ContentSphere - Music & Media in an Online Culture

Recently, I introduced you to all2gethernow’s Creative Commons’ compilation. I told you, we soon would change the main host for the files - due to GEMA (Germany’s collecting society). Hosting the files myself would make my blog a shop - even if the download’s for free. Plus I would have to report the hosting to GEMA, despite the fact it’s all Creative Commons music. It’s crazy but it’s a fact.

And here we are! At the a2n event, I met Jason Sigal. He’s the man behind Free Music Archive. FMA is based on a brilliant idea: archiving free music under making it accessible at a kind of one-stop service. He opened the archive for our compilation of Creative Commons music and invited us to being hosted at Free Music Archive. More than that - he blogged an article featuring all2gethernow. Thank you Jason.

I changed the link to all2gethernow’s Creative Commons music compilation in my post, but here it is once more for direct access at FMA.

Just have a look yourself at the whole thing - currently, there are about 25.000 (!) songs available at FMA. It’s legal, and it’s free. All curated by different people like netlabels of course, Creative Commons, and a whole bunch of others. So you will only find selected content. Music that is worth listening to. There’s charts, information on the artists etc. - it’s beautifully done by people like Jason. Guys who love what they’re doing.

Take your time and enjoy FMA.

For those of you who haven’t noticed – again it’s been time for all2gethernow (a2n). This has been the reason for having a time-out with ContentSphere.

Frankly, everything you are reading here of course is supposed to be taken with a grain of salt. Why? Well, from curating and/or moderating two or three discussions in 2009 plus placing a good number of speakers, I shifted up some gears in 2010 at full throttle – and found myself sharing the task of being in charge of Programme and Content together with my good friend Andrea Goetzke.

The numbers (last year’s numbers in brackets):

• 5 (3) days
  
• 130 (60) discussions, presentations and workshops
  
• 250 (130) speakers
  
• 2.000 (1.000) attendees

The full programme featuring seven theme tracks can still be found online. We are working on the documentation right now and got some marvellous feedback.

Taking place for the second year now, the Berlin music conference has changed its face in many ways. In my humble opinion it’s been a great week from 6-10 September. There are some issues to work on, some new concepts to keep, and a few ideas from 2009 which should be revived.

You might easily imagine this is not the right place to mention all our speakers. Just to give you an idea: Jill Sobule, Martin Atkins (Invisible Records / Tour:Smart), Tim Clark (ie:music), Mike Masnick (TechDirt), Martin Thörnkvist (SongsIWish), Jason Sigal (FreeMusicArchive), Rupert Hine (Producer), Dave Haynes (Soundcloud), Mark Chung (Freibank), Dieter Gorny (BVMI), Nancy Baym (onlinefandom.com), Micki Krimmel (NeighborGoods.net / Mickipedia), Zoe Keating, Steve Lawson, Reinhold Heil & Johnny Klimek (film composers for “Run Lola Run”, “The International”, “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer”, “One Hour Photo”)… plus a whole bunch more.

Maybe you remember that in 2009, all2gethernow stepped in when Popkomm 2009 had been cancelled. We declared our concept to be based on a bottom-up approach – targeting musicians, startups and social media people as well as fans, but also higher level business. Yet, though trying to establish a kind of round-table to talk about how to improve the cultural business’ crisis most executives ignored the event.

a2n became Popkomm’s counterpart. Its competitor. You had to declare who’s side you were to join. Unfortunately, though causing some media attention the result didn’t fully match our approach – all2gethernow. If you want to change anything to improve any stakeholder’s situation in music business you have to take into account everyone’s view.

B-A-N-G. 2010.

For the first time, the City of Berlin announced establishing a “Berlin Music Week” - similar to the successful “Berlin Fashion Week”. It was the usual suspects who were invited to take part: Berlin Music Commission, Berlin Club Commission, Berlin Festival, and Popkomm.

… and all2gethernow. - - - WHAT?!?

Ok, it wasn’t that easy, but somehow we managed to find our roles. While Popkomm was in charge of the trade show, all2gethernow handled the entire conference itself.

I apologise if I’m overly explicit in stressing out the fact that both are two entirely separate entities taking care of different tasks – but it’s a necessity. Even Billboard got it wrong. The communication of the complex network of entities within Berlin Music Week admittedly was just too confusing for anyone to understand.

Fact is: Conference 2010 = all2gethernow.

We listened to visitors and speakers alike, and we already have a number of issues identified to avoid in the future. Also, we are working on structure and concept. I can’t disclose anything yet, but rest assured your feedback is highly valuable and it’s been heard.

So you were there? Please contact me: senges[at]a-2-n.com

Support us in building the next all2gethernow. YOUR all2gethernow.

In particular, we would like to involve more musicians, artists, songwriters. Which are the issues you want to hear more about? What opportunities do you want to be offered? Which services do you like to see?

Actually, question is – what is it that would make you attend all2gethernow? Why didn’t you attend this year? There’s no reason in staging a music conference if musicians won’t attend.

Oh yeah – please do write as well if you’re not from Germany. Other than this year, we entirely will go international next year. German language events will be strictly exceptional.

Just a quick note out to everyone interested in good music for free private use, licensed under Creative Commons.

For all2gethernow 2010 (a2n), I contacted a few guys from the German netlabel community plus some artists and teamed up compiling this sampler. It includes various styles of music, from electronics to singer/songwriter stuff. But, you should take a listen for yourself. It’s a treat.

Download from Finetunes by filling in the code a2ncc2010 - and there you go. Available at Finetunes until 30th September only.

In case you encounter any problems, download the zip file here for free! (zip file, 144,3 MB, all tracks 320 kbit/s, incl. cover picture) - temporary host… no code, direct link.



Right now, it’s only available at Free Music Archive - and what a great host THAT is. (Thanks to Jason!)

Here’s the tracklist:

1. Shlohmo - Socks [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
   
2. Bitbasic - The Lack Of Anything Good [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
   
3. Entertainment For The Braindead - Relapse [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
   
4. Pixelord - Cybernator [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
   
5. Small Radio - Excellenti [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
   
6. Raziel Jamaerah - Flow 4 Ever / 1Time2TheBeat [CC BY-SA 3.0]
   
7. Giraffe - 4am [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
   
8. The Inventors Of Aircraft - The Tower [CC BY-NC-ND 3.0]
   
9. Emilie Lund - Sad Blue Mountain [CC BY-NC 3.0]
   
10. Damian Valles - A Wake Pattern [CC BY-NC-ND 3.0]
    
11. Derrick Hart - You’re Winning So I Quit [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
    
12. /’angstalt/ - wie weich [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]
    
13. Zoe.LeelA - U.G.L.Y. [CC BY-NC-SA 3.0]

Involved (net)labels: 12rec., aaahh records, Error Broadcast, Resting Bell, P-Pack Records, rec72, Weisser Herbst.

Many thanks to the label owners, artists and people who supported the project - in alphabetical order: Danny Bruder (P-Pack Records), Christian Giering (Finetunes), Oke Göttlich (Finetunes), Christian Grasse (aaahh records), Zoe.LeelA, Marco Medkour (rec72), meik michalke (/’angstalt/, Open Music Contest), Matthias Quellmann (Finetunes), Roland (Machtdose Podcast), Christian Roth (Resting Bell), Moritz “mo.” Sauer (Phlow.net), Sim Sullen (12rec.), Sven Swift (12rec./Error Broadcast), Thomas Ternes (tompigs.com).