Away with the Gold Membership Paying!

[G.W.K]

Can PianoStreet not get rid of the Gold Membership paying? That way, everyone can access great tunes for nothing! I think many people would prefer that...

Or at the very least, remove the payment thing for a tempoary amount of time...

G.W.K

[nilsjohan]

No membership fees = no Piano Street

No business can survive without an income and we believe charging a low membership fee is the most appropriate way to cover the cost for providing and developing this service.

Do you have any other suggestions for covering the costs?

[0range]

No membership fees = no Piano Street

No business can survive without an income and we believe charging a low membership fee is the most appropriate way to cover the cost for providing and developing this service.

Do you have any other suggestions for covering the costs?

Not that I have any objection with paying for Gold Memberships.

Have you considered some tasteful google ads?

[G.W.K]

There must be another way! I understand that you need an income but we would like at least once a month to browse through the complete list of music, not just the free music.

G.W.K

[rach n bach]

Basic market economics...

Come on, yes, it is needed.  If 88st has no positive cashflow, then it cannont continue to host this forum, the chat, or the sheets... None of this stuff is free! 

If we were to be allowed to browse through the full collection once a month, it would only mean that we would all download every sheet in the collection on that day... thus elimiating the purpose of charging people.

I do not think google ads or anything along that line is the way to go, it would ruin the great system set up by nils over here, it's just not the idea behind the site!

And I mean, come on, it isn't like it's that awful much money for each person... just 3 bucks a month after the start up cost of 8... or you can pay 36 for the whole year... it just isn't that much money...

RnB

[thalbergmad]

Why aint you a Gold member then

Thal

[rach n bach]

Also capitalism at work... I don't need the product, so I'm not paying... however, it could be a great convience for others.



RnB

*mutters, 'leave it to thal...' *

[G.W.K]

Thats Plenty.

G.W.K

[ihatepop]

No membership fees = no Piano Street

No business can survive without an income and we believe charging a low membership fee is the most appropriate way to cover the cost for providing and developing this service.

Do you have any other suggestions for covering the costs?

Allow members of the forum who REALLY REALLY love this forum to make donations.

Or offer to put up ads.

ihatepop

P.S. On second thought, I rather just stick with the paying, then the scores get more satisfying.

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings

Just to add a comment: do you really NEED the gold membership? I think it is heavily overrated, given that unless you are a professional, you aren't going to really need all the sheet music. If you are a student then you are only going to be going for one or two pieces, or 5 max but not much more. So in reality you will be paying for sheet music that is just going to lie around there. You have to be realistic. Plus, alot of the sheet music is found on cites elsewhere. Quite alot of it is actually available for free.

[nicco]

I just like the gold stars. Makes me feel superior.

[retrouvailles]

I don't need gold stars to be superior.

[soliloquy]

There must be another way! I understand that you need an income but we would like at least once a month to browse through the complete list of music, not just the free music.

G.W.K

There isn't a single piece of sheet music on this forum that you can't find somewhere else.  Just do a bit of research, or be lazy and pay the 5 dollars or whatever it is.  If you want the sheets so bad the least you could do is look for them.

[jlh]

Have you considered some tasteful google ads?

Those of us who have been around for awhile will remember those pesky Google ads that were at the bottom of the forum pages on this site just a couple years ago. 
 

[nicco]

I don't need gold stars to be superior.

I would respond to this, but your puny stars makes it not worthwile.

[soliloquy]

Those of us who have been around for awhile will remember those pesky Google ads that were at the bottom of the forum pages on this site just a couple years ago. 
 

I liked those, because they were always so random.

[elevateme_returns]

No membership fees = no Piano Street

No business can survive without an income and we believe charging a low membership fee is the most appropriate way to cover the cost for providing and developing this service.

Do you have any other suggestions for covering the costs?

piano street is a business? how much does it take to run? i can set up websites for free 

[jlh]

I liked those, because they were always so random.

You know, I kinda liked them as well... I remember commenting a few times on the hilarity of the randomness that wasn't really so random in the ads... 

[nilsjohan]

piano street is a business?

Yes

how much does it take to run?

Without giving you any exact details...
If we would just hand it over to you as it is, you could probably keep the website up running for some time for less than 1000 USD per month plus a lot of own work.

