{{Short description|Online collaborative metadata database of music and film established in 2000}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Redirect-distinguish|Cinemos|Cinemoi|Cine Mo!}} {{Infobox website | name = Rate Your Music | logo = Rate Your Music logo.svg | logo_alt = The interior of a white circle is decorated with waves of varying shades of blue and the darkest blue on the bottom has a solid bubble above it. | commercial = Yes | type = Social cataloging and community | registration = Optional and free (required to view and post threads on forums) | owner = | language = English (main site) <br /> Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish (forums) | author = | users = 1.3 million (March 2025) | launch_date = {{start date and age|2000|12|24}} | current_status = Active | url = {{Ubl | {{URL|https://www.rateyourmusic.com|rateyourmusic.com}} | {{URL|https://www.rym.fm|rym.fm}} (forums) }} }}
'''Rate Your Music''' (often abbreviated to '''RYM''') is a social cataloging website for music releases and films. Users can catalog items from their personal collection, review them, and assign ratings in a five-star rating system. The site also features community-based charts that track highest-rated releases.
==History== Rate Your Music was founded by Hossein Sharifi on December 24, 2000.<ref name="Mahalo.com staff 2019" /> The first version of the site, nicknamed "RYM 1.0," allowed users to rate and catalog releases, as well as to write reviews, create lists<ref name="Black 2014">{{cite web|first1=Adrienne|last1=Black|title=15 of the Best Music Forums on the Web|url=https://pigeonsandplanes.com/in-depth/2014/04/15-of-the-best-music-forums-on-the-web/rate-your-music|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817203910/http://pigeonsandplanes.com/in-depth/2014/04/15-of-the-best-music-forums-on-the-web/rate-your-music|work=Pigeons and Planes|publisher=Complex Media, Inc.|date=April 10, 2014|archive-date=August 17, 2016|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Douglas 2018">{{cite web|first1=Nick|last1=Douglas|title=How to Find New Music You'll Actually Like|url=https://lifehacker.com/how-to-find-new-music-youll-actually-like-1824562710|work=Lifehacker|publisher=Univision Communications|date=April 4, 2018|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420224646/https://lifehacker.com/how-to-find-new-music-youll-actually-like-1824562710|url-status=live}}</ref> and add artists and releases to the database.
In May 2009, Rate Your Music started to add films to its database.<ref name="Mahalo.com staff 2019">{{cite web|author=|title=Rateyourmusic.com|url=http://www.mahalo.com/rate-your-music/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216005840/http://www.mahalo.com/rate-your-music/|website=Mahalo.com|archive-date=December 16, 2013|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en}}</ref>
==Features== The main idea of the website is to allow the users to add music releases of many types including but not limited to albums, EPs, singles, music videos, mixtapes, DJ mixes, and bootlegs to the database and to rate them. The rating system uses a scale of minimum of a half-star (or 0.5 points) to a maximum of five stars (or 5 points).<ref name="Madden 2014">{{cite web|first1=Mike|last1=Madden|title=Meet Tymeshifter, the Incredibly Prolific Rate Your Music User|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/meet-tymeshifter-the-incredibly-prolific-rate-your-music-user/|work=Noisey|publisher=Vice Media|date=March 15, 2014|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 4, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250404035048/https://www.vice.com/en/article/meet-tymeshifter-the-incredibly-prolific-rate-your-music-user/|url-status=live}}</ref> Users can likewise leave reviews for RYM entries as well as create user profiles.<ref name="Tannenbaum 2015">{{cite web|first1=Rob|last1=Tannenbaum|title=Your La Monte Young Listening Guide|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/07/your-la-monte-young-listening-guide.html|work=Vulture|publisher=New York Media LLC|date=July 2, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416041448/https://www.vulture.com/2015/07/your-la-monte-young-listening-guide.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Vieira 2015">{{cite web|first1=Rafael|last1=Vieira|title=Rate Your Music: os melhores discos de todos os tempos|url=https://whiplash.net/materias/melhores/226063-radiohead.html|work=Whiplash.Net|date=June 30, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=pt|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416041452/https://whiplash.net/materias/melhores/226063-radiohead.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rate Your Music is generated jointly by the registered user community (artists, releases, biographies, etc.); however, the majority of new, edited content must be approved by a moderator to prevent virtual vandalism.
