How can block chain be used to create a fair, decentralised music economy and encourage creative new methods of making and distributing audio
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sunderland
Department Name: Sch of Arts and Design
Abstract
This project lies within the creative sector and explores the current commercial/economic aspects of digital distribution and curation of audio /music. Currently the biggest challenge to the music economy is piracy, which haspermanently changed how we engage with music forever, causing audio practitioners to find it increasingly difficult to generate revenue from their practice. Imogen Heap's work exploring distributing music via blockchain offers a fair,decentralised and secure solution to this problem, as well as new creative ways of sharing audio. There is, however, very little published material on this or practical applications available.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Beryl Graham (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Simeon Soden (Student) |
| Title | Kaneda Crypto Stream #1: SQUARMS / Bert Verso / Badger |
| Description | This stream was ticketed using EthereumRinkebyTestnet coins, making it free to view for anyone who has MetaMask wallet installed and a compatible browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Brave on a desktop/laptop computer) and a small quantity of RinkebyTestnet Ether. Testnet coins could be requested free of charge by either messaging your MetaMask address to the hosts (Kaneda Records) or from a faucet: https://faucet.rinkeby.io/ . Tickets could be bought in advance. Tickets were available from the stream page here: http://www.linebreakrecords.com/livestream1/ This page is also where the stream was viewed once tickets had been 'purchased'. Testnet coins are a fully functional coin that runs on a test network (in this case Rinkeby) which is a fully functioning blockchain environment. They behave in exactly the same way Mainet (or 'real' coins) in every regard however, unlike Mainnet coins have no associated monetary value so are ideal for testing scenarios such as this trial stream as they can be distributed to participants for free. The sale of tickets was managed with the same interface as the single release projects which will be discussed in detail in the relevant section. Once Testnet coins had been received to purchase a ticket these coins were automatically apportioned and distributed to four different wallet addresses representing the artists and the label (stream hosts). Meaning everyone involved got 'paid' upfront, ahead of the performance at the moment of sale - which itself is a fairly major paradigm shift when compared to how money is managed at 'traditional' performance events, and makes this event novel. 8 professional participants, 15 audience members. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | Reached new audiences, disseminated research, gathered feedback from participants |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/events/551907045290696/ |
| Title | Kaneda Live Stream (TIN SESSION 003) with: JOHN DOLE, AKO, BUHL & CALLUM ISAAC HAZE (livestream) |
| Description | Open access social media live music live stream featuring live electronic music and DJs |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | Reached new audiences, disseminated research, gathered feedback from participants, tested camera/streaming equipment, tested demand for live music received in this fashion. Audience reached: 1562. Views: 554. |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/kanedarecords/videos/1837393652991261/ |
| Title | Mausoleums - Parasite / Alive (2 track single, 2019) |
| Description | 2 track single by Mausoleums (band) Streaming link: https://mausoleums.bandcamp.com/album/parasite-alive Music video: https://youtu.be/QkzIxkIMZU0 |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The single received approximately 15000 streams (based on an aggregate of all platforms it was presented on). It helped raise awareness of the potential role of blockchain in music distribution and provided opportunity to develop the 5th iteration of the code used to create the cryptocurency e-commerce interfaced used in the blockchain music release project. |
| URL | https://mausoleums.bandcamp.com/album/parasite-alive |
| Title | Mausoleums - Rapture of the Beast (single, 2019) |
| Description | Single by Mausoleums (band) Streaming link: https://mausoleums.bandcamp.com/album/rapture-of-the-beast Video: https://youtu.be/SX-JtiuVxzw |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The single received approximately 15000 streams (based on an aggregate of all platforms it was presented on). It helped raise awareness of the potential role of blockchain in music distribution and provided opportunity to develop the 4th iteration of the code used to create the cryptocurency e-commerce interfaced used in the blockchain music release project. |
| URL | https://mausoleums.bandcamp.com/album/rapture-of-the-beast |
| Title | Music selling smartcontract |
| Description | Ethereum Smartcontract code (written in solidity) designed for selling music for Ether and apportioning payments received to relevant collaborators instantly and automatically |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | This contract, and subsequent versions of it have been used extensively throughout the practical projects and has been made publicly available to any interested parties. |
| URL | https://github.com/simeonsoden/music-selling-smart-contract/ |
| Title | RSVP Kaneda Presents TIN SESSIONS 001 With: SIMON (DJ), DIZ (DJ), BUHL / DAUGHTERS & BADGER (LIVE) (live stream and clubnight) |
| Description | Open access social media live music live stream featuring live electronic music and Djs. There were also 50 attendees to the physical event that this livestream was conducted at |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | Reached new audiences, disseminated research, gathered feedback from participants, tested camera/streaming equipment, tested demand for live music received in this fashion. Audience reach (facebook): 7389 . Views: 842. Total physical attendees at clubnight: 50 (aprox). |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/kanedarecords/videos/1680294212034540 |
| Title | RSVP Kaneda Presents TIN SESSIONS 002 With: ROHLI (LIVE), OM10 (LIVE), CASS LAMB (DJ), TUNNEL CLUB (LIVE), RANDOM MAT (DJ) (livestream and clubnight) |