But, to be able build it up from start and continously develop it in terms of concept, technology, content, visitors etc you should add costs for a few hundred man-hours per month, office, computers, software, advertising etc.

i can set up websites for free 

Good for you! 

[nilsjohan]

There isn't a single piece of sheet music on this forum that you can't find somewhere else.  Just do a bit of research, or be lazy and pay the 5 dollars or whatever it is.  If you want the sheets so bad the least you could do is look for them.

Yes, it's true that you can find many of the "pieces" somewhere else, but those who care about the quality of sheet music and the other things you get here  consider it  worth paying 3 USD per month. For example we have recently started putting a lot of effort in producing Urtext editions of important works. The complete 48 P&F by Bach and all Sonatas by Mozart are for example already available as Urtext in our library and a lot more is to come. Many teachers and their students appreciate the opportunity to not only download and print the sheet music but to use the sheet music library's search engine for researching new repertoire and the recordings of the pieces they currently study as a complement to the teaching.
Last but not least, by being a Gold member you help to keep this website online and support it's development!

[danny elfboy]

There must be another way! I understand that you need an income but we would like at least once a month to browse through the complete list of music, not just the free music.

G.W.K

I don't agree.
Consider it in a symbolic way.
You don't apply to the Gold Membership just to download sheet, you do it to give something in return for what this place offers to you. The fact that when in doing this, giving something in return for the work of the people behind pianostreet, you also get access to sheet music is just a bonus.

I don't believe in getting something for nothing. We should always give something in return, even just a "thank you for your work" or a favour, or stuff or money.
Taking something and giving nothing in return doesn't allow me to enjoy what I take. Same for download.
If the music I listen in mp3 gives me a good time and good feelings I feel compelled as a human to support the artist either buying the cds or sending money personally or donating. Taking everything and giving nothing is just slavery.

[m1469]

Well, even if it were somehow making Nils et al filthy rich, good on them !  Nobody is forcing anybody else to purchase a Gold Membership (at least not yet  -- maybe someday it would be the only way to be a part of the community). 

I happen to find it *incredibly* useful for many reasons -- and potentially worth paying a lot more for.

[shortyshort]

Can PianoStreet not get rid of the Gold Membership paying? That way, everyone can access great tunes for nothing! I think many people would prefer that...

Or at the very least, remove the payment thing for a tempoary amount of time...

G.W.K

You don't happen to be Scottish by any chance. 

[G.W.K]

You don't happen to be Scottish by any chance. 

What about it? 

G.W.K

[joust86]

I have no problem purchasing a gold membership.  I've been a gold member for many months now, I didn't even pay attention to the cost.  This site is great! I've been able to find almost every bit of sheet music I've wanted 

[shingo]

Yeah I have no problem paying the small fee, in return I get a wide arrray of sheets, which can be found elsewhere but often contain errors or crowded/cramped notation. Its also a motivational thing and when you are learning a particular piece it is good to feel you have some form of help at hand.
However one moan I do have is about the new $7.99 first time and $3 there on after. As I only sign up every other month or so when I need the motivational boost or some certain sheets I think it is an unfair ploy to try and keep you subscribed and prevent joining when you need to. I realise this site needs some returns for its effort and that it isn't a lot of money at all, but I just feel the original method was best and made me more likely to subscribe to consecutive months

[invictious]

You don't happen to be Scottish by any chance. 

;D;D;D
That just made my day.


On topic: .....
....
..



never mind.

[rimv2]

Not that I have any objection with paying for Gold Memberships.

Have you considered some tasteful google ads?

Google ads != tasteful

[G.W.K]

That just made my day.

Excuse me?

G.W.K

[jakev2.0]

The astute consumer is aware that sheet music can be downloaded for free at about a dozen other sources. So the incentive to purchase "Gold Membership" is rather weak anyways. What are you complaining about g.w.k.?

[G.W.K]

I'm just putting across a point that has been made from others apart from myself.



G.W.K

[jakev2.0]

People who sign up for silver membership are as good as financial liabilities to the owners. You should be thankful to be offered this service for free. Nobody is forcing you to buy gold membership.

and btw...what bearing does the fact that a point has been raised by "others apart from [yourself]" have on the merit or value of that point? :S

[G.W.K]

Well, I thought I would raise a point made by others (including myself). I know fine well no one is forcing me. If you do not like my points made, you need not read this.

 

G.W.K