== Statistics == {{As of|2025|March}}, RYM had over 819,000 user-created lists ranging from "popular lists" to "ultimate box sets," which cover various musical genres, including obscure micro-genres.<ref name="Douglas 2018" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Rate Your Music - Welcome |url=https://rateyourmusic.com/ |website=Rate Your Music |access-date=18 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311194131/https://rateyourmusic.com/web/20250311194131/https://rateyourmusic.com/ |archive-date=11 March 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{As of|2025|March}}, the site had over 1.3 million users registered, with over 6.6 million releases added and 147 million ratings.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roxie |first1=Marilyn |title=Statistics of RYM |url=https://rym.fm/discussion/rate-your-music/statistics-of-rym/23/#Post10092071 |website=Rate Your Music |access-date=18 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250318152826/https://rym.fm/discussion/rate-your-music/statistics-of-rym/23/#Post10004399 |archive-date=18 March 2025 |date=1 March 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
== Impact == Rate Your Music has been credited with helping previously unknown artists and albums rise to popularity, most prominently Have a Nice Life's debut album ''Deathconsciousness''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Have A Nice Life Aren't Joking |url=https://www.kerrang.com/have-a-nice-life-arent-joking/ |access-date=October 31, 2022 |website=Kerrang! |date=March 22, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=October 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031024709/https://www.kerrang.com/have-a-nice-life-arent-joking |url-status=live }}</ref> and Duster's 1998 album ''Stratosphere''.<ref name="Richardson-2019">{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Mark |date=February 22, 2019 |title=Back to the Stratosphere: How the Rarest Music in the World Comes Back |url=https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/2/22/18233366/duster-reissue-discogs-rare-music-vinyl |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007172858/https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/2/22/18233366/duster-reissue-discogs-rare-music-vinyl |archive-date=2024-10-07 |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=The Ringer |language=en}}</ref>
In 2019, ''Vice'' and ''The Ringer'' credited Rate Your Music for maintaining the popularity of the band Duster, which had recently reformed after being inactive since 2000.<ref name="Coney 2018">{{cite web |last1=Coney |first1=Brian |date=August 27, 2018 |title=The Slow Return of Duster, the Lo-Fi Trio Who Secretly Changed Indie Rock |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/duster-interview-new-ep-numero-group-set/ |access-date=April 18, 2019 |work=Noisey |publisher=Vice Media |language=en |archive-date=August 24, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250824105644/https://www.vice.com/en/article/duster-interview-new-ep-numero-group-set/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Richardson-2019" /> ''Pitchfork'' and ''Junkee'' noted the website's impact on the career of the anonymous South Korean musician Parannoul, who said that he felt more anxiety than joy after his 2021 album ''To See the Next Part of the Dream'' temporarily topped the website's album chart for the year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gui |first=James |date=2024-03-28 |title=Parannoul and the New Generation of Korean Indie |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/parannoul-and-the-new-generation-of-korean-indie/ |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US |archive-date=August 28, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250828164258/https://pitchfork.com/features/article/parannoul-and-the-new-generation-of-korean-indie/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=He |first=Kristen S. |date=2024-03-20 |title=The Resurrection And Rewriting Of Shoegaze History |url=https://junkee.com/longforms/shoegaze-tiktok-resurgence |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Junkee |language=en |archive-date=May 30, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530032112/https://junkee.com/longforms/shoegaze-tiktok-resurgence |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2023, JPEGMafia and Danny Brown released the collaborative album ''Scaring the Hoes''. Later that year, an official promotional merch site included a T-shirt featuring the album's Rate Your Music page.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SCARING THE HOES |url=https://scaringthehoes.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401222357/https://scaringthehoes.com/ |archive-date=2023-04-01 |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=SCARING THE HOES |language=en}}</ref>
