How about opening Music up? (Oct2006)

October 6, 2006 4:20 PM

How about opening Music up? It occurs to me that I rarely pop into Music and I assume that's the case for a lot of people who don't actually make music--even if, like me, they love music. It just doesn't occur to me. What about changing the focus of that section to also include music posts sans actual tunes? For instance, discussion of new albums, concerts, music photography, or stuff like this which I don't think is suitable for a blue FPP but is probably of interest to many who visit music currently?
posted by dobbs to Etiquette/Policy at 4:20 PM (31 comments total)

I rather like how small the music section is here, it's nice to be able to post something and get actual feedback instead of having it swallowed up and forgotten immediately by a community like 15megs, Purevolume or Myspace. Instead of a big artist-promoting factory, here it seems like a nice little nook where some of the MetaFilter crowd can get together and say, "Oh, you make music too? Cool, man, I'd like to hear it."
posted by buriednexttoyou at 4:35 PM on October 6, 2006

I'm a triceratops balanced on a buttercup with spinning wheels.
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:46 PM on October 6, 2006

Yeah, I've realized any topic-focused subsection like music could include a weblog component like metafilter for the subject itself. It doesn't have to become the focus, it'd just run in the right hand column, below the top charts (which I'd make much smaller), as a sort of "stuff also about music that might be of interest to you" thing.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:59 PM on October 6, 2006

Uf, you guys are breaking my here with this. I actually think the format of MetaFilter Music is wonderful as it is. It is a forum like no other that, for me, has exposed me to people just like me, who might not be trying to "make it in the music industry", but just make music because they like it. Without pushing it, without much detail, focusing in the music that we make.

I have to admit that to a complete music freak like me, something like what dobbs proposes sounds fantastic. Something I'd instantly be into, but I'd somehow vote to keep MetaFilter Music as it is.

I really could elaborate and give a lot of reasons why I think that site is cool and perfect as it is, but I don't want to extend too much here. I just wanted to say: don't let it get drowned in related content, it is one of the coolest amateur music sites out there and there are guys posting awesome music that really should be heard.
posted by micayetoca at 5:13 PM on October 6, 2006

And that first line, it should say "...breaking my heart with this."
posted by micayetoca at 5:15 PM on October 6, 2006

I'm a big fan of micayetoca, and I agree wholeheartedly.

mathowie, that reminds me of the "art, literature, music, review" post on MeTa a short while back. That might be what dobbs is really looking for. Much like the blue, but without the BOTW factor. Anything goes posting regarding media and the arts.

That would be a good place to post and comment about tv shows or your favorite Zeppeling album. Any thoughts on this?
posted by snsranch at 5:40 PM on October 6, 2006

snsranch, it's too weird for mefi. It'd just be a open chat board about media and the arts at that point.

I'm thinking that music and future subareas could be multicolum things where one column is stuff like songs, or recipes, or images, while another one is sharing links about music, cooking, or photography, just to name a few topics off the top of my head that might someday become foo.metafilter.com sites.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:48 PM on October 6, 2006

How about a filking section?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 6:04 PM on October 6, 2006

Hey, thanks mathowie, that makes sense and sounds really cool. I didn't know you were thinking about adding many more subareas in the future.

micayetoca, hey I tried man!
posted by snsranch at 6:17 PM on October 6, 2006

While I tend to dislike it when people say "take it to MetaChat" like it's some dumping ground, I'm rather certain that this sort of discussion would fly quite well over there. Or, you know, in your own blog (kidding, kidding!).
posted by Eideteker at 8:13 PM on October 6, 2006

I think we should start a 'review' section. I remember matt talking about it and saying he liked the idea. I agree. I think it would be great and a place for the kind of stuff dobbs is talking about (I think)
posted by delmoi at 8:36 PM on October 6, 2006

I love it how it is. It should be about posting music that you made, that's it.
And I love that the "majority" don't come in here because it makes it all the more fun for the adventurous who do.
It's a secret.

However...while I wouldn't want a general Garbage-Heap sub-site for everything-to-do-with music, I think a sub-site for discussion about featured tracks/recording techniques/gigs, etc. would be cool WITHIN music, sort of a MeTa for Music.
This has (kind of) been addressed before, but it needs re-positing.
posted by chococat at 8:42 PM on October 6, 2006

As a major contributor to the music section,I like it as it is. Why, dammit, that's where I hang out, and I dig it. We all have various segments of this site on which we hang out the most. Most of us being MeFites, falling slightly behind being the AskMetans and MeTallurgists, then the MuFicianality. Or the MeFiMusicians. Whatever we call it. At any rate, it needn't be a greater aspect of this site, as those of us who value it have found our niche. And, this being being a multifaceted site, seems to be based on niches. So, there you have it. If music is good, beyond being made by a MeFite, then it should be an FPP. If not, it doesn't really matter.

And of course, I haven't forgotten the MeJobifites pr MeProjectionarians.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:26 PM on October 6, 2006

What I mean, though have hardly stated, is that, as is, it is a grand outlet for us musical MeFites. And should not be distracted by outside influences. Just as MeTa is self-refferential, so is MeMu. Or MuFi. Whatever its abbreviation is.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:32 PM on October 6, 2006

(Boy, am I tanked.)
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:33 PM on October 6, 2006

The idea of a photos subsite (analogous to music) is EXTREMELY appealing to me, being a photographer but not a musician.

