Managing the Gray – Positive Advice That Everyone Can Use to Succeed

As always, I really liked the podcast, CC.

I wanted to mention that in the Netherlands, on March 22, Mine Again was at number 38 in the Dutch iTunes charts, and now, March 25, it is at number 28. I don’t know that is because of how Apple rates the iTunes Store sales, if there is a time-shift effect, or if non-podcast listeners saw the track and bought it. Probably a bit of everything.

I think the the iTunes Store rating system should be clear to everyone. I understand that Apple is usually secretive about their stuff, but this is a case where they really should put their cards on the table. Statistics should be verifiable by anyone, so no-one can claim the results are somewhat biased, e.g. to please big media. And this should not only be so for music, but for podcasts as well. We don’t want a possible repeat of the practice of payola in the 90s, or similar bad practices behind closed doors.

Apple should just open source their rating system, for all media on the iTunes Store.

[...] As a footnote to my earlier post about Bum Rush the Charts, I’ll mention the most recent Managing the Gray. Host CC Chapman interviewed the Financial Aid Podcast’s Christopher Penn about BRTC. Both expressed surprise at the international success of the campaign; however, neither said why he was surprised. [...]

I think it’s interesting what you and Chris were saying about measuring success, and was wondering if Chris ever thought at any time that Bum Rush The Charts would actually make it to Number 1 – or was that just one of those targets at the top of the tree? Personally, I think that the general buzz created by this experiment was worth it in itself. And maybe next time a non-USA band could be used…?

[...] MTG #30 Transcript March 30th 2007 New Media Experiment Reflections on Bum Rush the Charts Podcast Posted on March 23, 2007 [...]