Chat Pile guitarist Luther Manhole said, "Our popularity on RYM definitely contributed to us having this career-type-thing, 100%.", as the band's self-released debut EP topped the weekly charts due to fortunate timing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 9, 2022 |title=Chat Pile: The Success No One Was Expecting |url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/chat-pile-gods-country-profile |access-date=November 5, 2022 |website=Bandcamp Daily |archive-date=May 23, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523105336/https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/chat-pile-gods-country-profile |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Reception == Rate Your Music has been received generally favorably. Writing for the magazine ''M.O.V.I.N [UP]'', Maurício Angelo praised RYM as "the best guide to discovering new music, in all styles, of any tempo".<ref name="Angelo 2019">{{cite web|first1=Maurício|last1=Angelo|title=Rate Your Music: crowdfunding para a nova versão "Sonemic"|url=http://revistamovinup.com/noticias/mundo/2015/rate-your-music-crowdfunding-para-a-nova-versao-sonemic|work=M.O.V.I.N [UP]|date=December 18, 2015|publisher=revistamovinup.com|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=pt|archive-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415073400/http://revistamovinup.com/noticias/mundo/2015/rate-your-music-crowdfunding-para-a-nova-versao-sonemic|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Hypebot'' staff found Rate Your Music "snobby and multilingual and people come to show off their various incredible music collections. I’ve loved it for ages".<ref name="Hypebot staff 2018">{{cite web|author=|title=8 Different Ways To Discover Music In 2015|url=https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/02/8-different-ways-to-discover-music-in-2015.html|website=Hypebot.com|date=February 20, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416094433/https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/02/8-different-ways-to-discover-music-in-2015.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Wired''{{'}}s Andy Baio deemed it "quirky".<ref name="Baio 2011">{{cite magazine|first1=Andy|last1=Baoi|title=Spotify vs. Rdio: Who Has The Exclusives?|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/12/spotify-vs-rdio/|magazine=Wired|publisher=Condé Nast|date=December 14, 2011|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418092154/https://www.wired.com/2011/12/spotify-vs-rdio/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Radio Wave''{{'}}s Karel Veselý praised Rate Your Music and Discogs as "[t]he cult music portals".<ref name="Veselý 2015">{{cite web|first1=Karel|last1=Veselý|title=Kultovní hudební databáze Discogs a Rate Your Music kráčí vstříc mobilní budoucnosti|url=https://wave.rozhlas.cz/kultovni-hudebni-databaze-discogs-a-rate-your-music-kraci-vstric-mobilni-5207856|work=Radio Wave|publisher=Czech Radio|date=December 8, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416033221/https://wave.rozhlas.cz/kultovni-hudebni-databaze-discogs-a-rate-your-music-kraci-vstric-mobilni-5207856|url-status=live}}</ref>
''Flashmode Arabia'' staff commended RYM as "a fantastic way to discover new music" but critiqued its user experience.<ref name="Flashmode Arabia staff 2019">{{cite web|author=|title=RateYourMusic Case Study: an Examination of RYM's UX Flaws|url=https://ar.flashmode.tn/rateyourmusic-case-study-an-examination-of-ryms-ux-flaws/|website=Ar.flashmode.tn|date=November 26, 2018|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415092243/https://ar.flashmode.tn/rateyourmusic-case-study-an-examination-of-ryms-ux-flaws/|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''The Daily Star''{{'}}s Deeparghya Dutta Barau called it "one of those hip sites that offer functionality over aesthetics".<ref name="Barau 2019">{{cite web|first1=Deeparghya Dutta|last1=Barau|title=Discovering music|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/music/news/discovering-music-1672651|work=The Daily Star|publisher=Transcom Group|date=December 13, 2018|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416073358/https://www.thedailystar.net/shout/music/news/discovering-music-1672651|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, ''Newonce'''s staff was somewhat critical, stating the site was "Extremely ugly visually (its creators like the consistency: RYM has not changed the layout to this day), but quite useful".<ref name="Newonce staff 2018">{{cite web|author=|title=8 serwisów społecznościowych, na których kiedyś traciliśmy czas|url=https://newonce.net/2017/10/8-serwisow-spolecznosciowych-ktorych-kiedys-tracilismy-czas/|website=Newonce.net|date=August 8, 2018|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=pl|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416013851/https://newonce.net/2017/10/8-serwisow-spolecznosciowych-ktorych-kiedys-tracilismy-czas/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
