Muxtape launched, then the next day everybody had one, then the next day we made some for each other, and then the next day we all sorta stopped using it and waited for the RIAA to get pissed. Well, here: According to Muxtape’s Tumblr, the site is not closed indefinitely, but going to muxtape.com will definitely get you this sad note. As they say, stay tuned.
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Does this really surprise anyone? What surprised me is that muxtape got away with it for this long. I suspect that they’ll be bullied into closing permanently.
- or they could sell the idea to CBS for 250 mill.
just came across this in a new report: http://8tracks.com/
sigh. did seem a little too good to be true.
Yeah free promotion for bands/artists with links to where you can purchase their songs. Of course the RIAA had to find a problem with it.
all in the mustard and can’t ketchup. hey coders – get on it.
Sad- and I just got one, too. But not unexpected, although I still don’t understand why the RIAA had to get involved.
Hmmm, let’s see. Muxtape:
1) Allowed any song to be uploaded.
2) Allowed any uploaded song to be played on demand.
3) Didn’t pay a cent to recording artists.
Yeah, that seems fair. I can’t understand why anyone in the recording industry would be opposed to such a service. Nope. Complete mystery.
Not the same as downloading them, though.
.. but with a simple app like, say, Total Recorder – it’s not like you couldn’t capture the sound[s] being brought forth.
…and with any boombox or book shelf stereo I could have recorded any song off the broadcast airwaves of radio (those fine, upstanding, honest payers of royalties, right?! *Right.*) throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Oh wait, didn’t the RIAA claim *that* was going to end the industry? So the industry is already gone then, right? What’s the hubbub?
It’s the “play on demand” part that’s the problem. Why buy milk when you’ve got the cow, et all. Not that I agree, per say, but I do see where it could be seen as a major violation of copyright. You don’t have any control over radio; it’s not the same thing Muxtape, which is basically a bunch of crafted, repeatable compilation CDs that the vast majority of artists see no (deserved) compensation from.
Jimmy out.
It really is too bad that innovative ideas get knocked out of the water. But they don’t always have to – it’s possible to play by the rules, create something valuable and have a successful business. The copyright rules are pretty clear about it (whether you agree or not), so I think the smart move is to create value in the existing model and go from there.
Copyright rules are unclear altogether in the digital realm. That’s why there’s so many problems with it. *Everything* on the internet is a copy. You’re not looking *at* Stereogum right now, you’re looking at a *copy* of it that you’re computer downloaded. The speed of the copying simply creates the illusion that you’re looking at something concrete, but you’re not. So how can you honestly attach a cost to *streaming* audio? Should I have to buy every song I ever hear, since radio and MTV were killed by technology and artists are denied that revenue stream? (And if you think artists *ever* actually got paid by radio stations, you’d be quite naive) In fact, if you want to be strict with your copyright enforcement, then simply viewing Stereogum is infringement, because you now have copies of all their artwork and logos buried somewhere in your computer. Plus, you’ve infringed on the trademarks and copyrights of every band mentioned or pictured on this site, because SG might have their permission to make copies of photos, but you do not. In fact, the whole page is downloaded at once, so even if you don’t view a specific picture, you’re still liable.
Is that the world you really want to defend?
Huph, your logic is totally flawed. Stereogum is a website that consciously publishes on the web, and should be fully aware of what artifacts of their site remain on users’ computers after viewing it. No one asked most of the artists on Muxtape if it was okay to put their songs up there for on-demand consumption.