Blog is a Mix Tape

votd: stop being perfect

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:20:35 -0700

What is with the Swedes and their infectious indie pop? There has to be something in the water over there that makes them churn out hook laden music time and time again. Sweden’s The LK definitely do nothing to dispel this image. They seem to picking up where their fellow countrymen have left off by creating infectious electro-pop that makes it almost impossible to sit still. I mean I’m listening to them as I’m writing this post and I can’t help but dance in my chair and attempt to hum along.

- Band to Watch - The LK at Salad Days Music, 01.23.08

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votd: my london girl

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:33:31 -0800

Estelle Ft Kanye West - American Boy (official music video)

My new favorite song of the next 5 minutes. It's Estelle!

Y'all remember Estelle, right?

1980

Estelle

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votd: dance it out with your old ass

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:04:10 -0800

Justice -- Phantom II

Because it's 6 in the morning and I haven't listened to nearly enough Justice this week.

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votd: i feel it all

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:22:50 -0800

Feist - "I Feel It All" OFFICIAL Music Video

This might be my favorite song off of "The Reminder."

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about ugc and you and me

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:41:43 -0800

Michelle's Consuming Louisville post about her local radio station's UGC photo promotion prompted a pretty impassioned response from me in her comments so I figured the topic deserved a longer treatise from me here. I should be working right now but the Holidays have already captured my brain.

And I will open this with a caveat - while what I'm going to discuss is informed by my work at the mouse nothing I'm going to say is specific to any of our current, past, or future projects.

For the purposes of this conversation, let's consider UGC this - copy, images, and video created and submitted by website guests who do not have a formal relationship, state of employment, or contract with said website or it's parent company.

Professionally generated content in this conversation is material sold to or produced in partnership with a website or it's parent company. It can also be content that passes the "professional" smell test and/or has it's own brand. UGC content is 99% of what gets posted to youtube. The other 1% like Epic-fu and Tiki Bar TV is PGC.

Understand this about Traditional Entertainment Mainstream Media Companies and UGC promotions: for them, user-generated content is almost never about the content.

Let me write that again: for them, user-generated content is almost never about the content.

MSM gets much more value from professionally generated content. It's extendable, distributable, licensable, and has tried and true copyright agreements around it. In the online space, professionally generated content is thought of the same way. Professional content makers that are selling their existing products or producing in partnership with MSM websites bring with them their own cache - built-in audience, expertise in the online content model, and the level of creativity and "professionalism" that is the equivalent of their television or movie content creation counterparts.

So, what does MSM get out of user-generated content promotions? If they are smart, they are getting what good UGC models provide - a dedicated and invested audience, increased page views, increased time spent on the site, a committed community to market to and sell advertising against, and, lastly, interesting enough content that passive users like to see (although probably not pay for). MSM is not looking for professional work to come in from professionals through UGC promotions and, in fact, have to protect themselves against those kinds of submissions in their disclaimers and terms of use.

A fan or hobbyist wants to participate. A professional wants to get paid. UGC is for that first audience and explicitly not for the second.

Also, realize that in the online space, it's cheaper to get professional content, particularly copy and photos. UGC promotions/applications are expensive to create and manage. Professionally generated content has set costs. I can buy one photo from a pro for what? $50, $500, $5000? How much does it cost me to sort through and manage complicated usage rights for 5,000 user-submitted photos? 50,000? 500,000? And for how long?

If I'm MSM and I want pro content, I'll hire a pro. It's quicker, costs less, and doesn't come with huge legal hurdles.

Understand this as a person who creates content, you don't get to be both. You either are an amateur or you're a pro. If you're a pro, copyright your material, protect your intellectual and creative property, determine your own rules about distribution. I post my pictures to flickr under a creative commons license that pretty much marks me as a hobbyist. You can take my pictures and do what you will with them as long as I get credited. If, at some point in my life, I decide to become a professional, I would change my license and probably limit the amount of work I have available online for free. I'd understand, though, that my material from before I considered myself a pro, is probably open season.

I don't post my writing anywhere without a prior agreement about that work. I don't consider writing a hobby. I've been paid for my writing, hired for my writing, speak about my writing. It's professional work. I give it to you for free here. I'd fight it's appearance elsewhere tooth and nail if I thought it was without permission (this gets a little hinky with RSS feeds but that's for another day).

As I said on Michelle's post, don't look for a MSM company or website to protect your rights. They are far too busy (and scared) protecting their own.

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tv without tv: yarg y'cam

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:02:42 -0800

I miss television. But the web makes it all better. Via a tweet by calinative, I present Yarg Y'Cam:

"Where Is Macy Gray?" Yarg's Bobby Brown Interview Part 1

"Where Is Macy Gray?" Yarg's Bobby Brown Interview Part 2

"Where Is Macy Gray?" Yarg's Bobby Brown Interview Part 3

Much more here.

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VOTD: Girls Dem Sugar

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:04:10 -0700

Beenie Man and Mya - Girls Dem Sugar

If you're on twitter, you know that my current favorite workout song (Hip Hop Abs Stee-lo) is "Go DJ" by Lil Wayne. This easily ranks as number two. Mya's kinda fly in this video, too. Another of her tracks, "Fallen", also never fails to get me in the appropriate workout mood. I might have to revisit her recording career. She may be slept on.

Update: Also, the new youtube interface is excellent.

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VOTD: Testin' Me

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 06 May 2007 10:50:12 -0700

Dudley Perkins - Testin' Me

This is also LA. Get familiar.

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VOTD: Just (Radiohead Cover)

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Fri, 04 May 2007 19:59:59 -0700

Mark Ronson - Just

Enjoy.

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VOTD: Pate Filo

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 08:10:24 -0700

Malajube "Pate Filo"

In a burgeoning Montreal music scene, the pop-rock band Malajube has made a name for itself in part by sticking to its roots. Spurning English, the five French-Canadian friends belt out upbeat tunes in their native tongue, but have won over fans in the U.S. in spite of the language barrier. In 2004, they released their first album (Le Compte complet), which was a success in Quebec, but their rise to international success accelerated upon the release of 2006's Trompe l'Oeil.

- Malajube: Indie-Rock for Francophiles, NPR: World Cafe, 04.23.07

Good Morning!

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