| Description | Open access social media live music live stream featuring live electronic music and Djs. There were also 50 attendees to the physical event that this livestream was conducted at |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | Reached new audiences, disseminated research, gathered feedback from participants, tested camera/streaming equipment, tested demand for live music received in this fashion. Audience reach (facebook): 3834. Views: 1489. Total physical attendees at clubnight: 50 (aprox). |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/kanedarecords/videos/1770957896301504/ |
| Title | Sonifying the Blockchain: The Sound of People Getting Rich (or the Sound of People Losing Everything) - online generative music project |
| Description | This is based on the notion of a blockchain explorer, which is a website that retrieves live data from the blockchain to present the current status of that blockchain. This explorer is novel however, in that it uses that data to generate live musical and visual responses using both chance and deterministic methods. It was realised using Tone,js, Processing.js and Ethereum Web3 API. This page is no longer live but is preserved as a screencaptured video of it running. https://youtu.be/9Uu_DD-pKPY |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The approach of the project was highly novel (a sound based blockchain explorer), it also helped provide insight into how live, generative music may be created online using Tone.js |
| URL | https://youtu.be/9Uu_DD-pKPY |
| Title | WIRE NCL - Kaneda X THROB (28/02/2019) with: ako (live), Bad Luck Ginger (DJ) & Simon (DJ) (live stream) |
| Description | Open access social media live music live stream featuring live electronic music and DJs, hosted in partnership with WIRE NCL. Audience reach: 1094. Views: 2100 |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | Reached new audiences, disseminated research, gathered feedback from participants, tested camera/streaming equipment, tested demand for live music received in this fashion |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/kanedarecords/videos/547626662415389/ |
| Title | ako - Plaintext / concrete beach (single, 2018) |
| Description | Two track single released for sale for Ether cryptocurency streaming link: https://soundcloud.com/ako-2/sets/plaintext-concrete-beach video: https://youtu.be/7OzvqfWccgE |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | The single received approximately 15000 streams (based on an aggregate of all platforms it was presented on). It helped raise awareness of the potential role of blockchain in music distribution and provided opportunity to develop the first iteration of the code used to create the cryptocurency e-commerce interfaced used in the blockchain music release project. |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/ako-2/sets/plaintext-concrete-beach |
| Title | ako - West Babylon (9 track album) 2020 |
| Description | 9 track album of electronic music (release date 10/09/2020), with a launch event featuring cryptocurrency ticketing options (11/09/2020) |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | Opportunity to test blockchain ticketing at a live music event. |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/ako-2/sets/west-babylon-preview/s-GEACr |
| Description | Consulted by a Grammy (The Phonographic Academy, USA) researcher for an internal document considering the future of the blockchain for music |
| Geographic Reach | North America |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Description | Kaneda Records / Linebreak Records |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Developed and implemented a cryptocurrency based e-commerce store for the sale of recorded music for Kaneda Records (primarily hosted through sub-label linebreak Records, but also available on www.kanedarecords.com ) This project has increased awareness of new technology, in some instances changing the somewhat prevalent negative attitudes to this technology. It has also opened up new markets and potential new audiences/customers for the record label. |
| URL | https://www.linebreakrecords.com/music/ |
| Description | Sage Gateshead |
| Organisation | The Sage Gateshead |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Sage are the partner organisation for this NPIF PhD Explored possible uses for blockchain for larger music organisations (specifically considered streamed live content and complimentary material for events) |
| Collaborator Contribution | Insight into working practices of a larger music organisation and possible areas of interest in terms of blockchain technology, gained by discussion with management of the organisation. |
| Impact | Produced a prototype live stream ticketing interface based on the ethereum blockchain. This interface was then used to conduct a live streamed live music broadcast, making this multidisciplinary project involving live electronic music and spoken word |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Title | Cryptocurrency e-commerce interface and smartcontract for managing payments and apportioning royalties. |
| Description | Complete code for a javascript, HTML and PHP based e-commerce interface for the sale of music using Ethereum Web3 API to interface with the blockchain and compatible web3 cryptocurrency wallets. Also including a smartcontract to receive payments and automatically apportion royalties. The smartcontract is available here: https://github.com/simeonsoden/music-selling-smart-contract/ The full code for the interface will be made available as a appendix to the PhD write up and is currently retrievable from the Linebreak music store here: https://linebreakrecords.com/om10-range-anxiety/ |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | this interface facilitated the ticketed live music stream and the blockchain music projects. It also provided a testbed for the characteristics of the blockchain and how they might be favourably applied to music distribution. |
| URL | https://linebreakrecords.com/om10-range-anxiety/ |
| Description | Blockchain music releases |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An ongoing series of music releases using a cryptocurrency e-commerce interface for kaneda records and sub-label linebreak records. The series includes 6 singles and 1 EP. 10 artists were involved as participants, and the wider audience was the general public (although it is somewhat hard to ascertain exactly how many people were aware of the project due to the nature of online music distribution)- 2 attempts were made by members of the general public to access the music delivered in this way. This project afforded opportunity to test the efficacy and potential benefits of using cryptocurrency/blockchain in the context of online downloadable music distribution and to gather informal feedback from participants and the general public about the use of blockchain in downloadable music distribution. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019,2020 |
