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A company recently submitted a press release to this site. Typically I do not post press releases to the main page, rather leaving it under the 'Press Releases' link to your left. This most recent one bothered me to no end.
Check it out here (opens in a new window). What disturbed me most was this line:
ReviewYou.com easy to use, accepts paypal, and the CD review comes back within a few weeks.
Whoah. Am I naive? Since when does an artist have to pay to have his / her CD reviewed?
Granted, I am not old hat at this industry, like SkinnyDevil, so my take on this is based more on common sense than anything. Still, if I were in the business of writing music news and such (I mean, making a living off of it), then I would be damned pleased with getting artists to send me stuff to review. First, it's free music and that's better than a kick in the nads. Secondly, without this free music, I would have jack-shit to write about. Can't make a living writing music news and reviews without the reviews, now can I?
Now, I will admit to having received a CD or two that I have not reviewed and in all fairness I should have sent them back. I didn't though, shame on me. However, I have never attempted to extort 20 bones out of hopeful artists to get their wares mentioned on my site. Now, don't be shocked, but I am not a professional writer, so I can't begin to pretend that my name carries as much weight as the writers over at the site spamming me. However, this site receives roughly 25,000 to 30,000 views a month, which is no small beans. How many paper music publications get by on less?
Yes, I am being naive. This is the internet after all, and while I may want the information contained within it to be free, it never will be free as long as credit cards and paypal are accepted.
-- Joe.
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