That annual thing I do with music and crap.

So, I’m sitting here doing some stuff, and listening to some music I’ve gotten this year, thinking about carving stuff up for the annual “best music I discovered this year” compilation that I make available for a couple of weeks around Christmas before “disappearing” it to placate the copyright gods. I thought I’d ask a couple of questions before I even bother to start on this year’s, though:

1. Does anyone even listen to it? (If you’re scratching your head and going “What compilation?” I’m gonna take that as a no.)
2. What’s your preference: a continuous running compilation with brief excerpts of each selection, or a longer radio-style podcast with introductions/comments/etc. between full-length selections? Or something else entirely?

One is actually much easier to do than the other – and it’s probably not the one you’re thinking, either. The compilation has become my own little mini-tradition that 2.8 people probably pay attention to, combining my personal favorites from the mainstream (and, more often, from way the hell outside the mainstream – it’s not like I really bother with radio or music video channels, or, for that matter, music videos anymore) and from various film/TV scores I’ve really dug.

But I thought I’d ask before taking the plunge. I’m picking music. That’s the easy part (almost). Putting it all together, that’s the tough stuff. Since you’re the poor sods who would, in theory, actually be listening to it (and perhaps I’m assuming too much there), I thought I’d ask.