''Centuries of Sound'' founder James Errington said "[he consulted] websites like Rate Your Music and Acclaimed Music to pick top hits" for his year-by-year mixtapes of the 20th century.<ref name="Voon 2017">{{cite news|first1=Claire|last1=Voon|title=A Mixtape for Every Year of the History of Recorded Sound|url=https://hyperallergic.com/399231/a-mixtape-for-every-year-of-the-history-of-recorded-sound/|work=Hyperallergic|publisher=Hyperallergic Media Inc.|date=October 9, 2017|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416004204/https://hyperallergic.com/399231/a-mixtape-for-every-year-of-the-history-of-recorded-sound/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Pigeons and Planes''{{'}}s Adrienne Black highlighted the forums, stating, "if you haven't already spent half your day exploring the above, there are the highly active, engaged threads to dive in to".<ref name="Black 2014" /> ''Evolver.fm''{{'}}s Eliot Van Buskirk advised readers to "Keep a wishlist on rateyourmusic.com".<ref name="Buskirk 2013">{{cite web|first1=Eliot Van|last1=Buskirk|title=How To Collect Music in These Overwhelming Times|url=http://evolver.fm/2013/05/08/how-to-collect-music-in-these-overwhelming-times/|work=Evolver.fm|publisher=The Echo Nest|date=May 8, 2013|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en|archive-date=April 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418053737/http://evolver.fm/2013/05/08/how-to-collect-music-in-these-overwhelming-times/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In an interview with ''PopMatters'', American electronic musician Skylar Spence noted that he would use Discogs and Rate Your Music to find "a lot of cool, old, hidden treasures that way".<ref name="Harrison 2015">{{cite web|first1=A Noah|last1=Harrison|title=Vaporwave Ambassador-Turned-Future Funk Heartthrob Talks about Change: A Chat with Skylar Spence|url=https://www.popmatters.com/195684-vaporwave-ambassador-turned-future-funk-heartthrob-talks-about-chang-2495504907.html|work=PopMatters|publisher=popmatters.com|date=October 2, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2019|language=en}}</ref>
The website gained a decent amount of traction in February 2023 when similar music sites reported on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' overtaking Radiohead's 1997 album ''OK Computer'' as the top rated album on the site.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krol |first=Charlotte |date=2023-02-02 |title=Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' overtakes Radiohead's 'OK Computer' as top rated album on Rate Your Music |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/kendrick-lamars-to-pimp-a-butterfly-overtakes-radioheads-ok-computer-as-top-rated-album-on-rate-your-music-3391372 |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=NME |language=en-GB |archive-date=April 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408084434/https://www.nme.com/news/music/kendrick-lamars-to-pimp-a-butterfly-overtakes-radioheads-ok-computer-as-top-rated-album-on-rate-your-music-3391372 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-01 |title=To Pimp a Butterfly Surpasses OK Computer as Top Album on Rate Your Music |url=https://consequence.net/2023/02/to-pimp-a-butterfly-rate-your-music-top-album/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |language=en-US |archive-date=September 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925164518/https://consequence.net/2023/02/to-pimp-a-butterfly-rate-your-music-top-album/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==See also== * List of online music databases
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{official website|https://www.rateyourmusic.com/}}
Category:American music websites Category:Companies based in Seattle Category:Internet properties established in 2000 Category:Online music and lyrics databases Category:Online film databases Category:Online game databases Category:Social cataloging applications