Friday, May 27, 2005
Mixter: And the Beat Goes on…
By Wairagala Wakabi
JOHANNESBURG--Resampling and remixing music is an area where Creative Commons (cc) licences are rapidly catching on, with credit primarily due to the Mixter project. Quite simply, Mixter is a community music sharing website featuring songs licensed under Creative Commons, where one can listen to, sample or interact with other musicians in almost whatever way they want.
At www.ccmixter.org, you can hear some 462 original songs or some of 315 remixes users have created from sampling original music on the site. The beauty of Mixter songs is that they come with a cc license that gives a visitor permission to do more than just listen to them - they can also be swapped freely between friends or sampled. In the words of one of the Mixter promoters, “You can use them to fuel your own creative impulses, without worrying that the copyright cops will beat down your door”.
Thomas Goetz, an editor at ‘Wired’ magazine, says that building on what other musicians have done - with or without their blessing or collaboration - is what it takes to make new music. In wired.com, Goetz says: “Nicking a bit of this song and a lick from that one, shaping their style on the riffs of those who came before, musicians are experts in the art of acquisition”.
\r\n \r\nAnd there have been glaring examples, adds the editor. Woody Guthrie picked melodies from Leadbelly. The Sex Pistols borrowed from the New York Dolls and ABBA. James Brown picked from Little Richard … and the beat goes on.\r\n \r\nSo then, under the cc thinking and with the ease of Mixter, one song can get done by thousands of music lovers, each of whom can give it their own name. If you are a fan of Michael Jackson, you could do your own version of ‘Thriller’, which you could name ‘My Thriller’, ‘Absolute Thriller’ or whatever it is that catches your fancy. But is only for songs whose copyright holders subscribe to the cc philosophy. For now, Michael Jackson and most of the millionaire musicians and their recording companies aren’t subscribers to the Mixter project.\r\n \r\nIn the past two years, cc has created around a dozen licenses that let artists open their work to others. CC licenses give musicians, authors, designers, and other creators a flexible licensing system, letting them determine what secondary uses are allowed and under what conditions. Some songs may be remixed and swapped but not used for commercial purposes yet others may not.\r\n \r\nMixter.org enables the public to post their songs onto the website, and the project organises contests to remix songs with a view to promote the concept. Registering on the Mixter website gives one their own artist\'s page where they can upload their own music, cut-ups of other artists and libraries. Users can leave reviews and interact in the forums.",1]
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And there have been many obvious examples of cross-pollination from the past, adds the editor. Woody Guthrie picked melodies from Leadbelly; the Sex Pistols borrowed from the New York Dolls and ABBA, while James Brown helped himself to the works of Little Richard … and the beat goes on. So then, under cc licensing and with the ease of Mixter, one song can get redone by thousands of music lovers, each of whom can give their own name to a product based on someone else’s work. For instance, if you are a fan of Michael Jackson, you could do your own version of ‘Thriller’, which you could name: ‘My Thriller’, ‘Absolute Thriller’ or whatever catches your fancy.
However, it works only for songs whose copyright holders subscribe to the cc philosophy. For now, Michael Jackson and most millionaire musicians and their recording companies don’t subscribe to the project. In the past two years, cc has created around a dozen licences that let artists make their work available to others. CC licences give musicians, authors, designers, and other creators a flexible licensing system, letting them determine what secondary uses are allowed and under what conditions. Some songs may be remixed and swapped but not used for commercial purposes while others may not be changed.
The music site enables the public to post their songs, and the project organises ‘remix’ contests to promote the concept. If you would like to submit music to cc Mixter, you need to register and create an account. Once logged in, you will be provided with options for submitting sampled music, original tracks and sample libraries to the site. Currently only MP3 format music files are accepted, and there is a limit of 10 MB per upload. You’re also entitled to your own artist's page where you can upload your own music, as well as cut-ups of other artists’ work. Other users can then leave reviews and interact with you in the forums.
\r\n \r\nIf you would like to submit music to cc Mixter you need to register and create an account. Once logged in, you will see options for submitting sampled music, original tracks and sample libraries to the site. Currently only MP3 format music files are accepted, and there is a limit of 10 MB per upload.\r\n \r\nMixter also encourages artists who produce original material to post submissions of their work in order to make even more music available for legal sampling. “If at all possible you should submit individual tracks of your work (a cappella vocals as well as instrumentals) to give the producer or DJ an even richer, more creative chance at reworking your material,” say the project promoters.\r\n \r\nEnds WTel: +256-77-406241",1]
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Mixter also encourages artists who produce original material to post submissions of their work in order to add to the list of music available for legal sampling. “If at all possible you should submit individual tracks of your work (a cappella vocals as well as instrumentals) to give the producer or DJ an even richer, more creative chance at reworking your material,” say the project promoters.
