

The new Muxtape is live - KevinBongart
http://muxtape.tumblr.com/post/73530628

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apgwoz
While I appreciate that muxtape is still alive, the new identity of it
definitely does not reflect the free spirited discovery tool that it once was.

~~~
unalone
Well... no, because that was violating copyright like mad. On the bright side,
that led to Opentape (<http://opentape.fm/>), which is much _more_ open for
use.

~~~
apgwoz
> Well... no, because that was violating copyright like mad.

That's the point. By doing so, it allowed users to discover music in a new
way, like a traditional "mixtape." It's no accident that "muxtape" is
extremely similar to "mixtape."

I'm familiar with opentape, and while it's a great project, the appeal for me
with muxtape was simply the fact that I could go click on some random tape on
the front page and hear new music... analogous to finding a random mix tape on
the floor of a concert, with a track listing.

~~~
unalone
Yeah, but the "point" was illegal. Gawker wrote an article about this that
made a pretty good point: "Make something somebody wants" is only a valid
tactic if you can legally provide that thing.

I'll miss it. But the new one's gorgeous.

~~~
apgwoz
Well, the question of legality is just that, a question. The terms of services
specifically stated that you must not upload music that you don't have
permission to let Muxtape use.

This is what I remember it to be, but archive.org doesn't have muxtape.com yet
(from [http://wiredformusic.blogspot.com/2008/03/muxtape-barely-
leg...](http://wiredformusic.blogspot.com/2008/03/muxtape-barely-legal.html)):

    
    
        Muxtape is a service for creating mixtapes. 
        Users may not upload multiple songs from the
        same album or artist, or songs they do not have 
        permission to let Muxtape use. Individual users 
        may not create multiple muxtapes. Accounts not 
        meeting these restrictions are subject to 
        termination without notice. Muxtape will never 
        reveal your email address to a third party. 
        Muxtape is alive.
    

Wasn't there some ruling that said that websites that host user contributed
content aren't liable for copyright infringement, iff they comply with take
down requests in a timely manor? I would think that would apply here.

Also, if I remember correctly, by the end of the original muxtape, they were
linking out to Amazon for purchases. I wonder how much money was actually paid
out to record companies from this?

Another tought: would muxtape have been able to get a license similar to the
one Pandora uses for it's service?

~~~
unalone
_Wasn't there some ruling that said that websites that host user contributed
content aren't liable for copyright infringement, iff they comply with take
down requests in a timely manor? I would think that would apply here._

That exists for sites that purportedly have a purpose other than copyright
violation. Muxtape was made specifically to play other people's music. It
wasn't billed as a site for musicians. That means most of its content was
geared towards illegality.

 _Another tought: would muxtape have been able to get a license similar to the
one Pandora uses for it's service?_

Probably not. Pandora's deal exists because it helps people find new music,
and because people can't directly play whatever they want. The other big deal,
Last.FM's, allows only three plays of a song before that song is locked off. A
completely open model like Muxtape's couldn't have worked like that.

------
ryanb
Elegantly designed, but they still don't appear to have any business plan in
mind. Are bands/record labels expected to pay to promote their own music?

~~~
aston
Looks like there might be some planned synergy here between muxtape and
Normative, Jakob Lodwick's music label. Reggie Watts--one of the featured
artists--is signed to the label, and Lodwick is an (the?) investor in muxtape.

~~~
blasdel
Reggie Watts is Jakob Lodwick's roommate.

It's always more incestual than you would even think!

~~~
pstinnett
Normative and Muxtape also share an office.

~~~
unalone
Not to mention Lodwick payed Justin O, the developer of Muxtape, $95,000 to
work on Muxtape, and Lodwick and Francis of Francis and the Lights used to be
roommates.

The NY startup scene is fascinating.

