rVibe Blog

Since rVibe now offers both recorded music and live music, we’re starting to explore what that means for our brand, our message and how we structure our product lines.  Now, in order to do that, we have to really understand the differences between live and recorded music, how people use music and experience it and the challenges associated with accessing these two different types of music.  The most fundamental is what is the difference.  So, I’m going to see if I can ramble and make some sense of it.

When we think about music, we have to remember first that it’s a social experience, even when recorded - it’s person to person communication - and a communication vehicle that often creates a strong emotional response.  However, when music is recorded, it takes on another attribute - one of object.  The recording becomes the experiential object, and while it’s still a social object by its nature, it’s actually now an owned object that can be controlled. And this notion of control is important, because it ties into the idea that a recording is a static item that can be repeated in a predictable way. Meaning, a person can “own” the recorded music object and since it’s static they can control it’s usage in a predictable way.

Controlling music in a predicable way is  really interesting, particularly since one of the aspects of music is to elicit an emotional response.  So, when a person desires to effect an emotional response in themselves or someone else, they can use a recording of a musical performance to make it happen. And since the recording is static, it’s predictable and since it’s predictable, a user can create that emotion when, where and how they want.

Live music, even a live performance of a known song eliminates that element of ownership, predictability and control. In the case of a concert, the performance is ephemeral, and controlled by the performer, not the listener.  The listener is to some extent at the mercy of the performer. Of course, a listener may elect to only experience a performer they know - meaning they are aware of the music the performer will deliver.  However, even then there is an element of the unpredictable.

For the concert goer, there has to be an element of risk tolerance.  When you experience a live event, you’re aware that it’s not predictable, that something could be different (and is likely to be different) than what you expect.  If you go to a concert without knowing anything about the event, you’re absorbing more risk around the experience than if you go to a concert of your favorite artist.  Granted, the risk is minimal - it’s music after all - not sky diving. But experiencing that risk -  in a relatively safe environment is part of the delight in concert music.

There is one more difference in live versus recorded music:  the awareness that the person delivering the performance and the person experiencing the performance are both engaged in real time communication.  That they are connecting in the moment, and not after the fact.

So - it seems to me that the fundamental difference is one of control and predictability. That with recorded music, people seek the controlled enjoyment of music while in live music, people seek the lack of control and unpredictability.

That has pretty huge implications for our brand and our functionality. With the rVibe SocialJukebox it’s all about sorting through vast amounts of recoded music with your friends in a safe, controlled environment and being able to enjoy that music (and find out what others are enjoying) at will.

In the rVibe|S80 space it’s about letting go of the control a bit and experiencing a live event (over the wire).

I am not sure how we’re going to reconcile that - although my gut is telling me there is a way.

We rolled out a preview version of our new service - rVibe|S80 this weekend and it went great!  rVibe|S80 is live concert video streaming from venues around the country. It’s very cool, and the quality is very high - particularly the audio.

 Five bands from Rehab in NYC and 3 acts from The Cutting Room in NYC kicked things off and it went great.  We also got great HD coverage of the events and we’ll offer those up later, once they are edited down. On Saturday we streamed Kelly Greene’s live album release concert and it was awesome. KG is a great NY rocker and The Cutting Room showcased her band and tunes - all perfectly captured by rVibe. People can also buy her album on rVibe, and will be able to buy this concert as well soon (we’re working out how that works).

We have  more events coming and are starting to get tons of interest from different venues around the country.  A great start to a revolutionary service! There will be lots of changes coming as we develop the service and learn a lot about what our users need. So please be sure to let us know what you want and we’ll work on it!

I personally love rVibe|S80. As a parent with 3 young kids and also a major live music lover, I can’t get out to concerts too often, but want to enjoy the spontaneity of a live event. rVibe|S80 lets me do that. I love it.

We are very pleased to announce that rVibe has been officially released to the general public!  We are celebrating this wonderful occasion with an even more wonderful promotion, for you, our esteemed customers.  Right now, for every $10 that you deposit into your account, you will receive 10 FREE downloads!  After $10, the more money you put in, the more free downloads you’ll receive.  It’s our way of saying thank you and giving you the opportunity to listen to and share new and unique music with your friends and other members of the rVibe community.

Also remember that every time a person downloads a song that you recommend, you are rewarded with $.05, and for every person that signs up for rVibe via your invitation, you receive another $.15.  Save that money towards your next purchase or donate it to our charity partners…the choice is yours!

And remember to always email us if you have any questions/comments/concerns.

Happy downloading,

The rVibe team

We are so happy to report that the rVibe software is just about to come out of beta and be released to the public!  We have worked long and hard to ensure that our software is in the best possible shape so that you, the customer, has a great experience.  In an effort to say thank you for signing up for rVibe and to promote the sharing of new and unique music, we are giving our users a fantastic deal over the next month.

When a user signs up for the software and deposits $10 into his/her account, that person will receive 10 FREE downloads.  After $10, the more money you put into your account, the more free downloads you receive.  And dont worry, this deal will also be open to ALL existing rVibe members.

We hope that you use the free downloads to discover music/bands that you’ve never heard before and share the new music with the rVibe community.  Remember, every time someone purchases a song that you recommend, we reward you with $.05 (even if they’re using one of their free downloads!).

So get ready to have fun, make money, discover and teach people about new music, help charities, and learn all about the rest of the phenomenal features that rVibe has to offer.

Happy downloading!

Going Back to Their Old Sound  Without getting too much into things (the folks at Atlantic wouldn’t take too kindly to that), there are moments on Narrow Stairs that stop you dead in your tracks, send shivers up your spine and make you go “Whoa” (and when could you ever say that about a Death Cab record?). Like the first four-and-a-half minutes of “I Will Possess Your Heart,” a propulsive whirl of stalking bass line, spindly guitars and stabbing piano. Or the big-hearted middle section of “Cath … .” Or even the pair of songs that close the record — the spacey, tabla-infused “Pity and Fear” and the icy, somber “The Ice Is Getting Thinner.” Through it all, Gibbard paints watercolor portraits of crushed expectations (album opener “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” “No Sunlight”) and dashed hopes (”Your New Twin-Sized Bed,” “You Can Do Better Than Me”). The fact that its going back to their old sound but still is unlike anything DCFC have ever done before makes it all the more amazing … and all the more impressive.