doing, and if some more people like it then thats all the better. I also enjoy doing the research for it as I'm learning loads along the way aswell.

So Mikey as long as your happy with your shows, which I know you are cos you're damn good at it, I wouldn't be bothered by 1 negative comment, your stats speak for themselves and the more popular it becomes the more likely criticism is going to appear. But you know I love your show, heck I even starred in it!! ;D

[bmd]

Thank you boys,

Mr. Sleeper, I take your comments most wholeheartedly to heart so to speak...

But i disagree, never only after 3-4 songs... and on top yes i agree with you (I'm bad at this, but it's just my love, excitement and enthusiasm.... that gets to me and makes me open my gob... people can feel this and respond to it even so... you might not like it, and I'm sure to varying degrees many don't, some do...)

I don't believe in leaving 3-4 songs there for all to take, no interuptions, as they would come off and Lp or 7" etc. That's just no good at all, especially if you're not paying copyright. (speaking retorically of course here).

I agree with you here Mick - ''''And IMO, if you're pulling in more than 50,000 listeners you should appreciate the juice and not tell someone off when they leave some negative feedback! If I had half of your listeners I'd be happy.''' However if they want to engage with me, then engage hey have and at least with so much to do and so many listeners they might feel that I've taken the time to chat with them. It's one reason why i wanted to remove my post.... I invited comments via the show, i didn't say they all had to be positive..

I dont want you to think me arrogant, or dismissive, and I'm sure your 12 years broadcasting experience counts for a good deal and has helped you in many ways, but... podcasting isn't radio broadcasting, there are some very telling differences, not least the ability to focus on tightly to genre and audience. I think, to be fair I'm just as experienced as thee when it comes to podcasting... aren't I? You know I admire you greatly so please don't thik of this as a rebuttle or attack, it truly isn't.

I have to follow my nose, feel my way through this new experience and trust my instincts, and though I'm certain that I annoy the shit out of some people with prattle, others love it. It personalises what I do, without it, I'm just another bod with a few dollars in my hand standing at the counter of a record store finding tunes the listeners are only just less able to find for themselves, and that ain't no real selling point is it? The affability of what i do, even if I get it slightly skewed sometimes will see it through, and deftly seperate this from the playlists and virtual cd compilations of tunes that the listener could possibly find elsewhere, without the inane prattle.

[Mick Sleeper]

Mikey, maybe I was misreading your post - the vibe I got was "can you believe what this guy said about my podcast?" and you were looking for some validation here. Kind of preaching to the converted, if you ask me.

Well to me, podcasting is just like radio broadcasting, except without the commercials and you are free to specialize and make it as personal as you like. Certain rules apply to both, IMO. The fact that you are worried about people extracting certain tunes from your MP3s is commendable, but a) the genie is already out of that bottle (piracy), and so it I don't think it really makes a difference here; b) I don't think the Music Police are going to raise a fuss over an old Johnny Clarke tune from your 7" single collection; and c) a creative cross-fade or jingle would be better instead of talking after every song.

As I said, I love your selections and the vibe you create, but the constant chat does get on my nerves. As far as being "two faced" (as you mentioned in the other thread), don't know what to say... I thought I expressed the same opinion in both of these posts.

But hey, obviously you're doing something right with 50,000 listeners, so what do I know?

[Baldhead Selector]

Me 'n' the wife love BMD's chat.

Respect

Baldy

[algoriddim]

bmd said:

I don't believe in leaving 3-4 songs there for all to take, no interuptions, as they would come off and Lp or 7" etc. That's just no good at all...

Ah Ha! Therein lies the problem!

You will never find a tune on my show that you get to hear from one crackly to the other, yet I really only talk three or four times in two hours. Its called mixing!

For me, I make the kind of show I'd want to listen to. Again, for me, that means playing tunes with little or no chat, and keeping it moving so that I usually don't play over 2:30 of any song, and less if it is the middle of a riddim run. This way you get big sections with small parts, yet never entire songs to be copied. I started this style when I first got on the radio in Chicago and got calls from people telling me to "pick up the pace."

Frankly I don't talk much cuz I don't feel there's a whole lot I can illuminate in a way better than the music itself can do. When I'm listening to something, I want to be able to turn it up and ride with you as you explore some tunes. As much as Mick's Barry White meets Dr Death style makes me giggle, I don't want to hear him yabbering on throughout a show.

Mike, I would say that whenever you get negative comments about what you're doing from someone it does hit a nerve. I've cussed out more than one person that's called into the radio station to air their greivances. Why take the time to look up the number and give me shit about playing what I'm playing? Hit STOP! Change the channel! Unsubscribe if it really breaks your heart, but don't piss in my milk!

[Mick Sleeper]

"Barry White meets Dr. Death style"? I'll have to use that sometime.

Some final thoughts... I've been doing community radio for 12 years and so I guess I have a unique perspective. DJs at my station are taught from day one that sets of music shouldn't go on for more than 12-15 minutes before you provide some commentary, ID the station, that kind of thing. I've noticed that a lot of American community/college reggae DJs play half hour long reggae sets and then have to back-announce 5 or 6 songs, which can make it confusing for the listener to follow. Algo, I just don't know how you can spin 10-15 songs in a set and then come on the mic with "uh, we heard - well, I forget all of the tunes, but you can check out the playlist at my website". I guess the rules are much looser at your station... Also, I have to admit I kind of get "lost" during your show with all of the mega mixing. Personally, I can do that kind of juggling for a set or two, but I would never do it for an entire show.

