CcMixter
Encyclopedia
ccMixter.org is a community music site that promotes remix culture
and makes samples, remixes, and a cappella tracks licensed under Creative Commons
available for download and re-use in creative works. Visitors are able to listen to, sample, mash-up, or interact with music in a variety of ways including the download and use of tracks and samples in their own remixes. Most sampling or mash-up web sites on the Internet stipulate that users forgo their rights to the new song once it is created. By contrast, the material on ccMixter.org is generally licensed to be used in any arena, not just the ccMixter site or a specific contest. The ccMixter site contains over 10,000 samples from a wide range of recording artists, including high profile artists such as Beastie Boys
and David Byrne
.
As a cultural phenomenon, ccMixter represents a direct response to what some say is the increasingly litigious attitude of organizations like the RIAA—one which prevents artists from appropriating elements of others' work for creative reuse in their own.
The site originated as a project of Creative Commons
but in October 2009, Creative Commons licensed the name 'ccMixter' and transferred operations to ArtisTech Media, a company run by members of the ccMixter community. The project maintains close organizational ties to independent minded, open music
labels such as Magnatune
and BBE
. The site runs on ccHost, an award winning open source
multimedia content management system
that is able to keep track of how content is being remixed.
In February 2009, Victor Stone, project lead of ccMixter, posted a "memoir" detailing the history and philosophy of the first four years of operations at the site.
. That was followed by several other remix contests where prizes included recording contracts.
In 2007 ccMixter eschewed remix contests, in part, due to concerns in the member community that the site was losing its focus on open music
. Instead major artists such as DJ Vadim
, Bucky Jonson (The Black Eyed Peas
' live backing band) and Trifonic have contributed the solo studio tracks (stems) to entire albums making them available under Creative Commons
licenses that allowed remixes. In addition there have been "calls for remixes" by members that post a cappellas, looking to create albums from remixes such Colin Mutchler,, Brad Sucks
, Tamara Barnett-Herrin
(aka Calendar Girl) and Shannon Hurley
.
, AdAge
, and Wired
..
On October 28, 2009, the fifth anniversary of the first upload to ccMixter, Creative Commons announced a transfer of operations to ArtisTech Media, a net label owned and operated by members of the ccMixter community.
Remix culture
Remix culture is a term used to describe a society which allows and encourages derivative works. Remix is defined as combining or editing existing materials to produce a new product. A Remix Culture would be, by default, permissive of efforts to improve upon, change, integrate, or otherwise remix...
and makes samples, remixes, and a cappella tracks licensed under Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
available for download and re-use in creative works. Visitors are able to listen to, sample, mash-up, or interact with music in a variety of ways including the download and use of tracks and samples in their own remixes. Most sampling or mash-up web sites on the Internet stipulate that users forgo their rights to the new song once it is created. By contrast, the material on ccMixter.org is generally licensed to be used in any arena, not just the ccMixter site or a specific contest. The ccMixter site contains over 10,000 samples from a wide range of recording artists, including high profile artists such as Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
and David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
.
As a cultural phenomenon, ccMixter represents a direct response to what some say is the increasingly litigious attitude of organizations like the RIAA—one which prevents artists from appropriating elements of others' work for creative reuse in their own.
The site originated as a project of Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
but in October 2009, Creative Commons licensed the name 'ccMixter' and transferred operations to ArtisTech Media, a company run by members of the ccMixter community. The project maintains close organizational ties to independent minded, open music
Open music
Open Music is music that is shareable, available in "source code" form, allows derivative works and is free of cost for non-commercial use. It is the concept of "open source" computer software applied to music...
labels such as Magnatune
Magnatune
Magnatune is an American independent record label based in Berkeley, California, founded in spring 2003 by John Buckman, then-CEO of e-mail software company Lyris. It aims at treating both its musicians and its customers fairly—its tagline is "We are not evil"...
and BBE
Barely Breaking Even
Barely Breaking Even is a British record label started by two DJs, Peter Adarkwah and Ben Jolly. The name BBE comes from The Universal Robot Band's 1982 track `Barely Breaking Even'. It has two sublabels: Deep Funk, and Urban Theory...
. The site runs on ccHost, an award winning open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
multimedia content management system
Content management system
A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
that is able to keep track of how content is being remixed.
In February 2009, Victor Stone, project lead of ccMixter, posted a "memoir" detailing the history and philosophy of the first four years of operations at the site.
