I'm curious enough to bite: How's this improve on CC licensing? Could we not raise the CC marks to the level of a brand identity? Do we really want to? I'll post again when I've thought more, maybe. That way I won't simply be asking questions. Is top posting a faux pas when replying to long posts? Is it my ego that fears my contribution not being seen amidst the original text? ? and ? again James On Tue, 21 Mar, 2006 at 08:36PM +0100, Carlo Capocasa spake thus: > Hi! > > Thanks for the great discussions in the Marketing Free Music thread... > Very enlightening! I tried to pick up all the input I could get and > distil it into something useful. > > These ideas are a product of the discussion (the way I understood it), > my imagination, and a lot of thinking. They are not tested, not > finished, not the last word, just a few ideas! I should also mention by > most standards I am considered anything from a little wacky to > completely smack-whacking insane. Maybe you think this is a good thing. > > In any case :) I am coming to the conclusion that 'Free' as Richard > Stallman and these folks understand it refers to the absence of outside > control (as through schools, universities, corporations, asylums, > governments, or prisons). > > Quite simple. 'Free' means: Not reporting to anyone. > > I have found there are three useful levels of freedom in distributing > your digital art over the web, each completely free in the free speech > sense, and a variety of freedoms in the monetary sense. (Of course there > are any amount you can make up, these three are simply those I happened > to think of). > > 1. The Small Business Entrepreneur > You create art with whatever tools you have available and sell your > content over the internet. > > 2. The Cyber-Street Musician > You create art and distribute it free of charge, with the understanding > you appreciate donations and even rely on them. > > 3. The Angel > You create art and distribute it free of charge. You do not accept > donations. Either you are very trusting your needs will be met or you > have some other source of income. > > MARKETING TACTICS > > We all need marketing. In its best sense, it simply means that there are > no obstacles people need to get around to get to your music. Clean up > the dog poo in front of your store. Sure it's flattering to see to what > lengths people will go to get your product, but maybe that length could > be reduced to one: How much will they pay? > > 1. For the first business model I was thinking of selling music on an > 'All Rights Reserved' basis, but with FULL RESALE RIGHTS. In other > words, people are allowed to distribute your work for free if they want > to, but there is a little incentive not to, because they can also sell > it to their friends. This is very empowering to people since it > encourages them to create additional sources of income for themselves > except their jobs. To give you a little leverage, some exclusive content > for people who buy direct (liner notes, additional artwork, exlusive > bonus tracks, anything bonus really) on the site appears a good idea. > > 2. For the street musician the most important thing appears to be some > way of reminding people to please donate if they like your music. People > are happily minding their own business every day while you are counting > your food coupons, even if they are in principle willing and able to > donate. That's not evil, it's just human nature. Sometimes it takes a > little knocking on our door to get our attention. 'Oh right, that music, > yeah I've been enjoying it, I'll give him a couple bucks.' Actually, > perhaps it would be a good idea to find some way of getting people to > donate before they close your web site. Or, alternatively, some way of > keeping them coming back (new content! new content! new content! online > community! Whatever.) > > 3. Well not much marketing needed here I guess, unless perhaps in terms > of 'number of downloads'. I guess 'Make a Nice Web Site' would be sound > in any case and also here, right along with 'make downloads clearly > visible'. > > LOGOS > > In order for people to know what is expected of them I have created a > set of logos (SVG, http://shelljam.sourceforge.net/musicstream.svg). For > a little familiarity value I created a 'free' brand (anyone can use it) > called 'Musicstream'. If anyone has a better idea for the name please > post; I like this because it is broad (music can be sold or given away, > it is clear we are talking about music over the web but not CDs, while > everyone is free to offer CDs AND musicstreams, and it has that 'new and > cool' twang magazine editors who don't know what they're talking about > but are hip will probably pick up on.) > > Lemme know what'cha think guys (and girls, and hermaphrodites, and > non-sexuals)! > > Of course, the most important thing is... Let's all actually make some > GOOD music and everything I wrote here will probably be pretty much > irrelevant... or at best the Sake that goes with the Sushi. > > ;) > > Lemme know! > > Carlo > > PS: The ideas of 'Made with Free Software' and 'Geek is Cool and Sexy' > have not been forgotten, but as far as I can see should be launched as > seperate campaigns so non-Geeks and Propellerheads users can be part of > the Phun as well! > > -- "I'd crawl over an acre of 'Visual This++' and 'Integrated Development That' to get to gcc, Emacs, and gdb. Thank you." (By Vance Petree, Virginia Power)
