AllMusic: The Definitive Digital Music Archive
An authoritative online database cataloging millions of albums, tracks, artists, and genres, providing comprehensive insights into the world of music.
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Overview
A Vast Musical Repository
AllMusic, formerly known as All-Music Guide (AMG), stands as a premier American online music database. It meticulously catalogs an extensive collection of musical works, encompassing over three million album entries and an astonishing thirty million individual tracks. Beyond recordings, it provides detailed information on musicians, bands, and their artistic contributions.
Digital Accessibility
Initiated in 1991, the database first became accessible on the Internet in 1994, initially through a text-based Gopher site. As web browsers evolved, AllMusic transitioned to the World Wide Web, becoming a readily available resource for music enthusiasts, researchers, and industry professionals worldwide.
Comprehensive Data
The platform offers more than just listings; it provides curated content including professional reviews, detailed biographies of artists, and insightful essays. This depth of information makes AllMusic an invaluable tool for understanding music history, genres, and the artists who shape them.
Historical Trajectory
Genesis and Vision
The foundation of AllMusic was laid in 1991 by Michael Erlewine, a musician and self-proclaimed "compulsive archivist." Driven by a desire to create an open-access database covering virtually all recorded music since the era of Enrico Caruso, Erlewine established the All-Music Guide. His initial motivation stemmed from frustration with inaccurate reissues of classic recordings.
Building the Database
Erlewine founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977, which provided a foundation for his later work. He recruited database engineer Vladimir Bogdanov to design the framework and writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine to develop editorial content. Chris Woodstra joined in 1993, contributing his extensive musical knowledge.
From Print to Pixels
The first iteration, published in 1992, was a substantial 1,200-page reference book. The online journey began in 1994 with a text-based Gopher site, evolving to the World Wide Web as browser technology matured. This transition democratized access to its vast musical information.
Scope and Classification
Extensive Cataloging
AllMusic's database is renowned for its sheer volume, featuring millions of album entries and tens of millions of tracks. It meticulously documents artists, bands, and their discographies, serving as a critical resource for music identification and exploration.
Genre Taxonomy
A distinctive feature of AllMusic is its sophisticated system for classifying music. The platform developed a comprehensive taxonomy of approximately 1,400 subgenres. This granular categorization allows for precise navigation and discovery, connecting artists and works across a wide spectrum of musical styles, from mainstream genres to niche subcultures like "sadcore."
Published Works
The All Music Guide Series
Beyond its online presence, AllMusic, through its parent company All Media Network, produced a significant series of print publications. These guides offered curated selections and expert recommendations across various music genres.
Ownership Evolution
Early Acquisitions
In 1996, Alliance Entertainment Corp. acquired All Music from Michael Erlewine for a reported $3.5 million. Following Alliance's bankruptcy filing in 1999, its assets were subsequently acquired by Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Equity Fund.
Transition to Rovi
In late 2007, AllMusic was purchased for $72 million by TiVo Corporation (then known as Macrovision). This entity later became Rovi Corporation in 2009, continuing its ownership until 2016.
Current Ownership
In 2015, AllMusic was acquired by BlinkX, which subsequently rebranded as RhythmOne. The underlying database technology currently utilizes a combination of MySQL and MongoDB for its operations.
Recognition
Esteemed Recognition
AllMusic's significance and comprehensive nature were acknowledged in August 2007 when PC Magazine included it in their prestigious "Top 100 Classic Websites" list. This recognition underscores its enduring value and influence as a foundational online resource for music information.
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References
References
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Disclaimer
Important Notice
This page has been generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended solely for informational and educational purposes. The content is derived from a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or current.
This is not professional advice. The information provided herein is not a substitute for expert consultation in musicology, archival science, or any related field. Users should consult with qualified professionals for specific inquiries or research needs. The creators of this page assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information presented.