Here is an idea for you. Could be stupid. Could be genius. Don't know.
How about open source music? Let's say that you are just starting out in the music biz. Does it make sense to set up a way for registered people to interact with you about your lyrics or music before it goes public? So that you can get feedback early and make better songs. You could also get lyrics and sound samples from your fan base. And I think the fan base would be even more enthusiastic because it's music that they have had a part in creating. Seems to me like it would be a great outlet for people who have parts of good lyrical ideas, or a little musical talent, such that they could feel a part of something bigger.
Just an idea. Seems like it could be an amazing success, or a catastrophic failure.
Anyway, obviously I was thinking about Jacqueline's site when I was coming up with this idea. But, obviously, whatever she is going to do she is going to do and I don't have anything to do with that. I'm just the bit jockey on the site. I just thought this was an interesting idea in extending the open source idea into different art forms.
You know what interests me about it. It's the whole "American Idol" thing. We want to be critics, and we want to interact before people become so mega-star that they have their own thing entirely. And the idea here would be that people actually wouldn't say, "That sucks" or "That rocks", but provide real constructive feedback, "I liked this because... I didn't like this because ... and here is how you could make it better."
Posted by jherr at August 27, 2005 06:08 PMHi Jack - A related site: My Virtual Band, in which people from around the 'net contribute mp3 tracks of themselves singing/playing instruments, combining them together into songs.
Posted by: JonathanAquino at August 27, 2005 07:57 PMInteresting. I guess there really are no new ideas.
Posted by: jherr at August 28, 2005 07:26 AMWow - it is out there! I wonder, if something on My Virtual Band actually got picked up by radio, who would get paid as the songwriter? Publisher? How would they license the copyright? I only think of this because my husband is a music publisher and I work in business management, doing accounting for music business people and that's what I deal with EVERY DAY!!
I think, for me, I could put demos on the site as soon as the songs are written and have people let me know whether or not I should develop them any further - because my favorite song is always the one I just finished! Well, usually, anyway. Sometimes you know you have just created a stinker, but at least it's finished. But if people could let me know from the get-go, it would be helpful.
I'm a member of a site called SongJourney.com. Songwriters from anywhere can post songs in the making and get actual feedback from hit songwriters. You also get to collaborate with other members. They also have advice columns from publishers, lawyers, producers, session musicians - it's just really cool.
Posted by: Jacqueline at August 29, 2005 09:19 AMThanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)