Understanding Your Target Market
For a long time I’ve said that I would pay for mp3s, if a service came along with:
- A variety of artists I’m interested in
- Non-DRMed tracks (i.e. will play anywhere, unlike Apple’s iTunes store)
- Reasonable prices (Warp Records has an mp3 store, where each track is $1.35!)
emusic.com seems to meet all my criteria, so I suppose it’s time I pay the piper…
After beginning registration, I decided to go to bed and finish up the next day. What do I find in my inbox, this morning, but unsolicited mail bugging me to sign up for a free emusic.com trial.
Take a close look at the only page I filled out; there is no notice that they are going to send me shit. What is a company, who caters independent music to web savvy young people, thinking when they send unsolicited mail to potential users?
I’m going to call them up tomorrow and see if they have anything to say for themselves. If I get a positive response, I will give them $10/month for access.
Stay tuned for results…
May 25th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Okay, I tried ringing them up on the phones, but could only reach a message machine. Instead, I e.mailed Cathy Halgas Nevins, Sr. Director of Corporate Communications at eMusic.
I sent her the following message:
Subject: writing about my emusic experience
Body:
Hi Cathy,
I am a citizen journalist (blogger), with a keen interest in the intersection between music and technology. I have an interesting story to share with you, which relates directly to emusic — I posted roughly the same story to my blog last night.
Let me begin by saying that I’m really excited about the possibilities of emusic, and I hope to begin using your service soon!
For a long time, I have craved a legitimate online music service, which features: non-DRMed music, popular indie artists, and low prices. emusic.com sounded like a perfect fit.
*However*, after exploring emusic, I recieved some unsolicited email. This surprised me, especially given the market emusic seems to be targeting.
Two nights ago, I filled out the initial registration page with my name, address and e.mail. As it was getting late, I decided to turn off my computer and finish registration the next day. When I woke up and turned on my computer, I found an e.mail from emusic, encouraging me to sign up for a free trial.
To some, this might seem like good marketing. To me, tactics, such as these, are in extremely poor taste. Unsolicited e.mail is something I would expect out of Coke or Pfizer, but certainly not a company who specializes in selling independent music to a tech-savvy crowd.
Feel free to read my blog post: http://notthemessiah.net/weblog/?p=31
I hope to sign up for emusic’s service soon, but I refuse to support a seemingly progressive company, when it engages in such an old fashioned practice.
Sincerely,
Dean Jansen
I will let you all know when I hear from her…
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:49 am
Well, I guess I’m not going to use their service.
March 21st, 2007 at 11:24 pm
I too have been frustrated by emusic. I have attempted to cancel my account three times with out luck. I have been unable to get through the voice mail hell.
Cannnot wait to see you progress.
August 20th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Hello! Help solve the problem.
Very often try to enter the site, but says that the password is not correct.
Regrettably use of remembering. Give like to be?
Thank you!