JOHANNESBURG--Resampling and remixing music is an area where Creative Commons (cc) licences are rapidly catching on, with credit primarily due to the Mixter project. Quite simply, Mixter is a community music sharing website featuring songs licensed under Creative Commons, where one can listen to, sample or interact with other musicians in almost whatever way they want.
At www.ccmixter.org, you can hear some 462 original songs or some of 315 remixes users have created from sampling original music on the site. The beauty of Mixter songs is that they come with a cc license that gives a visitor permission to do more than just listen to them - they can also be swapped freely between friends or sampled. In the words of one of the Mixter promoters, “You can use them to fuel your own creative impulses, without worrying that the copyright cops will beat down your door”.
Thomas Goetz, an editor at ‘Wired’ magazine, says that building on what other musicians have done - with or without their blessing or collaboration - is what it takes to make new music. In wired.com, Goetz says: “Nicking a bit of this song and a lick from that one, shaping their style on the riffs of those who came before, musicians are experts in the art of acquisition”.
\r\n \r\nAnd there have been glaring examples, adds the editor. Woody Guthrie picked melodies from Leadbelly. The Sex Pistols borrowed from the New York Dolls and ABBA. James Brown picked from Little Richard … and the beat goes on.\r\n \r\nSo then, under the cc thinking and with the ease of Mixter, one song can get done by thousands of music lovers, each of whom can give it their own name. If you are a fan of Michael Jackson, you could do your own version of ‘Thriller’, which you could name ‘My Thriller’, ‘Absolute Thriller’ or whatever it is that catches your fancy. But is only for songs whose copyright holders subscribe to the cc philosophy. For now, Michael Jackson and most of the millionaire musicians and their recording companies aren’t subscribers to the Mixter project.\r\n \r\nIn the past two years, cc has created around a dozen licenses that let artists open their work to others. CC licenses give musicians, authors, designers, and other creators a flexible licensing system, letting them determine what secondary uses are allowed and under what conditions. Some songs may be remixed and swapped but not used for commercial purposes yet others may not.\r\n \r\nMixter.org enables the public to post their songs onto the website, and the project organises contests to remix songs with a view to promote the concept. Registering on the Mixter website gives one their own artist\'s page where they can upload their own music, cut-ups of other artists and libraries. Users can leave reviews and interact in the forums.",1]
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And there have been many obvious examples of cross-pollination from the past, adds the editor. Woody Guthrie picked melodies from Leadbelly; the Sex Pistols borrowed from the New York Dolls and ABBA, while James Brown helped himself to the works of Little Richard … and the beat goes on. So then, under cc licensing and with the ease of Mixter, one song can get redone by thousands of music lovers, each of whom can give their own name to a product based on someone else’s work. For instance, if you are a fan of Michael Jackson, you could do your own version of ‘Thriller’, which you could name: ‘My Thriller’, ‘Absolute Thriller’ or whatever catches your fancy.
However, it works only for songs whose copyright holders subscribe to the cc philosophy. For now, Michael Jackson and most millionaire musicians and their recording companies don’t subscribe to the project. In the past two years, cc has created around a dozen licences that let artists make their work available to others. CC licences give musicians, authors, designers, and other creators a flexible licensing system, letting them determine what secondary uses are allowed and under what conditions. Some songs may be remixed and swapped but not used for commercial purposes while others may not be changed.
The music site enables the public to post their songs, and the project organises ‘remix’ contests to promote the concept. If you would like to submit music to cc Mixter, you need to register and create an account. Once logged in, you will be provided with options for submitting sampled music, original tracks and sample libraries to the site. Currently only MP3 format music files are accepted, and there is a limit of 10 MB per upload. You’re also entitled to your own artist's page where you can upload your own music, as well as cut-ups of other artists’ work. Other users can then leave reviews and interact with you in the forums.
\r\n \r\nIf you would like to submit music to cc Mixter you need to register and create an account. Once logged in, you will see options for submitting sampled music, original tracks and sample libraries to the site. Currently only MP3 format music files are accepted, and there is a limit of 10 MB per upload.\r\n \r\nMixter also encourages artists who produce original material to post submissions of their work in order to make even more music available for legal sampling. “If at all possible you should submit individual tracks of your work (a cappella vocals as well as instrumentals) to give the producer or DJ an even richer, more creative chance at reworking your material,” say the project promoters.\r\n \r\nEnds WTel: +256-77-406241",1]
);
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Mixter also encourages artists who produce original material to post submissions of their work in order to add to the list of music available for legal sampling. “If at all possible you should submit individual tracks of your work (a cappella vocals as well as instrumentals) to give the producer or DJ an even richer, more creative chance at reworking your material,” say the project promoters.
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