Discographers Monetizing Their Work

[Teasing the Korean]

I am assuming that discographers in the 21st century are compiling their discographies digitally, probably using a database of some sort.  

So if someone wants discographical information on a particular session, and not an artist's entire discography, why don't discographers offer single-session, digital purchase options?

Just as I can buy a single mp3 for 89 cents, and not buy the whole album, why can't I buy the info on a single obscure session for a buck or two?

Maybe some discographers are already offering this option.

[miles65]

Maybe you should ask Tom Lord who runs a large on line jazz disco behind a paywal.

Tom Lord - The Jazz Discography - Catalog of Jazz Music (lordisco.com)

Compiling the disco is his livelyhood so it seems natural to me that he asks a subscription fee.

 

[clifford_thornton]

just looked online and two of the three leader entries I clicked on had glaring errors (this was the free "test drive" version. I mean, for sure he's got way too many releases to keep track of in there but a search of the BYG and Windham Hill catalogs would set him right. 

$180 a year is okay, but only if there are fewer glitches and forehead-smackers.

[JSngry]

I've heard a few complaints over the years that Lord has not done all of his own work, which at some point, to get started, might(?) be ok. But persisting reports of verbatim errors from pre-existing works of others not going corrected has me uninterested in paying anything for any of that.

[Ken Dryden]

I reviewed one of Lord's Discography CD-Roms years ago, probably for Allaboutjazz. I also have a problem with the hefty subscription price, particularly if you bother to send corrections and updates without compensation. He had no knowledge of the remaining unissued material from Jaki Byard's gig at Lennie's On the Turnpike (which I obtained from Fantasy in the midst of writing liner notes for The Last From Lennie's), while there is far too much in the way of incorrect information and omissions from so many releases that it would be impossible for someone to keep track of it all.

 

 

[mikeweil]

I pay $ 9.95 a month for access to Lord's database. The starting point definitely was Bruyninckx' disco. Considering the sheer number of jazz records, errors and omissions are inevitable. He would have to employ a whole staff of discographers to keep it updated, He must have volunteers, but there is no information on his site as to how this works. 

He used some information from my discos; as long as he cites the source it is okay. If you want more detailed infor including composers etc, you will have to look for better sources, anyway.

If you send him updates you should get at least a discount.

Edited March 4, 2021 by mikeweil

[medjuck]

I once thought I spotted an error and wrote to Lord. Turned out I was wrong but meanwhile he responded to me and looked into it.  

[Big Beat Steve]

14 hours ago, JSngry said:

I've heard a few complaints over the years that Lord has not done all of his own work, which at some point, to get started, might(?) be ok. But persisting reports of verbatim errors from pre-existing works of others not going corrected has me uninterested in paying anything for any of that.

I heard so too. On several occasions in several circles. He dipped enormously into Bruyninckx, of course. Building on preexisting works of this nature as a starting point is OK and inevitable (Bruyninckx milked Jepsen and Raben - and Rust) but reproducing previous errors is not. Doing a discography requires diligence and fine-combing, even if you want to "cover it all". So if you build on previously released works you not only ought to be aware of those works but also of the discussion (and therefore corrections) of these works.
(Yes, that sets the yardstick high, but that is normal for this kind of documentary work and this only increases my admiration for Jepsen - the FIRST who ever had the stamina to get the entire alphabet covered for the post-war years. Quite a feat in those typewriter and file card days)

[mikeweil]

1 hour ago, Big Beat Steve said:

(Yes, that sets the yardstick high, but that is normal for this kind of documentary work and this only increases my admiration for Jepsen - the FIRST who ever had the stamina to get the entire alphabet covered for the post-war years. Quite a feat in those typewriter and file card days)

Fully agreed.

On all counts.

[hopkins]

Discographies should be public, and should be managed collaboratively. You cannot hope to be accurate and complete using a model like Tom Lord's. Tom Lord has "cornered" the market, and is doing a huge disservice to music lovers. There are plenty of other ways to monetize a database, without restricting its access. His site is antiquated, and so is his thinking.

Edited March 13, 2021 by hopkins

[romualdo]

I've been buying the Lord CDs since 2005 but switched to subscription in early 2018. Agreed, there are many errors - I've been contributing with corrections & new release/update details etc for the past 10 years. Still find it a very useful source. It's a massive piece of work IMHO.

[andybleaden]

Used many paper based discographies

They take enormous effort

I could pick faults but they have been in my opinion excellent.

 

To monetise online ..maybe the best offer is a trial membership access...so many logins for a fee

 

 

 

[Brad]

Are his online discographies searchable so I can find out where a leader appeared as a sideman. 

[mikeweil]

Yes. You have both options  search for leader dates only or all appearances.

[Brad]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

Yes. You have both options  search for leader dates only or all appearances.

Thanks.

[Fer Urbina]

On 03/03/2021 at 8:41 PM, JSngry said:

I've heard a few complaints over the years that Lord has not done all of his own work, which at some point, to get started, might(?) be ok. But persisting reports of verbatim errors from pre-existing works of others not going corrected has me uninterested in paying anything for any of that.

Bruce Epperton's history of jazz discography is quite detailed about that. Far more entertaining read than I expected.

F

[EKE BBB]

 

9 minutes ago, Fer Urbina said:

Bruce Epperton's history of jazz discography is quite detailed about that. Far more entertaining read than I expected.

F

Love the title of the book: "More Important Than the Music: A History of Jazz Discography".

Freaks' freakiest topic! 

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by EKE BBB