[BetweenEars]

Hi everyone

I'm working for a filmcompany in The Netherlands and we are doing research on the forthcoming international documentary 'Between Ears'. This will be a film by which the viewer is taken away in the discovery of the different and surprising aspects of how and why people use their mp3 players.

It is going to be a cinematic trip around the far corners of the world, that leads the viewer to a surprising diversity of people. It will be about people who use an mp3 player to dream away for a while, to escape from reality, to imagine things, to recall good memories or to feel more free.

I'm wondering why and how you are using your ipod? Is it to relax at home, to escape from boredom at work, to feel tougher while walking down the street, or to feel more strength while doing exercise? Do you see it as you personal soundtrack? What's on your mind while listening to your tunes?

You can visit our site to read more about this project: Between Ears
We also made a questionnaire wich makes you think it over.

[analogika]

Much of that questionnaire was rather beside the point, methinks, as almost none of it highlighted the difference between "listening to music" and "listening to music on/owning an mp3 player".

Music makes all sorts of people feel and think all sorts of things, depending on what they put on. But it's done that forever, and certainly since WAY before anybody invented portable music devices, let alone mp3s...

[mitchell_pgh]

This sounds like this film is about 25+ years too late. The MP3 is simply the natural evolution of the Walkman phenomenon.

[BetweenEars]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Music makes all sorts of people feel and think all sorts of things, depending on what they put on. But it's done that forever, and certainly since WAY before anybody invented portable music devices, let alone mp3s...

It's true that all music is making people feel and think all sorts of things but I think that the portable mp3 player like the Ipod deserves a special case. There are many different aspects compared to just listening to the radio, live music, a cd player or even a walkman.

The portable MP3 player can store thousands of easy downloaded songs and keeps you in full control with only a few quick buttons. People like to be in full control. You can listen to an entire Mahler symphony straight through; but you can also enjoy Bach, the Buena Vista Social Club, and the memoirs of a Buddhist acolyte in one sitting. A touch of Verdi and Strauss can be followed by a healthy dose of Eminem and Kelis. It’s all up to you. People are using the Ipod to be in quick control of their on mood whenever and wherever they are.

The Ipod has indeed evolved from the Walkman but I think it's a total different experience. The user becomes free from the limited capacity and the prearranged order of songs on the cassette tapes, instead he or she can freely create a totally individual experience. The Walkman privatized the auditory experience, the MP3 player has privatized and heavily individualized it.

[Nodnarb]

Ok, I'll buy that explanation. I took your survey.

[Oisín]

I’m having a bit of trouble with figuring out your definition of an MP3 player. Going by your explanation above, what you’re highlighting about the MP3 player is its ability to contain large amounts of music for portable listening, and the ability to play that music at random.

So what about discmen that play MP3 CDs? Do they count as MP3 players or not? They’re still small enough to be fully portable, and though they’re not in the same league that iPods and other MP3 players are in now, they can still hold 700 MB of MP3 files, which is a good deal. It’s hard to answer question five without knowing this.

[Oisín]

Also, that questionnaire has some serious methodological flaws. You should look into how to put together a proper questionnaire (never use mutually exclusive categories without exhausting the possible answers; use seven-point scales; ask precise questions in good English, and questions that don’t leave the reader either doubting how to interpret the question or just not understanding a word of it; etc.).

[analogika]

Originally Posted by BetweenEars 

It's true that all music is making people feel and think all sorts of things but I think that the portable mp3 player like the Ipod deserves a special case. There are many different aspects compared to just listening to the radio, live music, a cd player or even a walkman.

The portable MP3 player can store thousands of easy downloaded songs and keeps you in full control with only a few quick buttons. People like to be in full control. You can listen to an entire Mahler symphony straight through; but you can also enjoy Bach, the Buena Vista Social Club, and the memoirs of a Buddhist acolyte in one sitting. A touch of Verdi and Strauss can be followed by a healthy dose of Eminem and Kelis. It’s all up to you. People are using the Ipod to be in quick control of their on mood whenever and wherever they are.

The Ipod has indeed evolved from the Walkman but I think it's a total different experience. The user becomes free from the limited capacity and the prearranged order of songs on the cassette tapes, instead he or she can freely create a totally individual experience. The Walkman privatized the auditory experience, the MP3 player has privatized and heavily individualized it.

