Living Open Source

Last week I kicked off this series by introducing you to the concept of Creative Commons for licensing creative works. It is a way of sharing creative works that maintains rights for artists while providing a framework for more freedom in sharing and reuse. In this post we are going to begin exploring this world, starting with audio media - music and sound. I’m no legal expert, so check the license before you use it. But actually this is one of the strengths of CC - it presents in a much clearer way exactly what rights the artist is allowing when you download or purchase their work.

Music shared

There are an increasing number of artists and even recording labels taking the Creative Commons route. Jamendo, for example is a growing community of music artists who share music for download under a Creative Commons license. The site also allows listeners to voluntarily donate to artists, so you don’t just have to take, take, take! Opsound is another growing community for shared music.

Licensed, ready to go

The beauty of CC is that you don’t have to ask to use stuff. By selecting an appropriate license the artist gives you certain rights to use. And open doesn’t always mean free either. Sites like Magnatune allow you to purchase music already cleared for your chosen use. Non-commercial use is usually free, but to get a better quality recording you can purchase a download and other licensing options are instantly available too. BeatPick is another recording label providing music in a similar way. If Classical is more your thing then onClassical is also worth a look.

The Mixter

One of the greatest examples of how creative commons encourages creativity, is Creative Commons’ own project, ccMixter. This is a community site which features music samples and remixes licensed under Creative Commons. Here you can listen to, sample, remix, or interact with music in whatever way you want.

Being open with your music

If you are a musician or producer of music, you can license your work right now under a Creative Commons license by visiting their web site and answering a few simple questions. You can choose how you intend to share your work from all rights reserved to public domain.
Why not consider a license that promotes sharing and reuse.

Other sites

• The internet archive
• Cruxy
• The Free Music Project

You can also find more information on other groups using this approach to share audio here.

So what about Christian music?

Emmm…? Wonder why this hasn’t caught on yet. Have you found any, anywhere? Worship songs, Christians artists sharing their music openly? I haven’t found many to share here yet.