Chris sez, "One of my favorite songwriters, Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses, 50FOOTWAVE, and solo) has founded the Coalition for Artists and Stake Holders, on the assumption that both artists and fans are stakeholders in the production of music. She's built a framework to distribute music on the internet while taking donations (sort of Radiohead-style: pay what you want) and taking full advantage of the medium -- including offering ProTools tem files via BitTorrent so you can remix her song!"
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This is more like it. Let's hope people will participate and give this a chance to succeed.
This is a really nifty idea, but I was hoping that the description of "a framework" meant that she had created a system that lots of independent musicians could participate in on their own. But it looks like (at least so far), it's just a promotional method for her own music.
I wonder if there is an existing site or software app that artists can just plug into which allows them to "sell" their music for donations, and manage subscriptions and relationships with their donors. A sort of e-anticommerce system...
There is. Bittorrent could do that with the tools already available. You'd just need to do it right (Asking people how THEY would like it to work would be a start).
I agree #2, this is really an idea that someone should jump on! It would be so exciting, even as an extension of an already existing online service, like last fm or something.
Zikzak, what you see on Kristin's CASH page right now is only the tip of the iceberg. We're slowly revealing a comprehensive site, open to all users. CASH is being developed as well more than a single artist's site.
CASH does offer torrents as an option, Gilbert, and will provide exactly the suite of "e-anticommerce" tools that Zikzak is hoping for -- as well as a few other nifty surprises.
Please stay tuned and thank you to everybody for the interest and excitement.
I've got an idea how to get such a "framework".
It's no problem to distribute (BT and more), or get money (thousands of on-line shops have several options of payment)... but to promote.
Collaboration with Last.fm might promote beginning artists to warp speed. If Last.fm added "freedome music" mode (Like discovery mode, but focuses not on lower listen count, but on special "freedome" tag) and add links at all "freedome" availible tracks to thier respective sites.
So one could enable "freedome music", choose tag he's interested in and just listen to Last.fm radio. If some great tune caches his ear he's one click behind buying album/tracks for "whatever he wishes to pay".
I don't know how much people fishes for new bands on Last.fm... but at least I do. Hell I'd buy some albums already from bands I heard first on this radio, but right now these exact discs are sold-out, or sold only on CDs (international shipping to Poland).
I got thinking some more on this idea, here's some features I think would be cool:
- Allow people to create forum-style accounts with the artist, or maybe the whole multi-artist "system" if it's a unified thing.
- Allow people to optionally tie their donations to this account, so that artists can easily track how much each 'fan' has given.
- Implement messageboards, chatrooms, and other fanclub-type community stuff which allow fans to display how much they've donated as a sort of status symbol.
- Make it easy for the artist to set up special invite-only chats or webcasts, to which they can invite a subset of their 'fans', presumably those who have been good financial supporters.
- Similarly, allow the artist to easily configure "staggered" release announcements, so that subscribers at various levels can get a 'sneak preview' of the latest mp3 or whatever.
i think the biggest thing is the transforming of the donation/subscription into something you can brag about. A large reason people like to buy CDs is so they can show off their musical taste, so their friends see what a huge Tupac fan they are or whatever. Turn the donation from an anonymous 'tip' into an expression of fandom which will bring respect and even a bit of status from your peers, and people will be glad to donate.
Another site along these lines is
http://www.jamendo.com/en/static/concept/
and you also have others offering their music in a non-restrictive fashion:
http://www.somniasound.com
http://www.azamalimusic.com