dec 18, 2023
around oct 20, i set up a dummy account at inrirecords@gmail.com to host data like video, pics and streaming audio, but the file i store my passwords in was recently corrupted. i've currently lost access to that dummy account but did not lose access to the blog. i'm concerned that my landlord is trying to hack into something, unfortunately. i may be a victim of an attempt at identity theft and i may have to let them try before i can catch them.
i will need to disconnect that account, for now.
i will either get this account back or need to set up a different subaccount; it is a cause for alarm, but it is no actual substantive loss, as the account is not connected to anything.
oct 20, 2023
i've been doing a million things at once for years and unable to get back into a linear flow. i was going to regenerate these releases in sequence, but in response to the songtradr purchase of bandcamp, i'm prioritizing rebuilding this site immediately, which means putting something else off, which has been the story of the last five years.
my 20 year rebuild is clearly dead. i'll be looking at 30 years instead, unfortunately. that means i'll be looking to restart that project in 2029, and who knows where my life will be by then.
if i'm doing this, i'd might as well do this. right? after i rebuild inri000-inri074, i'd might as well get to work on inri075-inri090. i'm not going to be concerned about aleph discs releasing until 2036, now, anyways.
i'll also no longer be using youtube for a hosting solution, i'll be using this drive share instead:
my thoughts are that it's so easy to steal audio from bandcamp that you'd might as well just put it up for free, but note that those are low quality audio files and that if you want the files in flac you'll have to send me an email to ask for them.
april 3, 2022
i've decided i'm using youtube as a hosting solution for track previews and spent the weekend uploading everything to youtube.
these previews are in low quality 128 kbps format. this is the place to buy the high quality flacs.
april 1, 2022
on this day, i created a paypal business account and put the first buttons in.
mar 31, 2022
i'm going to try to build this new store/blog up posting one release per day. here is inri000, dated to dec 25, 1996:
this is a stub, for now.
like others, i am concerned about the future of bandcamp, and am wondering if i should get out ahead of it. unlike others, i do not process large amounts of sales through bandcamp and could not survive from bandcamp sales. for me, bandcamp serves as a way to archive a very large discography of almost unmarketable music. i guess i always knew this was unsustainable.
i guess i'm realizing that i have far too much invested, intellectually, in something that is not sustainable, and need to find a more sustainable way to host the music. the sales are really much less of a concern.
i have an idea as to how to work this out, but it's going to take some experimenting. so, the site will be available here as i work it out, but won't be "live" for some time.
bandcamp offers options that we've come to take for granted, regarding converting and distributing on the backend. it's an automated process that can't be easily replaced by obscure, independent artists that have no real aspirations towards stardom or financial success. we get a lot for nothing, and i'm not going to be able to reproduce most of what they do, with no potential for startup costs, and no real likelihood of substantive sales. for that reason, i do not intend to take that site down until i'm more or less forced to.
but, what i can do is slowly build a parallel site in this space that mimics the functionality i do care about.
a few things:
1) i don't use javascript. this page will use html5. so, it will be a little less pretty. whatever.
2) i won't be able to hide the streaming source like bandcamp does, although i realize that one can steal rips from bandcamp should they truly desire to. so, i may want to do something like upload everything to youtube. and, maybe i can kind of build a hybrid model, in the process. so, for example, if the stream to the album purchase site is ultimately monetized by youtube, i could potentially get the $0.000001/stream that they pay out. maybe i can get a chocolate bar with it before i retire - or leave a bag of chips to my relatives. inflation might kill that idea, though. but, it's maybe the answer - if the kids want to stream, they can stream from the store. and, i guess they can do what they will with it, over youtube.
3) i will only upload tracks to youtube in preview quality, though. you'll have to buy the full quality flacs. for now.
4) if i'm ultimately using bandcamp as a front-end for paypal, i am really removing a middle man. you'll just just send it right to me, instead.
5) i won't have a thousand conversion options - i can give it to you in 320 kbps cbr mp3 or glorious, lossless flac. i won't sell you a 128 kbps mp3 - get some self-respect. stream it, instead.
6) i will need to take on the labour of the automation, so it won't be in real-time. but, i'm an independent artist - i can handle that.
maybe, i can set up a more realistic algorithm for independent artists to try to navigate an increasingly corporate dominated and ad-driven entertainment industry, where the value of the art is being systematically reduced, and the quality is suffering as a result of it. i'm still uncomfortable about uploading files to youtube, even. i recently deleted everything, due to some phrases in the user agreement. so, i may just toss the files in a drive share, and i may find some other hosting solution.
but, there's my starting point, and i'm going to try to build this up slowly by adding one release a day until it's done.
in the end, if you want to buy flac, cutting out bandcamp gets me more money and the corporate layer less. right now, bandcamp is still not the worst layer to support, and they do provide a useful distribution service to large independent artists. but, for me, they're just archiving something that is really intended for the distant future. and, i'm realizing the need to look beyond it.