We live in a time of big challenges and major opportunities, especially with regard to the use of media and technology. However, as always, the dinosaurs of the previous era are trying, understandably, to stifly innovation by using the law to lock down their cultural assets. In addition, there is a new direction that many artists and companies are choosing, one of balance and open-ness with regard to copyright and other intellectual rights. We encourage you to consider using Creative Commons licenses in your work, to ensure that there will be a free culture and free market of ideas and culture to build upon for the next generations.
August 3, 2009
My CC Songs replace Madonna on Youtube
My song Destination Non-Specific has spread on Youtube mostly because users are forced to strip the copyrighted music from their videos (using YouTube's audioswap function), and are offered Creative Commons music like mine to replace it.
Then, a few months ago, I got a pretty interesting one where user comments were upset cause the song was used on top of a popular video from one of their favorite artists. The users of course weren't that happy, but it was interesting to see some of the comments were positive about the song.
Then today I realized did a search and realized that the song had been used a lot, so did a search on youtube for "Destination Non-Specific" and it came up about 50 results on Youtube.
When I was browsing, I noticed a user named annamaisa had even made an actual music video for the song, and it's actually pretty beautiful (and viewed over 10,000 times). See here.
Overall, people continue to validate my belief that many of us are living in the emerging gift economy. While I still have not leveraged any my life long social capital for actual tangible cash capital, I think that day might be coming soon.
After a year of hard work that wasn't totally aligned with my personal and social mission, I am beginning an exploration to consider whether to launch a new venture in 2009. I invite you will join me in the journey and spread the word.
Crowdfunding Marketing Service for Social & Eco Innovation
An online crowdfunding marketing service for social enterprises and green businesses.
Using their own money or credits through viewing partner ads, crowds vote with their dollars to fund strategic ads that promote products, companies, and causes that they believe in. Users collaborate to push video and banner campaigns through dynamic Ad serving networks to the front pages of major media outlets online (and eventually offline). Media is only bought if the money is raised, and users see the difference they've made through analytics, with an incentive to invest in more campaigns to help build a sustainable culture and economy.
Important themes: open innovation, crowdfunding, radical transparency, measuring social and eco progress.
Useful metaphors: (1) Youtube + Kiva + Google Adwords. (2) like CarrotMob for Advertising. (3) A MoveOn.org Ad platform for everyone.
Check an interview with yours truly over on the Creative Commons blog. Feels cool to be recognized by the folks over at CC. Thanks Cameron!
Colin Mutchler is one of the original CC success stories. Back in 2003, he posted his song, My Life, to Opsound under a CC BY-SA license. A month later a violinist name Nora Beth added a violin track, calling the new work My Life Changed. It was one of the first instances of CC facilitating unsolicited collaboration, laying the ground work for the amazing remix culture we have seen develop over the past 5 years. Mutchler has since expanded his resume, working on photography and media production as well as his music. We caught up with him recently to find more about what he has been up to since we last checked in - needless to say, it has been a while.
