There are currently many attempts on making a successful music distributor. Here we list what we consider the most common mistakes or what shall not be done.
Be more than just a music grabber
One of the most common questions when someone sees a program limited
like iRate or Indy is "Why don´t they just do a
iTunes/WinAmp/Media player plug in?". They are always
concentrating on the technology but few efforts have been done to
enhance the client. Many have even stated that the client should be
left alone and that music recommendation should be just a server side
service. We´re afraid of that: if the client doesn´t show
enough functionality to justify a separate application, then there is
the risk that the next version of a proprietary program comes with it.
And if the next iTunes comes with a built-in music recommendation and
downloaded, it will probably be more similar to amazons "readers who
bought this also bought.." , and we will be still locked in the iTunes
store choices. If that happens, you can say bye-bye to the hope that
completely independent artists will be able to participate in the next
musical revolution.
Don´t try to be more than music
Indy states that he will shortly also downloading music videos. Although we
believe that independent videomakers and animation artists also have the need
to a media of distributing their works it will be a completely different application.
Videos, contrary to music are a more active than music. Music you can put
in the background while you do your work or concentrate in a reading, a television
in the background (even if it´s video clips) is more distracting. You
turn on the tv when you want to fill a gap of company (you feel alone when
dining) or want to actively watch a movie or news.
Also videos are more easily put in the genres classification (although they do intersect a lot): there are news, there are movies, there are music videos. And finally you rarely watch the same movie as often as you hear the same album – even a great ad get´s boring when you see it for the thousandth time.
Video on demand and decentralized content production, is an area where media giants as Tivo, Google, Microsoft even Apple are fighting in. We suggest you keep away from it.
Download, don´t stream
The copyright laws are not truly about whether you have the
right to copy music or not, but more on limitations on when and how you
can hear it. Technology has made copying ubiquitous: when you hear a
sample on iTunes Music Store, or download music file protected by DRM,
your computer is copying that music in you temporary memory. All
attempts to protect the copyright of given files are attempts to create
technological barriers on what your computer allows you to do with the
file. And streaming is about this: you hear a music on line, but
can´t do anything about it: can´t put on you MP3 player,
can´t use it as a background for a movie clip, can´t remix
it.
Our aim is to reward artists that allow you have their musics with few limitations on what you can do with it. And that means downloading files. And, of course, usung peer to peer technology, to allow small sites the luxury of fame.