Shouldn't your questionnaire in some way reflect that? Because NONE of what you're telling us here can be gleaned from the questions it asks.

I listen to complete albums pretty much exclusively; I've done so since the days of cassette tapes, and I do so on the iPod as well.

I don't think the questionnaire expects people who hate song shuffle.

On a private level, there is no qualitative difference between my iPod experience and the experience of carrying around a discman and two dozen CDs back in the early 90s, apart from the aspect that quantity is more practical.

None of the answers I could select in any way reflect this.

I also use the iPod mostly in the car. As such, it neither shapes my interaction with my surroundings, nor does it shape my perception of others around me in any meaningful way. I took that aspect to be geared at iPod users who see it as a status symbol?

Maybe it's because I've been using it for more than five years now, but my iPod has no status-symbol value to me - except perhaps as an example of a veteran that pre-dates what most people appear to consider the "first generation" (3rd G with Dock connector).

Job-wise, of course, the iPod makes a big difference - I'm a musician, and it's wonderful to have a custom playlist of material you need to prepare for a project with you to listen to at any time, or to carry around demos of your stuff, or material to listen to at rehearsals, or play on the in-house P.A. before gigs.

But the questions you asked in no way reflect the importance of the iPod to what I do, nor why this works better than or differently from other media.

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

Also, that questionnaire has some serious methodological flaws. You should look into how to put together a proper questionnaire (never use mutually exclusive categories without exhausting the possible answers; use seven-point scales; ask precise questions in good English, and questions that don’t leave the reader either doubting how to interpret the question or just not understanding a word of it; etc.).

I would agree with that. While I was taking the survey, on a few of the questions I was like "uhhh..." and just picked "sometimes" because either the question didn't fully make sense or didn't apply.

I do agree with the OP's main point that MP3 players do change the available options to music listeners. Even with the MP3 cd's, a few hundred songs is nothing compared with the thousands upon thousands that an iPod can hold. I believe the OP is explaining (albeit in a round-about way) that you can choose anything from your vast music collection at any second, and interchange it more than ever before. On-the-go playlists are a perfect example of this, because even with an MP3 cd, (and cassette, cd, records, etc.) you are stuck with whatever is on that album, in the particular order it's already in (besides shuffling on CD's).

Music listening has reached a new paradigm where you can now choose virtually any music at any second, all while walking down the street, driving, etc.

[Captain Obvious]

Originally Posted by BetweenEars 

The Ipod has indeed evolved from the Walkman but I think it's a total different experience. The user becomes free from the limited capacity and the prearranged order of songs on the cassette tapes, instead he or she can freely create a totally individual experience.

Did they not have mix tapes in the Netherlands?
Or maybe some of those 25+ disc changers people had at home or in their cars?

This study sounds like its fit for a 100 level Com Arts class at a Jr college. Its an interesting topic on the surface but not really ground breaking once you try to get below that.

Apple already said their studies show that most people use iPods on shuffle mode the majority of time.

[- - e r i k - -]

You should read:

iPod, therefore I am

which gives great insight into both the iPod and the culture it has spawned.

[BetweenEars]

Originally Posted by analogika 

But the questions you asked in no way reflect the importance of the iPod to what I do, nor why this works better than or differently from other media.

Thanks for your response. It isn't our main purpose to show if and why an Ipod works better or differently from other media. Although I personally do think that the Ipod can give a different kind of experience compared to other earlier portables and media for reasons I stated before.
This differend kind of level is important because it's also influencing our most important aspect we have in focus: What is on your mind while using your Ipod? How do you see the world around you wherever you are? Why did you choose for that particulary song or playlist?
People are micro managing that little box on a higher standard so it suits their mood or desire. It's a personal mindcontroller attached to your own body. That's the thing we want to talk about in our film using personal stories.

Originally Posted by Oisin

I’m having a bit of trouble with figuring out your definition of an MP3 player. Going by your explanation above, what you’re highlighting about the MP3 player is its ability to contain large amounts of music for portable listening, and the ability to play that music at random.

So what about discmen that play MP3 CDs? Do they count as MP3 players or not? They’re still small enough to be fully portable, and though they’re not in the same league that iPods and other MP3 players are in now, they can still hold 700 MB of MP3 files, which is a good deal. It’s hard to answer question five without knowing this.

