2020-09-19 19:45:08 +02:00
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**This is not a real project yet, but a concept draft.**
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2020-09-19 19:08:16 +02:00
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# TheMusicMirror
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## What is TheMusicMirror
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TheMusicMirror (from hereafter, TMM) is a video hosting platform which focuses
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on distributing music. As opposed to other platforms, such as YouTube or Spotify,
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TMM distributes music using the
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[CC BY-NC-SA License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
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and always **under explicit constent from the original authors**.
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2020-09-20 11:36:09 +02:00
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TMM aims to provide a private experience to its users and make them less
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2020-09-25 23:12:44 +02:00
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dependable on closed-source platforms whose contents might get removed at any
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point without prior notification, negatively affecting end users.
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2020-09-20 11:36:09 +02:00
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2020-09-19 19:08:16 +02:00
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The video hosting platform used by TMM is powered by
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[NodeTube](https://github.com/mayeaux/nodetube), which is free software
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originally released under the MIT License. However, TMM relicenses its NodeTube
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instance under the
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[GNU Affero General Public License](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html)
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to ensure everyone the
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[four essential freedoms](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html).
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## Why does this project exist
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During the last two decades, music distribution has moved from a CD-based model
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to a digital model based on online streaming. Currently, two of the most
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important music distribution platforms are YouTube and Spotify, both with an
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incredibly extensive catalogue and huge user base. Content is accessed through
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free and paid accounts and many artists, and specially emerging artists,
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promote themselves through them.
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However, Google (the company who owns YouTube) and Spotify include tracking
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code on their websites, embedded content and applications for massive data
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collection that is later sold to advertising companies. That means everything
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their users watch, how they react, their opinions and trends are continuously
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analized by these companies to
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[make huge profit by invading users' privacy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism).
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This means privacy-concious users, who will not accept these terms of service,
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are left with fewer options. While great free alternative YouTube frontends
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such as [Invidious](https://github.com/iv-org/invidious) and
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[Yotter](https://github.com/pluja/yotter) exist, they much likely are against
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YouTube's terms of service and are prone to cease and desist requests from
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Google should they become too successful. This means more traditional means such
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2020-09-20 12:11:28 +02:00
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as CDs or, what's worse, copyriht infringment might be the only alternatives for
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such users.
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In the case of YouTube, some users upload copyrighted material and even
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monetize from it without permission of its authors, which constitutes
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[copyright infringment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement)
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yet Google might ignore this unless an explicit takedown request is made by
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the authors.
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Copyright infringment is definitely **not** an option in TMM, so instead it
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aims to obtain explicit permission from the original authors by making them
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realize the risks associated to the privacy-intruding practises from big tech
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companies. Content on TMM will be then uploaded using the CC BY-NC-SA while
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offering a website under a free license like the GNU Affero General Public
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License, which guarantees the freedom of its users.
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In order to protect users' privacy, TMM does not log any information, such as
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IP addresses, from its users and will not require JavaScript to run, making it
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friendlier to those accessing through [Tor](https://www.torproject.org). Thanks
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to the awesome NodeTube project, no e-mail, mobile phone or any kind of
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personally identifiable data must be provided to sign up. Thanks to the Affero
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GNU Public License, users know what code is running both on the server and
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client, so they can learn from it, run their own instance or even suggest
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improvements.
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## How to contribute
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In order to avoid users erroneously uploading copyrighted material without
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permission from the original authors, only the web administrator can upload
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content to TMM. However, users also can encourage artists to get their music
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uploaded into TMM.
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Derivative works (covers, remixes, etc.) are allowed according to the
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CC BY-NC-SA license. However, only derivative works of content that already has
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been granted by its original authors and uploaded into TMM are allowed and must
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be also released under the same license.
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As contacting and convincing well-known artists might be difficult, emerging
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artists and smaller acts should be contacted first to get their content
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uploaded into TMM.
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2020-09-20 11:36:09 +02:00
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## FAQ
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- **How do the authors make profit if they are releasing their music using a
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license like the CC BY-NC-SA?**
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The CC BY-NC-SA license ensures content can be downloaded and shared with others
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as long as it is distributed under the same terms. Also, the license includes
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a non-commercial clause which means users downloading and sharing content
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cannot profit from it, as TMM wants to give such right only to the original
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authors, who deserve their hard work to be paid.
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Therefore, authors can still license their music under any other license that
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benefits them. As an analogy, some free software libraries are released under a
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dual licensing scheme, tipically using a copyleft license such as the GPLv3
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which forces works using this software to be released under the same license and
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a paid license for corporate users. This guarantees the software remains free
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for individuals without interest in profit while forcing companies to pay for
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it unless they release their software under the same copyleft license.
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- **How does TMM compare to other platforms that support emerging artists such
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as Bandcamp, Jamendo, Soundcloud, ReverbNation, etc.?**
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While all of these platforms have helped many emerging artists over the years,
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they do not value the privacy of its users:
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- These sites require the execution of non-free JavaScript that can be used to
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[fingerprint their users](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browser_fingerprinting)
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even if they connect from a [VPN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network).
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- Bandcamp forbids access to Tor users. While this can be used to mitigate
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possible [DDoS attacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack)
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from malicious, it is also stopping legitimate users who only want to remain
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anonymous.
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- These websites profit from user data obtained through tracking services and
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by making artists pay for better promotion. TMM does not profit from neither
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artists or users and instead only accepts anonymous donations that shall be
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only used to mantain its infrastructure e.g.: servers, domain, storage, etc.
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*Google, YouTube and Spotify, Bandcamp, Jamendo, Soundcloud and ReverbNation
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are trademarks of their respective owners. This project is not affiliated to any
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of them in any way.*
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