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# TheMusicMirror
## What is TheMusicMirror
TheMusicMirror (from hereafter, TMM) is a video hosting platform which focuses
on distributing music. As opposed to other platforms, such as YouTube or Spotify,
TMM distributes music using the
[CC BY-NC-SA License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
and always **under explicit constent from the original authors**.
The video hosting platform used by TMM is powered by
[NodeTube](https://github.com/mayeaux/nodetube), which is free software
originally released under the MIT License. However, TMM relicenses its NodeTube
instance under the
[GNU Affero General Public License](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html)
to ensure everyone the
[four essential freedoms](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html).
## Why does this project exist
During the last two decades, music distribution has moved from a CD-based model
to a digital model based on online streaming. Currently, two of the most
important music distribution platforms are YouTube and Spotify, both with an
incredibly extensive catalogue and huge user base. Content is accessed through
free and paid accounts and many artists, and specially emerging artists,
promote themselves through them.
However, Google (the company who owns YouTube) and Spotify include tracking
code on their websites, embedded content and applications for massive data
collection that is later sold to advertising companies. That means everything
their users watch, how they react, their opinions and trends are continuously
analized by these companies to
[make huge profit by invading users' privacy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism).
This means privacy-concious users, who will not accept these terms of service,
are left with fewer options. While great free alternative YouTube frontends
such as [Invidious](https://github.com/iv-org/invidious) and
[Yotter](https://github.com/pluja/yotter) exist, they much likely are against
YouTube's terms of service and are prone to cease and desist requests from
Google should they become too successful. This means more traditional means such
as CDs or, what's worse, might be the only alternatives for such users.
In the case of YouTube, some users upload copyrighted material and even
monetize from it without permission of its authors, which constitutes
[copyright infringment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement)
yet Google might ignore this unless an explicit takedown request is made by
the authors.
Copyright infringment is definitely **not** an option in TMM, so instead it
aims to obtain explicit permission from the original authors by making them
realize the risks associated to the privacy-intruding practises from big tech
companies. Content on TMM will be then uploaded using the CC BY-NC-SA while
offering a website under a free license like the Affero GNU Public License,
which guarantees the freedom of its users.
In order to protect users' privacy, TMM does not log any information, such as
IP addresses, from its users and will not require JavaScript to run, making it
friendlier to those accessing through [Tor](https://www.torproject.org). Thanks
to the awesome NodeTube project, no e-mail, mobile phone or any kind of
personally identifiable data must be provided to sign up. Thanks to the Affero
GNU Public License, users know what code is running both on the server and
client, so they can learn from it, run their own instance or even suggest
improvements.
## How to contribute
In order to avoid users erroneously uploading copyrighted material without
permission from the original authors, only the web administrator can upload
content to TMM. However, users also can encourage artists to get their music
uploaded into TMM.
Derivative works (covers, remixes, etc.) are allowed according to the
CC-BY-NC-SA license. However, only derivative works of content that already has
been granted by its original authors and uploaded into TMM are allowed and must
be also released under the same license.
As contacting and convincing well-known artists might be difficult, emerging
artists and smaller acts should be contacted first to get their content
uploaded into TMM.
*Google, YouTube and Spotify are trademarks of their respective owners. This
project is not affiliated to any of them.*