When it comes to podcasting... With Radio Scratch, I structure it like my weekly radio show: sets of four songs, some commentary, and then back to the music. With Sleeper's Record Shack, I do a quick intro to set up the tunes and then get into the mix ASAP.

But, at the end of the day, each one teach one. All of us have different styles, egos, and professional jealousy. As long as the music is out there on the cyber airwaves and people are digging it.

[Rob]

It’s good to regularly tell your audience what station they’re listening to and who you are, so they can tune in next time if they like what they hear.

But you also need to decide who your audience is and cater to them – if they want long stretches of uninterrupted music, or details immediately after each track, or something in between.

Personally I think talking over the music is a very bad thing – if I’m really enjoying a track and the broadcaster cuts in I get very annoyed. If it’s good enough to play, it’s good enough to play all the way through.

Rob

[algoriddim]

sleeper said:

Algo, I just don't know how you can spin 10-15 songs in a set and then come on the mic with "uh, we heard - well, I forget all of the tunes, but you can check out the playlist at my website". I guess the rules are much looser at your station...

I think I'm a bit of an extreme at our station in terms of that. In my opinion, I'm not all that concerned with reading off a set list, especially since I have a very detailed one online. I only do it because I feel like I have to, and I know that it isn't very accessible since I'm starting back at some arbitrary point and listing songs. To me its more about what you hear than the details about it.

sleeper said:

Also, I have to admit I kind of get "lost" during your show with all of the mega mixing. Personally, I can do that kind of juggling for a set or two, but I would never do it for an entire show.

Do you mean in terms of following what it is that I'm playing or just a general listening experience? If you mean that you lose track of which song is which, then good, that means I'm doing it right! If you mean the whole style is disorienting, then I'd like to hear more about what you mean.

[Mick Sleeper]

algoriddim said:

To me its more about what you hear than the details about it.

Ah, but doesn't this alienate your listeners? When I hear a cool tune on the radio and want to know what it is, I'd rather have the DJ tell me in a few minutes instead of looking at a playlist online and trying to figure which one it is out of 50-60 songs.

algoriddim said:

Do you mean in terms of following what it is that I'm playing or just a general listening experience? If you mean that you lose track of which song is which, then good, that means I'm doing it right! If you mean the whole style is disorienting, then I'd like to hear more about what you mean.

It does tend to get disorienting, IMO. When it works, it works really well. As in: hey, he played this vocal track, bam, we're now into the DJ shot, bam, now it's dubwise, bam, now it's another vocal version. Very cool. After awhile, however, that constant juggling just confuses me. To me, I find that your shows are more about how many songs you can cram into one show instead of creating a vibe where the songs flow nicely together.

But, that's just me. 10,000,000 Algoriddim fans can't be wrong...

[algoriddim]

sleeper said:

Ah, but doesn't this alienate your listeners?

...After awhile, however, that constant juggling just confuses me. To me, I find that your shows are more about how many songs you can cram into one show instead of creating a vibe where the songs flow nicely together.

Hmm. I guess I just feel like talking every few songs ruins my momentum. If I had someone else to help me in the studio maybe, but since I'm mixing live it can get very hectic. Frankly I decided a while ago to just do what I like and if people get it, good.

As for the constant juggling, man, I guess its just a matter of taste. I do try to get maximum exposure on an artist in a set, and I've moved further towards flashing some songs and moving on, rather than towards letting the full dubs play out.

Part of the underlying logic for me too is that I feel like some people may be familiar with the tunes I'm playing already, so I almost want to just reference them and keep moving to create a larger picture.

I'd appreciate hearing from other people what they think of the style I'm using.

[algoriddim]

For some reason short attention span theatre came to mind...

[bmd]

Algo - Your style might not be mine, but what I admire you for is following your instincts and your tastes to produce something original to you. It's the only way I think... it's what I try to do also. Hence, not everyone likes the chat. I relistened to the cast in question, Black,.. and it's fine, don't really know what the guy was on about, fairly minimal chat at the beggining, and then some waffle right at the end over a dub piece everyone knows and probably has anyway

I get in trouble when I play tunes to friends at home, because I get so exicited to be playing them stuff, that I take a tune off hardly after it's begun... and I've had to try hard not to do this with the Radio show, particularly as I continuously feel while doing it that time is limited... this puts a pressue on to sqeeze stuff on to the how. Recently I've tried even harder to let more of it hang out and be a little more relaxed.

Live mixing can lead you into all kinds of dead ends and misjudgements I feel, so what I try to do is mix sections live, keep that natural rhythm going and in the show, then if I make some silly mistake, go and start a new section, or return later and edit a bit. Later I put on jingle and the like... so it' kind of like combining live with edited. The energy of live without any truly awful mishaps. I even leave in stuff that's not quite worked/imperfect etc. or stuff that makes me look stupid just so there's a kind of underlying truth/veracity to the overall sound and style of the show. I do that in the hope that this will shine through to an audience fed up with dildos and needing a good natural cock... (where did that analogy come from !!!!! Zoki get outta mah head)..

Nice to chat ..