Re: [linux-audio-user] Linux-Music and making a living...

Jay Vaughan wrote: I am not so sure. Do concert goers really have the abilty to discern the music made on one violin from another? Would the performer? Does it matter in the hip hop mixtape community that the majority of music is made with uncleared samples? But of course you are not referring to a particular instrument, but an operating system. I could (attempt to) construct an argument here about how an operating system could be viewed as an instrument, but no. I'll just say that when I heard how fantastic the Hydrogen drum machine sounded recently, it mattered to me. So I think it is fair to say, to some performers, and some listeners, it does matter what tools you make music with. The composing and recording part of your question should be fairly straight forward. If you are unsure of anything about that, you have come to the right place. The selling it part perhaps less straight forward. I guess there are two ways to look at this. One is that you'll make a career out of Linux and music using both as tools to provide a service. For inspiration consider replacing the word Linux with 'General Computing,' and take comfort from the fact that some of the finest minds on the planet are working together. The other alternative would be that your music is a product. (I hate that term.) This is a ramble, and I hope it is of benefit, here goes... There is the traditional legacy system of established music industry companies that you may wish to consider. If you are not already aware of it, Creative Commons (CC) can advise and help you to set up legally binding prononcements on how your content can be used and abused. If this is the way you wish to go there are a few CC aware labels (who may be interested in your work). Fading Ways and Loca are both excellent. Magnatune are also commited to CC and have an interesting pricing mechanism. There is a minimum, suggested and maximum price; Most people pay more. So far I think Magnatune are the only ones to have experimented with a differing price mechanism and CC content. More recently it is becoming apparent just how many companies are grabbing as much CC content as they can. Some doing so with pages that have very small print. I would advise you to treat such group with no less caution than you would another label. But what if you want to start up your own label? That would be a pretty cool way of selling your music right? I am amazed that there are not more labels around now that CC is available. Perhaps the last big hurdle to creating a label (the cost of legal documentation and taking payments) it still beyond most people. I am similarly amazed that this information is not more widely available. Whether we like it or not, every action we make has a commercial resonance and an element of cultural capital. Playing an ancient and expensive violin, or wearing your baseball cap at different angle, or even a pair of white headphones all have a signifigance. It is this information that is economically important. The sad truth is that most of the largest record labels really do not care what they sell, as long as the information available to them suggests it will sell . The music industry is like the rest of the economy in that works by selling 'bundles.' In reality what you don't want pays for what you do. In the past this was seen clearest by ' the album track paying for the single.' Today, you may consider that you dont really want Apple to know everything about your listening habits, you just want a particular tune. However, Apple will make far more from licensing playlist information than they ever will from selling "mp3s". I am sorry I have no answers for you but I can offer some questions; 1. Should lists of freely available content be covered by a licence? 2. Should access to a list, or the items within it, be charged for? 3. How about if the charge was shown with the the percentage donated directly to the artist? 4. Could such a payment gateway be built using open source tools, and made open and secure? 5. Should access constitute right to copy, and is there any need for DRM in this system? Or in any other? Big questions I know, but they are worth considering, particularly if you are looking to make a living out of Linux and music. Hope that helps John