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JKess
If I remember correctly, the problem posted re the Spiro transfer involved access to the tablet which contains links to the available music. I just suggested you should work out the data transfer with Steinway.

I don’t believe the data identified buyers as players or non-players. Who would identify themselves as a non-player? It’s bad enough to be mocked for owning a player piano.

And, you’re right, Steinway won’t share.

The solenoid player systems trace back to the work done by the inventor Wayne Stahnke. He sold his latest company, Live Performance, to Steinway, and consulted for Yamaha before that. Yamaha has been refining the Disklavier since the 1980s.

http://pianosoftware.com/news/

67% of Spiro buyers are non players—- from Steinway’s IPO info

http://forum.pianoworld.com//ubbthr...-steinway-filed-for-ipo.html#Post3209658

I wonder how they know. Nobody asked me if I played when I bought my Disklavier.

Thanks for that statistic, @dogperson. It tells me there could be a latent market in that same population who might enjoy "house concerts", "private recitals", "Lieder Abends". Fellow players - how to reach that group and get them enjoying actual LIVE performances on their recording equipped Steinways?

Sorry for the diversion on this thread. Perhaps another on the topic is indicated.

Perhaps an ad on CL, FB would yield some clients… even better would be advertising on a local symphony program. I do think there is a market

Seeker-

I spent my life in the music biz trenches and I have lots of serious musician friends. I have tried to talk some of my wealthy clientele who don't play (whether they have player systems or not) to think about the occasional party with a live band since they have a piano. The next door neighbor to my shop is the only one so far who has taken the opportunity and I was invited to the dinner as a thank you. After dinner everyone was up dancing and singing along and the homeowner has had three concert/dinners in his house and has had the best time.

People with pianos in their houses often have no idea how easy it can be to have a great musician come play in their home, which I had hoped would become a bigger side business for me, if only to see people enjoy music in their houses and see fine musicians have another source of revenue.

The take up has been slow.

I agree that a live pianist trumps mechanics for almost everything.

I forget the source, but someone from Steinway in New York said: "It takes months, years to complete the sale of a Steinway piano to a musician. With Spirio, we have had people walk in, and in 20 minutes they are writing a check."

In these times of COVID, it is not easy at all to have a great musician come to one’s home. We don’t have parties, we don’t invite people over. I’m lucky to have a wonderful teacher who comes to my house to teach me, both of us masked up.

Before the pandemic, I went to many house concerts in New York City put on by Groupmuse. But, that’s New York, where you could yell on a street corner and find Juilliard grads.

An excellent live pianist beats a mechanical player piano, but the mechanical player beats my playing, and offers variety over what I play.