Gogoyoko
Encyclopedia
gogoyoko.com is an online music store
and social networking music
website
where artists can sell directly to their fans. The site offers free streaming of all tracks, which is subsidized with advertisements in the music store. The focus of the site is on independent music both from independent artists and labels and distributors working in the independent music sector. The aim of the site is to have artists paid fairly for the sale and distribution their music on the Internet, without having to go through a record label or digital aggregators.
gogoyoko is known as a "forward-thinking" company due to their focus on artists' rights and the concept of "Fair Play in Music", which is term that gogoyoko uses to describe its business model and as a general slogan for its activities in organizing concerts for charity and to promote grassroots musical movements. gogoyoko partners with other companies with a focus on artists' rights and fair business models in the music industry.
, Iceland
, in December 2007 by musicians Haukur Magnússon and Pétur Úlfur Einarsson. Reynir Harðarson, one of the founders of CCP Games and the original art director of the massively multiplayer online game
Eve Online
, is also a founding member of the company and one of its owners. Their headquarters are located in the downtown Reykjavik
area.
On November 15, 2008, gogoyoko launched its Alpha test mode. On May 1, 2009, it launched its Beta version. The Beta version became open for everybody in Iceland
, where the company is based. On October 1 2009, the site launched in Scandinavia
. For those located outside of Iceland and Scandinavia an invitation to the page was needed.
. A 10% transaction cost is charged by the company for music sales of downloaded music and the artists receive the rest of the revenue from sales after applicable sales taxes and royalties are paid by gogoyoko. The company also shares 40% of advertisement revenues made from their website with artists and copyright holders of the music, which is based pro rata on how much each artist (or label) streams on the site.
gogoyoko uses the slogan "Fair play in music" and that it is "made by artists for artists". gogoyoko is not the only formation in the music scene to use the term "fair play". The recently established Featured Artists' Coalition
, which members include Radiohead
, Kate Nash
, Iron Maiden
and Kaiser Chiefs
, has issued a whole campaign based on the "fair play" concept.
Ralph Simon
, CEO of the Mobilium Advisory Group and co-founder of the Zomba group and Jive Records , made notice of gogoyoko after his visit to Iceland in October 2008 in an article on his MidemNet blog, Hot Topics in Iceland at You Are in Control Conference.
player that can be embedded to other websites, such as a blog
. Artists and labels decide the price of songs and albums, although they are not able to give songs away for free due to Icelandic copyright law. Artists and labels are able to monitor sales and streams of their music in real time a music manager tool on the site. Payout to artists and labels is made every three months by bank transfer.
The music catalog that is available on the gogoyoko site is a combination of music uploaded by individuals and music from large independent distributors, such as Phonofile, Paradise Distribution, AWAL
and Kudos Digital.
platform where music fans, music professionals, artists and record labels can make an online profile
and interact, similar to MySpace but with a focus only on music. Users are able to rate and review albums in the store, which makes that content more visible to other users through the site's recommendation engine. The focus of the site on independent and grassroots music movements means that the recommendations that the site makes to users are substantially less mainstream than those made on other sites that sell music like Amazon MP3
and iTunes
. Users can also "scrobble" their listening history to Last.fm.
According to the website, users can discover new music and dig "deep into music based on your taste, genres, countries, release dates etc. and find music shows in their hometown or elsewhere. The site was founded in Iceland and has a very high representation of the independent and underground music of that country and other Nordic countries.
and environmental
organizations. Artists and record labels can also choose to donate a portion of their earnings to the gogoyoko's partner charities. Other registered users and browsers are able to donate directly through the site.
gogoyoko is partnered with five major charities: UNICEF (Iceland), Médecins Sans Frontières
, Refugees United
, Witness
, and the Icelandic Spinal Cord Institute. As part of their involvement with the grassroots movement in Iceland, they also organize concerts with up-and-coming artists and for special charity project. Their partnership with UNICEF (Iceland) and an Icelandic music venue raised 250.000 Icelandic kronur (approximately 2100 USD) in January 2010 for the Haitian Relief Fund.
Online music store
An online music store is an online business which sells audio files, usually music, on a per-song and/or subscription basis. It may be differentiated from music streaming services in that the music store offers the actual music file, while streaming services offer partial or full listening without...
and social networking music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
where artists can sell directly to their fans. The site offers free streaming of all tracks, which is subsidized with advertisements in the music store. The focus of the site is on independent music both from independent artists and labels and distributors working in the independent music sector. The aim of the site is to have artists paid fairly for the sale and distribution their music on the Internet, without having to go through a record label or digital aggregators.
gogoyoko is known as a "forward-thinking" company due to their focus on artists' rights and the concept of "Fair Play in Music", which is term that gogoyoko uses to describe its business model and as a general slogan for its activities in organizing concerts for charity and to promote grassroots musical movements. gogoyoko partners with other companies with a focus on artists' rights and fair business models in the music industry.
History
gogoyoko was founded in ReykjavikReykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, in December 2007 by musicians Haukur Magnússon and Pétur Úlfur Einarsson. Reynir Harðarson, one of the founders of CCP Games and the original art director of the massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
Eve Online
EVE Online
Eve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems. Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates...