| URL | https://www.linebreakrecords.com/music/ |
| Description | FEATURE: KANEDA CRYPTO STREAM #1- MY INSPIRATION |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Music 'zine article to publicise the blockchain ticketed live stream project conducted as part of this PhD and to disseminate findings to a music specific audience. Audience reached is based on social media engagement stats from posts relating to this article and the readership of the zine in question. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://narcmagazine.com/feature-kaneda-crypto-stream-1-my-inspiration/ |
| Description | FEATURE: LINEBREAK RECORDS - MY INSPIRATION |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Music 'zine article to publicise the 'Linebreak Records' related practical projects conducted as part of this PhD and to disseminate findings to a music specific audience. Audience reached is based on social media engagement stats from posts relating to this article and the readership of the zine in question. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://narcmagazine.com/feature-linebreak-records-my-inspiration/ |
| Description | Horst Festival Music Lab (delegate), Vilvoorde, Belgium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I attended the Horst Festival Music lab. The event was a series of workshops and seminars concernnig DIY music and night life, it also provided an opportunity to present my research/findings and gather up-to-date knowledge from a series of well known and respected music industry professionals as well as networking with the 13 other delegates selected internationally from a range of music backgrounds |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.horstartsandmusic.com/ |
| Description | Kaneda Records Crypto Live Stream #1: Badger / Bert Verso / Squarms |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Blockchain ticketed live music live stream: (Kaneda Records Crypto Live Stream #1: Badger / Bert Verso / Squarms). The purpose of this project was to create a prototypical application of blockchain technology for the partner organisation (Sage). This took the form of a ticketed live stream where access was controlled with cryptocurrency based tokens. 15 members of the general public signed up and viewed the stream, 3 live music acts performed (totally 4 partcipants plus the researcher) and it was conducted in conjunction with Kaneda Records (2 further particpants) and the Potted Wolf (media production company based in Cape Town, adding 1 further particpant.) Total partcipant count (excluding the researcher): 22. The engagement was generally regional, however the stream was viewed in Capetown so technically international. The stream allowed the implementation of the blockchain to be considered and evaluated in a practical/realworld setting and allowed informal feedback to be gathered from the involved participants, both relevant professional practitioners and members of the general public. This feedback concerned the success of the project, general awareness of cryptocurrencies and opinions about their possible benefits to music distribution. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/events/551907045290696/ |
| Description | Linebreakrecords.com |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Linebreak Records (and the website linebreakrecords.com) was established as a platform to host the practical projects conducted by this project (specifically the blockchain ticketed live stream, the blockchain music release project and some aspects of the interactive music project). It was also set up with SEO designed to attract wider blockchain for music audiences, and to provide information on the project and a point of contact for anyone interested in the project. Since inception the website has had 5863 unique visitors. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019,2020 |
| URL | https://linebreakrecords.com/ |
| Description | PayPal for Punks: opensource money for DIY music |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This originally started as a blog article to raise awareness of the research and specifically the blockchain ticketed live stream project. It was then 'republished' as part of cryptocurrency specific online magazine 'Data Driven Investor' This article has been viewd 106 times since publication. This article helped findings of the research reach wider audiences and provided a source of further information for participants and people interested in the ticketed livestream project. https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/paypal-for-punks-opensource-money-for-diy-music-d9021ffe9ec |
| Description | Series of 4 social media live music live streams and clubnights featuring live electronic music and DJs |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | [1. RSVP Kaneda Presents TIN SESSIONS 001 With: SIMON (DJ), DIZ (DJ), BUHL / DAUGHTERS & BADGER (LIVE)] [2. RSVP Kaneda Presents TIN SESSIONS 002 With: ROHLI (LIVE), OM10 (LIVE), CASS LAMB (DJ), TUNNEL CLUB (LIVE), RANDOM MAT (DJ)] [3. Kaneda Live Stream (TIN SESSION 003) with: JOHN DOLE, AKO, BUHL & CALLUM ISAAC HAZE] [4. WIRE NCL - Kaneda X THROB (28/02/2019) with: ako (live), Bad Luck Ginger (DJ) & Simon (DJ)] A series of 4 live music live streams (open access) conducted as preliminary trials ahead of the cryptocurrency ticketed live stream. These live streams were conducted to offer insight into the popularity of live streaming and how readily music audiences would engage with this as a way of accessing live music, to help assess whether a cryptocurrency/blockchain live stream would be useful to conduct as part of the wider PhD project. Across the 4 streams 15 artists and DJs performed and the final stream was conducted in partnership WIRE NCL, adding 2 further profesional participants, totalling 17 professional participants. The first 2 events were live streams conducted from clubnights, each clubnight had around 50 physically attending audiences members (the maximum capacity of the venue). On social media (facebook) the streams reached a total audience of 13879 with a total of 4988 views. These audience and viewing figures suggested that audiences were ready to engage with live music in this fashion and allowed camera and other streaming equipment to be tested and refined ahead of the ticketed stream. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/wirenewcastle/videos/547622609082461/ |