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"Affordable stream of new music" on by anselmofoz
Pros: Supports the musicians
Cons: really none
Summary: This beautifully designed site lets member discover new music by exploring each other's tastes. However - unlike some of its competitor - it than let's you own the music you discover by trading your old CDs in for new ones ($1.0 per trade plus shipping).
They've clearly put a lot of thoughts in making the service as easy to use as possible; I never thought shipping & receiving CD (did I mention it happens through usps ?) would have been that fun.
The site is darn fast and clearly these guys are using the latest in web technologies, they must have a bunch of smart engineers! -
"My Rating & Response to Wolfie" on by jamlev1
Pros: I get music that I want fast
Cons: No major areas of concern
Summary: Rather than respond to Wolfie2k5s posting of 1=Abysmal, I wanted to give my own rating as well. So I respond to wolfie below as well as give my take...
First of all, why is anyone rating anything a 1 if he/she has not even used it. IMHO, that review should be stricken. Because something "seems" a certain way to him/her, does not make it so.
Second, that review is mistaken. The 20% is not going to the RIAA. From the lala site: "How does 20% of each trade reach the artist?
la la plans to create a registry where artists can come and identify themselves and claim ownership for each album they've been a part of. We'll ask for certain forms of identification to make sure the individual is who they say are, and then do a basic check using industry databases. Once registered, the artist will receive 20% of the $1 la la fee everytime one of their CDs is traded..."
Third, I have been a member for a month and here's the breakdown. I listed 150 of my cd's (which you have no obligation to trade). I have traded/sent away 22 cd's from my collection and re-traded 5 that were sent me. In total I have received 15 cd's that I wanted. I just got billed roughly $21. So, that's $1.40 each. So, I guess the secret is out.
Prior to joining lala I had taken music into used cd stores (rasputin) and one DOES NOT get $5 for a disc EVER. They offered me 1 or 2 for several reasonably mainstream titles I had. I said no. Further, I had been buying off a certain online auctioneer and was paying $15 to $20 for some discs. Now, I get them for $1.40 !
I give lala a 9. I love it. The site is slick and super responsive. The process is a beta and it still has a few kinks, like what to do with liner notes (some people want them, some don't) and double albums, but they are getting worked out in an organized and communicative manner, which I really appreciate. So, if you have a boxfull of old cd's in the garage collecting dust and there is other music that you want out there, then join up. The more people that list, the more music that I'll receive. -
"If you like music, you'll love lala.com" on by ba73
Pros: Price - 1.75 a CD, Size of Catalog - find anything
Cons: I can't keep up with all the music i get, browsing needs improvement
Summary: At face value, lala.com is a great site for trading CDs you have for music you want, all for $1.75 per CD. The trading is super simple, they do all the matching for you, no auctions or salepeople to deal with; all the shipping materials are provided and the quality of the CDs is guaranteed or your money back.
But once you join, you will discover many more great things about lala. Live shows, member radio stations, and WOXY lounge acts -- all available for FREE. You can browse people's collections, chat via blurbs/forums, an read member reviews. And, they are starting to offer deals on new CDs that take long to trade. the y offer so much now that they do need to redesign some of the browsing experience to find all this great stuff...but the founders claim they are working on it.
In the end, I found myself getting back into music, even more so than in college. The biggest issue i have now is that i have gotten 300+ CDs in the past year (a lot via trade, many i bought after learning about them on lala) that i constantly have a backlog of new music to listen. I need more personal time... -
"Re: Wolfie" on by mxpx775
Pros: I get trade away my old CDs for CDs that I Want
Cons: none that I can think of
Summary: In response to Wolfie's opinion, he's got it all wrong. 20% of each trade goes to the Artist not the record labels. From what I understand, no used record store gives money to Artists for used CD sales. Take directly from the FAQ on la la's website, it says:
'la la' plans to create a registry where artists can come and identify themselves and claim ownership for each album they've been a part of. We'll ask for certain forms of identification to make sure the individual is who they say are, and then do a basic check using industry databases. Once registered, the artist will receive 20% of the $1 la la fee every time one of their CDs is traded.
If there are disputes amongst artists over percentages, we will mediate in an attempt to resolve the dispute. If no resolution is reached, the money will go to our 501(c) charitable foundation. This foundation will focus on providing performing musicians with subsidized healthcare, legal services, and support.
Hope that clarifies things for you Wolfie... Also in response to his comment on people not guarateed to get CDs they want; I found that I am receiving tons of CDs I want. I'm not sure if Wolfie is actually a member of la la, but those that are know that the system is extremely efficient with fulfilling CD requests. It will only get better as more members sign up. -
"Teribble customer service. Shady business." on by jacdol
Pros: There is nothing I like about this service. They do not fulfill the promise of their brand.
Cons: No responsefrom tech support. Software download sucks. Did not get the track I paid for. Feel cheated and taken advantage of. They publish a phone number that is out of service.
Summary: Just very shady. I'm disgusted and will NEVER use this service again. Will put their crap on blast at every opportunity I get.
Lala.com user reviews
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