Campaign To Keep TSF Alive
Guys,
TSF is a special place for me for reasons which I won’t harp on about right now. I totally get why RDM feels the need to call it day. But I don’t think the last couple of years have helped at all. Inevitably technology has moved on. We now have AI which is both incredible, but it has also been very divisive. I think that all of us, no matter where we stand on the subject, have become way too opinionated and polarized and, at times. we've let our emotions get the better of us. I’m certainly guilty of this. For my part I’m now trying to take things on board and wise up. I’m listening to what folks are creating using AI and, you know what, a lot of it is great. It won’t replace what I do, but that’s not the point – it isn’t meant to. TSF is a place for creators of music of all genres, no matter how it’s achieved. This was always the spirit of this place.
So can I start a campaign to try and persuade Owen to give TSF another roll of the dice. He may not want to and I’d totally understand that – but I think it’s worth a try. If I was younger and I had the necessary IT skills I’d volunteer to try and run the show, but I just turned 72!! Not my time I’m afraid!!
Anyone with me?
Chris
Comments
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See my post in Owen's announcement :)
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I'm young, but i don't have time to run it, but i could help.
Is he closing it because of AI-generated songs? I think most members use AI just to produce demos and show how the music is supposed to sound. Feedback usually focuses on the lyrics when the song is AI-produced, so I don’t think it makes sense to blame AI. I really hope he changes his mind and keeps this community. AI is just a new technology in the industry, like Auto-Tune and computers. Most singers nowadays use technology to make their voices sound better. Many producers can’t play any instruments, but they can create entire songs using fl studio and those programs, so it’s just another change in the industry.
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One thing I'll say is that for 20 years TSF has been run as a service to others. Part of that includes making it available free of charge, rather than running it as a commercial site. It's unreasonable to ask anyone to take it on and continue it on that basis. And unacceptable to me to hand it over on any other.
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I'm gonna deeply miss TSF if it closes, but I'm not really sure what if anything I can do to save the place. But if it were to continue, and I'd love to see that happen, there's one change I think would improve the experience. The way it's set up now every time a post is made on an original post it brings the original up to the top. So, if someone wanted to continue to be at the top of the list all they have to do is make another post on their original post, pertinent or not, and bing...back up to the top. This is happening all the time.
This isn't the way other songwriter sites are set up. The original post stays in que from the date it was posted.
That said, I'd be the first one to pony up a monthly fee to have the privilege of interacting with others here. I think it would make the site's participants more wary of the quality of their posts and more personable in their reaction posts. And perhaps weed out the less serious writers out there. If this place closes down I'll go looking for a site that charges a monthly fee.
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I just read this and I understand what you're saying Bill. And I totally understand Owen's point of view. I just hoped there was a way we could keep TSF alive. But if Owen really has had enough then I don't blame him in the slightest. On the subject of a commercial site, I would gladly pay a subscription, but I think we'd be too thin on the ground for it to work...plus there are other free sites. I'll keep looking in and see what unfolds, but that's all I can do. It was worth a try.
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You're right about the technology.
But I don't think the upsurge in AI generated music is Owen's reason for closing the site (correct me if I'm wrong RDM). I only mentioned this because it caused a lot of unrest and ill feeling on here a while back. But that's history now. I hope there's a way forward for TSF. If not, we move on.
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Theres one Songtown , and yes it will cost you 25 bucks a month , and 50 to pitch to publishers , Can you sell songs ? Not really sure I'm out of that game . You can be just the artist on there , Do they like AI songs . I highly doubt it . That is a Nashville based site
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Throwing money at it won't solve the problem, you may or may not weed out the ones who write for a hobby. then who determines that?. I've been called that, or not real writing because I don't follow the standard format, but you don't know what my end goal is. everybody is on these sites for their own personal reason, which may not be apparent to everybody else.
And what are you going to charge? 10, 20, 50? what gets offered in exchange?
Chris has a good point, Muse is free, so then it comes down to why would somebody pay monthly fee, when there are other sites out there like muse, reddit, discord that are more active.
The other issue is you still have the anti AI sentiment. that will exist whether or not you charge money. there was suggestion to create a new section, but that would mean that Owen now has to police two sections instead of one. that's more work. Owen would have to appoint somebody he trusts who could remain impartial.
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