Inside FMA - Chapter 1
In the first chapter, the FMA team tackles the big question: Does online music, perceived as free, can still create value these days?
After analyzing an earlier survey of more than 5,000 respondents, it is certain that FMA members benefited a lot from a free, open and fair platform like Free Music Archive. Users go to Free Music Archive to find original music for videos, films, podcasts, radio shows, games and even school projects.
But does the general public understand that free to access does not automatically mean it’s always free to use? And do artists uploading music to FMA expect a fair trade or just a ‘thumbs up’?
Read more in Inside FMA - Chapter 1.
Inside FMA - Chapter 2
In the second chapter, the FMA team analyzes the perception of Free.
Today, Free Music Archive equals “free to access” and “free to download”. In many cases it also means “free to share, remix and build upon”. But users that access and downloads original music under Creative Commons licenses without any Creative Commons licenses must understand the basics before reusing the original music. This short guide, although well-written, is ignored too often.
Lesson learned: if you need to educate users, make sure the information is offered at the right moment.
Outcome: We will introduce the most relevant licensing information the moment someone hits the download button.
Read more in Inside FMA Chapter 2.
Inside FMA - Chapter 3
In the third chapter, the FMA team strives for the better so FMA can contribute to an open internet.
However, we must put emphasis on the importance to understand and value the creator behind the Creative Commons licensed music. This is next to our mission to continue to inform and educate online users to keep in mind;
- Help musicians to understand licensing before they upload.
- Help visitors to understand open content before they download.
Read more in Inside FMA Chapter 3.
FMA Explores How to Introduce Coil to Users
To continue our FMA research, we visited numerous websites within the Coil Community with one main goal; to learn and brainstorm how we should communicate Coil to FMA’s creators and users.
All platforms have different content and creators, therefore it was important to explore the possible communication strategies and directions these services have taken to present Coil to their members and users.
The services mentioned are all from different industries and cater to different target groups, we believe in learning from all corners of the Coil community and not stay in one lane.
Read more in FMA Explores How to Introduce Coil to Users.
Inside FMA - Chapter 4
In the fourth chapter, the FMA team welcomes back FMA Curators.
First, we invited FMA musicians to claim their page, login and upload new music. Within months we reached out to FMA Netlabels with management tooling to co-work with FMA musicians and as of May 2021... Curator Tools are back!
There is no doubt that self-releasing, independent musicians are struggling to make money with live gigs and royalty payments generated by the major streaming music services. Free Music Archive and Tribe of Noise - two leading services for free to download, original music for over a decade - are committed to step up.
Read more in Inside FMA Chapter 4.
Inside FMA - Chapter 5
In the fifth chapter, the FMA team seeks new opportunities for artists.
As our team continues to improve FMA member pages, our main priority lies with FMA Artists, to have a suitable and fruitful space to share new albums and tracks. Free Music Archive already has an immense catalog to browser through, thank you to the growing number of artists and musicians on FMA, but the FMA team will not stop reaching out to new creators and introduce FMA; a space for creators to grow.
FMA Artists can already use Coil / web monetization on their FMA pages but a big step forward would be to introduce web monetization to the millions of FMA users.
We are focused and determined to build more web monetized solutions together with Grant For The Web, as we will continue to search for new doors to open for Free Music Archive & Tribe of Noise Artists!
Read more in Inside FMA Chapter 5.
Free Music Archive — Grant Report #1
As some of you might know: Free Music Archive is an iconic platform and community attracting hundreds of thousands of people downloading 2-3TB of music every day. But FMA’s backend was broken. Today, we are extremely proud that FMA is hosting unlimited amounts of CC licensed music while the musicians can enable web monetization on their artist, album and song page.
A great example of giving back control to creators without compromising free and open access, people’s privacy and community norms.
Our road to success? This project is successful when Free Music Archive and Web Monetization enable creators to share content with the world under their own Creative Commons conditions and users can reward creativity, context and services.
Read more in the Free Music Archive Grant Report #1.
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