Though I like mufi a lot now, phofi would be great.
posted by aubilenon at 12:34 AM on October 7, 2006

I'm thinking that music and future subareas could be multicolum things where one column is stuff like songs, or recipes, or images, while another one is sharing links about music, cooking, or photography, just to name a few topics off the top of my head that might someday become foo.metafilter.com sites.

Not sure if I understand, but the idea of segmenting mefi into topical areas is not one I find appealing. Music and projects are fine because they showcase work members have done ... so if that is what you are speaking of, great - that would sort of fall into "community features" in my mind. But anything that would dilute the diversity of the front page posting would be a negative for me.
posted by madamjujujive at 1:03 AM on October 7, 2006

it is a grand outlet for us musical MeFites.

I second that. And I'll third it and fourth it if necessary. I think that is one important point of it, MetaFilter Music is a fantastic place for those of us who use it. Not only that, there is no other place of this kind, while I get the feeling that the kinda places that it is being proposed it should be turned into abound out there. Perhaps not fed by MeFites, but they still abound.

The Great Big Mulp, buriednexttoyou
posted by micayetoca at 5:20 AM on October 7, 2006

I was saying (I clicked the Post Comment button by mistake)...

The Great Big Mulp, buriednexttoyou, chococat and snsranch are perfect examples of how great this site has turned out. it might not be used by everyone at MetaFilter, but I think, in time, the rest of the people will catch up. Meanwhile, let it be the coolest place it can be for those who are using it.
posted by micayetoca at 5:27 AM on October 7, 2006

What madamjujujive said.
posted by mediareport at 6:21 AM on October 7, 2006

Oh man, no fucking way. There's plenty of posts about music on other sites. This would just ruin the appeal of the section. It's fine the way it is.
posted by cellphone at 11:57 AM on October 7, 2006

I still wish there were a live section. But more as a musical-meetup type thing than a self-promoting avenue. Because it's nice to find out about shows in your town and have people to hang out with at said shows.

So I could make a post about, for example, Broken Social Scene at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh on October 18th, and then people could comment and say they're attending, and then afterwards we could post pictures of the show and the setlist in the thread or something.
posted by ludwig_van at 12:10 PM on October 7, 2006

Ok, so I didn't mean it would take music posts away from mefi proper. Actually, now that I think about it, there's no real reason why it would have to be links about anything. It could be a mefi, metatalk, ask mefi, and projects all in one. It wouldn't be the focus of the front page of the music site, but it would be there, maybe filled with questions about recording equipment, requests for collaborations, maybe someone pimping their next gig, and maybe someone posting a link about some new streaming media laws.

Lots of requests have come from heavy users of Music, asking if they could have a forum area to collaborate and get tips on recording and this could do that without taking anything away from the rest of the sites.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:52 PM on October 7, 2006

From someone who hasn't yet been sucked into the music site, a vote for something along the lines of what dobbs/matt are discussing -- I would be there in a second. (Of course, it seems that what's already going is certainly working very well for some people, as well...)
posted by louigi at 2:54 PM on October 7, 2006

After reading all of the comments, I think that if it doesn't detract from the central focus of MuFi, it could be cool and might also attract more listeners/commenters.
posted by snsranch at 3:39 PM on October 7, 2006

After reading all of the comments, I think that if it doesn't detract from the central focus of MuFi, it could be cool and might also attract more listeners/commenters.

As a general mode of thinking, I agree with this entirely.
posted by cortex at 3:57 PM on October 7, 2006

Yeah, I wasn't proposing taking the music posts from the blue and sticking them in Music. I was more thinking of things that would not be appropriate for the blue but would be of interest to those into music--just like the link I placed in the FPP. It doesn't work on the blue and I'd never post it there but I would think that "news" along those lines should be shared, somehow, with the community.

I also like the idea of it being a sidebar or split. I hate how quick stuff scrolls off the front page of the green and wouldn't want that happening elsewhere. Perhaps a switch at the top: all posts vs. just contributed mp3 posts?

That said, if those that use it currently find it to be the bee's knees as it is, who am I to argue?
posted by dobbs at 8:55 PM on October 7, 2006

If the main page of Music was time-sharing between current-style contributions and new-style music discussion/news, I think an even 50/50 with the former on the left and the latter on the right, independent and asynchronous, would be great.
posted by cortex at 9:39 PM on October 7, 2006

But, cortex, this time-sharing ... how would it be regulated? This would just put greater burden on the shoulders of Matt and Jess. Like Projects, I feel this should be an outlet for members, and not some outlet for music in general. Awesome music from others is FPP worthy (like unto that indie Israeli music post, for which I don't feel like searching). Finding a middle ground is far too complicated, methinks.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:29 PM on October 7, 2006

Lots of requests have come from heavy users of Music, asking if they could have a forum area to collaborate and get tips on recording and this could do that without taking anything away from the rest of the sites.

Comments in Music are for tips on recording, and e-mail is for collaboration, I think.

By the way ... I would love to work on a collaborative project, my musical strangerfriends.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:36 PM on October 7, 2006

(Yes, the above comment was relatively self-defeating.)
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:42 PM on October 7, 2006