by Mike K-H
Another shift in the world of copyright
I can thank StumbleUpon! for finding me this. I understand that US citizens have access to a similar concept at Pandora.com, but this isn’t currently available outside the US (probably owing to arguments over how much they’d need to pay for the necessary licences). The traditional copyright business model for creative content is slowly being remodeled, but the entrenched businesses are fighting rearguard actions all the way. Anyhow, this site is registered in France, so I have an excuse for talking about it.
An alternative to buying CDs?
Not really. More like a way of leveling the playing field and giving the minority stuff visibility. The problem with traditional publishing of both books and music is that it works in ‘product launch’ mode. Each new product requires the publisher to spend significant sums on bringing it to the attention of the public, which means that publishers spend most of their budgets on mass-appeal products. The existence of Pandora and Musicovery as alternatives to traditional radio music programmes suggests that the protagonists have agreed to explore a new business model.
Broadcast radio music programmes publish excerpts (and occasionally complete works) as a fixed selection at a specific time, defined by the broadcaster. Web sites like Musicovery are interactive.
- Clients visit whenever they like and for as long as they like
- Clients specify the kind of music they want to listen to
The site provides a selection of music from a large collection, fitered by the user’s choices. As each piece is played, the user can decide whether or not to save the selection to a personal playlist, and can also elect to buy a copy (Musicovery provides links to Amazon, iTunes and Ebay).
How to use Musicovery
You need a good broadband link, otherwise the delays cause confusion.
First, sign up for the free low-fi membership. Later, if you have the kit necessary to take advantage of it, you can pay for the premium service (which also gets rid of the popup ads).
Now use the control panel to select the filters:
- mood or tempo
- genre (select one or many from 20 choices)
- period (use sliders to select a window from a range from pre-1950 to present day)
Now wait. You will be presented with a trail rather like a mind map from which you select the track you want to play, or add it to your playlist, or even ban it from your selection.
There is no way to search the Musicovery database, which is a pity but may be connected with the terms of the licence to broadcast.
Conclusion
Not perfect, but a big move in the right direction. Maybe the dinosaurs wont die out after all.