Thanks for you comments about the questionnaire. We will look into this so we can state some things more clear. We're having it about MP3 players like the Ipod. Not about discmans as we believe it isnt in the really same level.

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

Did they not have mix tapes in the Netherlands?
Or maybe some of those 25+ disc changers people had at home or in their cars?

I don't see walkmans and mix tapes at the same level as Ipods and playlists. Today people can micro manage their mood and music faster and more easy. And I didn't see any people walking around with a 25+ disc changer on their back
But again,, our main purpose isn't to show if and why a MP3 player is different or better compared to the old portables but I do believe that the further envolvement is having influence on how people are using music and how they control it to set their moods.

Originally Posted by erik

You should read:

iPod, therefore I am

which gives great insight into both the iPod and the culture it has spawned.

Thank you for your reading tip Erik. If anyone else is interested in this subject then search also for articles of prof. Michael Bull. He studied 25 years ago the Walkman phenomenam and he's now doing large studies about the cultural and social influence of the Ipod. This one is nice to start with: BBC NEWS | Technology | More than just a pretty interface

[BetweenEars]

Below is a message wich will give some more details about the forthcoming film.
We still like to hear from people by making the survey!

DUTCH FILM COMPANY TUNES INTO SOCIAL INFLUENCE OF MP3 PLAYERS

Amsterdam, The Netherlands - The Dutch film company Zuidenwind is preparing the documentary “Between Ears”, wich will explore the way people use their MP3 player and how it’s influencing their mood and environment. It will reveal a social phenomenon by focusing on a variety of persons from around the world who can’t live without their MP3 player. The film is going to be an international co production and will be shown worldwide.

Perhaps everyone has experienced that sound can change our awareness in a way that it lets us forget about our surroundings and makes it seem our head is somewhere else. “When I was a child, I was given a very large shell by wich they told me I could hear the sea with it,” says the director Susanne Engels. “With the shell close to my ear, I basked in the warmth of the memory of my last holiday at the beach at any time and place. It was like magic.”

With the arrival of the walkman, and later mainly the MP3 player, this phenomenon has taken off tremendously. Especially the MP3 player has captured the hearts of a lot of people, young and old. Producer Joost Seelen says: “Not just in western and urban societies, but in the whole world, even in remote areas, people are attracted to the possibilities this small device offers, which exceeds just listening to music.”

According to British sociologist Dr. Michael Bull, listening to portable music acts as a shield, aura or cocoon. People are using headphones to keep the world at bay and reclaim some space. Portable music players are “multi-faceted transformative devices,” says Dr Bull. It is a “tool whereby users manage space, time and the boundaries around the self.”

Between Ears will show this magical experience to the audience. It will be a cinematic trip around the world, that leads the viewer along to a surprising diversity of people who shut off from reality around them. With the help of an MP3 player they try to move into a place between their ears. The focus of the film is mainly on the intense experiencing of image and sound, in a way which enables the viewer to identify with the people in the film.

The film company made a call out for individuals who are willing to share their experience with the MP3 player. They made a questionnaire available from www.betweenears.com. The results will be used as the foundation of the documentary Between Ears.

[BetweenEars]

Hi all!

We had a small interview with Dr. Michael Bull or "Professor iPod" as people like to call him. He is a lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex in the UK who is studying the cultural impact of iPods and other digital music technology.
We asked him some questions about the influence of the iPod on our lives and society.

You can watch it on: YouTube - Between Ears - Interview Michael Bull

[Railroader]

WOW! That guy looks exactly like Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm).

[Railroader]

The iPod is no different than the hundred of mix tapes (and then CD-Rs) I made. But today I tend to listen to albums from start to finish. I dislike shuffle with a passion. Even when I use the iPod Shuffle I still have it loaded with full albums in alphabetical order.

Most of my iPod usage is in the car or in it's dock on the stereo. In the car I listen to podcasts about half of the time.

That's one thing the iPod has changed dramatically in my life. I listen to a lot of different podcasts and that is the kind of material I would never have been exposed to pre-iPod.

I also download and watch video podcasts with the iPod. I do that in the living room on the main TV. Video quality is horrendous, but I'd rather lie on the couch and watch then sit in office chair at my desk.

Have you factored Podcasts into you iPod documentary?