BBC Playlister - how does it work exactly?

[Guest]

I signed into BBC with my normal BBC id, and added a track from a Late Junction listing to my Playlist.

Am I right in thinking that the only thing adding a track to the playlist is to create a list, i.e. no different to me writing down something on a bit of paper, and in the absence of doing something else, I can't play anything on the list?

If I want to play a track, I understand I have to 'export' it to (currently) one or more of three services: Spotify, Youtube, Deezer.

In the case of exporting the playlist to Youtube, exactly what happens? Do I have to be signed in to Youtube with my Youtube id for this exporting to happen, or will BBC Playlister create a new account under my BBC id?

If I am accessing Youtube without being signed in to BBC, is my BBC Playlist accessible on Youtube?

If one of the tracks on my Playlist is not carried by Youtube, who makes the decision on what to offer me as an alternative - the BBC or Youtube?

Russ

[french frank]

Good questions all. I'm afraid I lost interest when they started mentioning 'songs' and I gathered it really meant 'songs'. I did think it was something a bit more than creating a list.

Of course, for charts-type 'songs' you're more or less likely to be identifying a specific artist/recording too.

[Ferretfancy]

Good questions all. I'm afraid I lost interest when they started mentioning 'songs' and I gathered it really meant 'songs'. I did think it was something a bit more than creating a list.

Of course, for charts-type 'songs' you're more or less likely to be identifying a specific artist/recording too.

Whenever I read anything about downloads and other online features with all the discussion of bit rates and flac etc. ( what's that? ) I'm struck by how nice it is to pay my pennies, buy a CD and pop it in the machine.

[Russ]

There is now a BBC Blog on Playlister, so I've asked my questions there.

Russ

[Pegleg]

I'm sure Ferretfancy will be happy to know that according to the DG the BBC Playlister and will allow users to “to tag any piece of music they hear on the BBC and listen to it later”. The BBC will work with big name streaming services such as Spotify, YouTube and Deezer “so that you can keep all your favourite music in one place, enjoy it across whatever devices you’re using, wherever you are and, we hope, help you discover and share new music.

And don't forget the BBC Store. A new venture that the BBC hopes will be a money spinner is called the BBC Store. When this commercial service launches it “will offer people in the UK the chance to buy a whole range of programmes to watch and keep forever,” explained Hall. People seem to like to buy and keep things permanently, rather than renting or owning time-limited content, so this service could do well. The move will pit the BBC against many other online TV/Film retailers and subscription services in a competitive market.

Why does all this make me feel uneasy?

[amateur51]

Why does all this make me feel uneasy?

I'll see your 'uneasy' and raise you my 'queasy', Pegleg.

Is there room on your bench for two?

[Anna]

Why does all this make me feel uneasy?

Me too - but sometimes I think I'm still living in the 20th century. I don't have an ipod (never felt the need, but that may change), don't have a iphone that does apps (it's a basic Alcatel that makes calls and does text), don't have an ipad (wireless here is a nightmare, you can get 4G if you go in the garden), don't have DAB (it is available if you live at the top of the hill, I am at the bottom of the hill) so I have two Roberts Radios + FreeSat so radio via tv, but don't have a tv that has built in iplayer so any iplaying has to be done on a computer.
In other words - I am a dinosaur because I just don't feel the need for any of it. I expect I'll be extinct by 2020.

[Pegleg]

The bench might get crowded, but I'll definitely be sitting this one out.

You're not alone, Anna. Our home is an ithing free zone, I've given all that a two figured gesture. Just two DEC phone handsets, no mobiles or tablets. Uno Roberts Radio. Oh, I forgot the sports 984, so we are equal on that score. One basic Freeview TV. It's a comfort to know that the dinosaur population could easily reach double figures. Just keep your figures crossed they don't ruin the current iplayer for our life-form.

P.S. I'm not sure about 2020, I think I've already passed my use by date.

[french frank]

What does 'help you discover and share new music' mean? Who are you supposed to share it with?

[mangerton]

Me too - but sometimes I think I'm still living in the 20th century. I don't have an ipod (never felt the need, but that may change), don't have a iphone that does apps (it's a basic Alcatel that makes calls and does text), don't have an ipad (wireless here is a nightmare, you can get 4G if you go in the garden), don't have DAB (it is available if you live at the top of the hill, I am at the bottom of the hill) so I have two Roberts Radios + FreeSat so radio via tv, but don't have a tv that has built in iplayer so any iplaying has to be done on a computer.
In other words - I am a dinosaur because I just don't feel the need for any of it. I expect I'll be extinct by 2020.

Oh Anna, don't say that!

The locality certainly affects what I have, too. Although I live less than a mile from the city centre, I have to get TV on a cable service - which also provides broadband and radio. I cannot get good stereo radio reception off-air; it's only good enough for speech on R4. I've never tried DAB as I don't feel the need, and because of the topography I doubt whether it would work anyway.

OT, I am completely underwhelmed by the BBC's latest ideas. They'd be far better spending money on improving reception for Anna and me - and countless others.

[Anna]

What does 'help you discover and share new music' mean? Who are you supposed to share it with?

Well, you can get down wiv da kidz in the hood, or you could share with me some Guillaume de Machaut
Agreed, it's a total nonsense if you are over the age of 30 (as regrettably, most of us, and even, I suspect, the new R3 listeners are with their toddler banging spoons to Mozart are, Yummy Mummies with all that intails) so we, intelligent, informed, listeners, are just not wanted anymore.
But, we have our CDs and why should we think R3 should inform and educate?

They'd be far better spending money on Anna and me

Too true!! Fish suppers for life at the Amstruther Fish Bar!! Only joking!

[Russ]

What does 'help you discover and share new music' mean? Who are you supposed to share it with?

I think 'help you discover' translates as 'someone else, e.g. the BBC, will offer further, possibly related or unrelated, things' for you to consume if you want to. On the sharing aspect, the thing being shared can be publicised to social media connections (not dissimilar in principle to giving a Youtube url on a thread here, say), but I suspect the real 'sharing' will be the observation of your browsing habits and your details by Google et al and their advertisers. They will want to sell you records. Or washing machines. Why else would Youtube, Spotify and Deezer be interested in this scheme?

As is often the case with the BBC, what they don't tell you can be more significant than what they do tell you.

Russ

[french frank]

Looking at the blog Russ linked to, they seem to make a great dal of the presenters and DJs you 'trust' to help you discover new music. Radio 3 says this too - it promotes its 'recommendations' as a key contribution to educating the new listeners find out about classical music. Hurrah! But frankly there is an increasing number of R3 presenters who I wouldn't choose to advise on anything musical... . I'm not interested in what they say because I don't think they know anything about classical music.

Well, at least Tony Hall closed down the Digital Media Initiative. But is this just more millions going into developing technologies that half the population doesn't want?

[Pegleg]

I know my brain is not what is was, but stupidly I thought creating a playlist meant you might actually be able to pick and play the items through the iplayer system. You know, select some things from "In Tune", mixed with a few items from "Through the Night", or whatever takes your fancy. But no, the thing is a useless waste of resources.

[amateur51]

What does 'help you discover and share new music' mean? Who are you supposed to share it with?

Why, all the people who 'follow' you on Facebook french frank

*Ducks*