, is also a founding member of the company and one of its owners. Their headquarters are located in the downtown Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
area.
On November 15, 2008, gogoyoko launched its Alpha test mode. On May 1, 2009, it launched its Beta version. The Beta version became open for everybody in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, where the company is based. On October 1 2009, the site launched in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. For those located outside of Iceland and Scandinavia an invitation to the page was needed.
Fair Play
gogoyoko claims to provide artists and record labels with a greater control of their work in the digital age and a "ground-breaking revenue split" when selling their digital music onlineONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
. A 10% transaction cost is charged by the company for music sales of downloaded music and the artists receive the rest of the revenue from sales after applicable sales taxes and royalties are paid by gogoyoko. The company also shares 40% of advertisement revenues made from their website with artists and copyright holders of the music, which is based pro rata on how much each artist (or label) streams on the site.
gogoyoko uses the slogan "Fair play in music" and that it is "made by artists for artists". gogoyoko is not the only formation in the music scene to use the term "fair play". The recently established Featured Artists' Coalition
Featured Artists' Coalition
The Featured Artists Coalition is a not-for-profit organisation set up to protect the rights of featured musical artists, particularly in the new digital age...
, which members include Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
and Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
, has issued a whole campaign based on the "fair play" concept.
"We want all artists to have more control of their music and a much fairer share of the profits it generates in the digital age. We speak with one voice to help artists strike a new bargain with record companies, digital distributors and others, and are campaigning for specific changes."
Ralph Simon
Ralph Simon
Ralph Simon is regarded as a founder in the modern Mobile Entertainment Industry.Simon co-founded the independent Zomba Group of music companies with Clive Calder in the 1970s. In the mid-90s, he was Executive Vice President of Capitol Records and Blue Note Records in Hollywood and started EMI...
, CEO of the Mobilium Advisory Group and co-founder of the Zomba group and Jive Records , made notice of gogoyoko after his visit to Iceland in October 2008 in an article on his MidemNet blog, Hot Topics in Iceland at You Are in Control Conference.
Music shop
Artists and record labels are able to sell their music on gogoyoko through a customized music store and a widgetWeb widget
In computing a web widget is a software widget for the web. It's a small application that can be installed and executed within a web page by an end user. They are derived from the idea of code reuse. Other terms used to describe web widgets include: portlet, gadget, badge, module, webjit, capsule,...
player that can be embedded to other websites, such as a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. Artists and labels decide the price of songs and albums, although they are not able to give songs away for free due to Icelandic copyright law. Artists and labels are able to monitor sales and streams of their music in real time a music manager tool on the site. Payout to artists and labels is made every three months by bank transfer.
The music catalog that is available on the gogoyoko site is a combination of music uploaded by individuals and music from large independent distributors, such as Phonofile, Paradise Distribution, AWAL
AWAL
AWAL is a UK based digital distribution and entertainment services company that works with independent artists, comedians, and labels. The company was started in 1997 by Denzyl Feigelson....
and Kudos Digital.
Social networking
Apart from being a music store, gogoyoko is also a social networkSocial network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
platform where music fans, music professionals, artists and record labels can make an online profile
User profile
A user profile is a collection of personal data associated to a specific user. A profile refers therefore to the explicit digital representation of a person's identity...
and interact, similar to MySpace but with a focus only on music. Users are able to rate and review albums in the store, which makes that content more visible to other users through the site's recommendation engine. The focus of the site on independent and grassroots music movements means that the recommendations that the site makes to users are substantially less mainstream than those made on other sites that sell music like Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3 is an online music store owned and operated by Amazon.com. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights management from the four major music labels , as well as many independents...
and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Users can also "scrobble" their listening history to Last.fm.
According to the website, users can discover new music and dig "deep into music based on your taste, genres, countries, release dates etc. and find music shows in their hometown or elsewhere. The site was founded in Iceland and has a very high representation of the independent and underground music of that country and other Nordic countries.
Charity
gogoyoko pledges to donate 10% of all advertisement revenues to charityCharity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
and environmental
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
organizations. Artists and record labels can also choose to donate a portion of their earnings to the gogoyoko's partner charities. Other registered users and browsers are able to donate directly through the site.
gogoyoko is partnered with five major charities: UNICEF (Iceland), Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
, Refugees United
Refugees United
Refugees United is an independent, international non-governmental organization . It is registered as a 501 non-profit organization in the United States. Refugees United aims to assist refugees with an anonymous and safe internet search engine to find and reconnect with missing family members...
, Witness
Witness (human rights group)
WITNESS is a human rights non-profit organization based out of Brooklyn, NY. Their mission statement is "WITNESS uses video to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations...
, and the Icelandic Spinal Cord Institute. As part of their involvement with the grassroots movement in Iceland, they also organize concerts with up-and-coming artists and for special charity project. Their partnership with UNICEF (Iceland) and an Icelandic music venue raised 250.000 Icelandic kronur (approximately 2100 USD) in January 2010 for the Haitian Relief Fund.