Calls for Remixes
ccMixter began in 2004 as the host of the Wired CD remix contestThe Wired CD: Ripped. Sampled. Mashed. Shared.
In 2005, Creative Commons and Wired Magazine launched The Fine Art of Sampling Contest in which contestants sampled the tracks from The Wired CD to create their own composition. The top winning entries were subsequently compiled onto a CD entitled The Wired CD: Ripped. Sampled. Mashed...
. That was followed by several other remix contests where prizes included recording contracts.
In 2007 ccMixter eschewed remix contests, in part, due to concerns in the member community that the site was losing its focus on open music
Open music
Open Music is music that is shareable, available in "source code" form, allows derivative works and is free of cost for non-commercial use. It is the concept of "open source" computer software applied to music...
. Instead major artists such as DJ Vadim
DJ Vadim
DJ Vadim is a prolific DJ and producer, born in Leningrad, USSR , raised in London and currently residing in both New York and Berlin, whose music combines hip hop, soul, reggae and electronica...
, Bucky Jonson (The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' live backing band) and Trifonic have contributed the solo studio tracks (stems) to entire albums making them available under Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
licenses that allowed remixes. In addition there have been "calls for remixes" by members that post a cappellas, looking to create albums from remixes such Colin Mutchler,, Brad Sucks
Brad Sucks
Brad Turcotte , not to be confused with Brad Turcotte performing under the name Brad Sucks, is a musician from Ottawa, Ontario. Turcotte released his albums under a copyleft license...
, Tamara Barnett-Herrin
Tamara Barnett-Herrin
Tamara Barnett-Herrin is a London-based singer-songwriter, who has sung with the group Freeform Five on the album Strangest Things which was released in 2005...
(aka Calendar Girl) and Shannon Hurley
Shannon Hurley
Shannon Hurley is an American singer and songwriter. She was born in South Bend, Indiana and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. She was voted by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the top 25 artists on Myspace in 2006. Music from her 2007 debut album Ready To Wake Up was licensed...
.
Transfer of Operations
In May 2008, Creative Commons posted a Request for Proposals to take over the stewardship and operations of ccMixter. The RFP received broad coverage including Boing BoingBoing Boing
Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a group blog.-History:...
, AdAge
Adage
An adage is a short but memorable saying which holds some important fact of experience that is considered true by many people, or that has gained some credibility through its long use....
, and Wired
Wired News
Wired News is an online technology news website, formerly known as HotWired, that split off from Wired magazine when the magazine was purchased by Condé Nast Publishing in the 1990s. Wired News was owned by Lycos not long after the split, until Condé Nast purchased Wired News on July 11, 2006...
..
On October 28, 2009, the fifth anniversary of the first upload to ccMixter, Creative Commons announced a transfer of operations to ArtisTech Media, a net label owned and operated by members of the ccMixter community.
Notable artists
- Tamara Barnett-HerrinTamara Barnett-HerrinTamara Barnett-Herrin is a London-based singer-songwriter, who has sung with the group Freeform Five on the album Strangest Things which was released in 2005...
(Calendar Girl) - Brad SucksBrad SucksBrad Turcotte , not to be confused with Brad Turcotte performing under the name Brad Sucks, is a musician from Ottawa, Ontario. Turcotte released his albums under a copyleft license...
- Bucky Jonson (The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' live backing band) - DJ VadimDJ VadimDJ Vadim is a prolific DJ and producer, born in Leningrad, USSR , raised in London and currently residing in both New York and Berlin, whose music combines hip hop, soul, reggae and electronica...
- Emily Richards (also CEO of ArtisTech)
- Fort MinorFort MinorFort Minor is a hip hop side-project of Mike Shinoda, who is better known as being a member of the American rock band Linkin Park. Shinoda's debut solo album as Fort Minor, The Rising Tied was released November 22, 2005.-History:...
- Kristin HershKristin HershKristin Hersh is an American singer/songwriter who performs solo acoustic concerts; she also continues to perform as lead singer and guitarist for alternative rock group Throwing Muses and the hardcore punk-influenced power trio 50 Foot Wave...
- Murat SesMurat SesMurat Ses is a Turkish keyboard player and composer with strong Eurasian electronic elements...
- Shannon HurleyShannon HurleyShannon Hurley is an American singer and songwriter. She was born in South Bend, Indiana and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. She was voted by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the top 25 artists on Myspace in 2006. Music from her 2007 debut album Ready To Wake Up was licensed...