It’s an interesting question that honestly I don’t ponder directly a whole lot.  Digital Music News just released this snippet on this very question: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120110critics?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

In light of this, I thought perhaps as the writer behind I am tuned UP I ought to address this question.  Briefly, the reasons why I write reviews are because I enjoy doing so and that right now reviews are the main driver of traffic to this site.  Having said that, the business geek in me wants to add a biz/trends “spin” to the site, hence the news blurbs on interesting things going on in music business and media, as well as my occasional commentary on what I find.

So what purpose do I hope my reviews will serve? Obviously, as the article above implies one mediocre review on this site is highly unlikely to make or break a band’s career.  However, a skew of several reviews toward one direction may do so.  I like what one user, “Meeze” says in the comments:

Album reviews have become less of a determinant and more of an advertising tool. There is so much music out there that music reviewers are more tour guides of a scene rather than judges.

While I do not pinpoint myself as an “advertiser”, I do sort of see this site as an emerging music biz tour guide.   If some Joe Schmo gets his opinion noticed on a heavily trafficked music site, developing expertise in music and media trends ought to hold some weight in the music review world as well.  What artists are defining the trends? Who might not be defining the trends but is engaging them in a creative way?  Who isn’t?  And on and on. 

I don’t know how big I am tuned UP will get.  Maybe I’ll acquire more contributors and expand beyond music.  Maybe it will continue to be niche site that fulfills a personal hobby.  In the short term though, I can say that these reviews do matter inasmuch as serving as critical thinking exercises, being a fun hobby that can pay for itself, adding a bit of publicity to artists that deserve it, and expanding the musical horizons of whoever stumbles upon this site.