ARTisTECH MEDIA

 WHY MIXTERPLUS LIBRARY AND LICENSES

At MixterPlus, we’re creating a new licensing system that is similar to CC licenses: enabling the collaboration and sharing we all love on ccMixter while preserving Attribution. Today Attribution isn’t following our music. That Attribution is being stolen, creating a cascade of challenges for CC licenses at ccMixter. 

Together, we have the opportunity to shape a new model for the future, retaining everything we love about ccMixter while addressing the following:

1. CC BY and CC BY-NC license terms are often ignored:

1. Attribution is rarely given outside ccMixter.org, breaking that license term.

2. Non-commercial tracks are regularly used commercially, breaking that license term.

3. Major platforms are monetizing CC BY-NC content, breaking that license term.

2. CC licenses were banned from Content ID in 2015, enabling a large number of imposters to claim to own the copyrights of ccMixter music. This has created significant problems:

1. Attribution for ccMixter music has been and is being stolen by imposters. 

2. Imposter copyright claims cause copyright strikes and takedown notices for creators who use ccMixter music correctly.

3. Social media platforms and copyright imposters are collecting royalties for ccMixter music and our artists receive nothing.

4. ccMixter music, intended to be shareable, has become locked down by illegal copyright claims.

3. The Creative Commons organization has prioritized CC license use in science, education and archives:

1. Since 2015, CC has not addressed the ban of its licenses in Content ID.

2. CC has not addressed the lack of adherence to the terms of their own licenses.

3. Creators beyond our community tell us CC licenses are complicated.

4. Some creators think CC license means “No Copyright” furthering imposter copyright claims.

5. With our new trademark agreement, ccMixter is empowered to create new music models -- that enable collaboration and sharing while addressing these issues.

Music platforms have changed significantly since ccMixter was created in 2004. Content ID is a fingerprinting system that automatically Attributes music to its creators, with the option to claim the music without issuing copyright strikes or takedown notices, and ensuring music royalties earned are sent to the actual musicians.

The good news is ccMixter music is used by thousands (perhaps millions) of people all around the world. As our music’s reach has become wider, simplification of our model is necessary.

It is our community’s opportunity to explore and create a new model. Where Attribution follows our music. Where royalties go to the rightful artists, not imposters.

MixterPlus provides a new platform for our community to collaborate while creating new models for Attribution and sharing. It is our hope that MixterPlus will establish a foundation to help ccMixter adapt. We believe that by developing MixterPlus, we will learn how to modify ccMixter in a way that addresses the issues above. We love ccMixter and want to see it flourish!

Your input is incredibly valuable. The Beta of MixterPlus is only the beginning.