If you haven’t heard by now, Mixcloud has launched Mixcloud Live, a live video and audio streaming service for creators. Thousands of users have been utilizing this service to get in front of their fans in a time when live events are all but extinct. In these uncertain times, Mixcloud Live seems to be a rising star in the online music community.
So, why should you be using Mixcloud Live?
Artists That Get Played, Should Get Paid
Many platforms, such as Twitch and Facebook, currently allow music to be streamed on their platforms yet they do not pay the artists any royalties. This is wrong. Not only do these platforms encourage DJs to live stream using their tools, they also regularly punish those who do under vague “copyright infringement” policies.
In other words, Facebook and Twitch love the traffic and engagement that DJs bring and then punish them to “virtue signal.” It’s deplorable.
With Mixcloud, none of this happens.
Mixcloud recently published a great blog post that calls these other platforms out on their dishonest practices. Below is the full text of the blog post. If it resonates with you, please pass it on far and wide.
Artists that get played should get paid. This is the foundation of the modern music ecosystem.
– #TeamMixcloud, #GetPlayedGetPaid
When streamers and DJs are hit by music copyright takedowns on other platforms, it’s because those platforms have not – for whatever reason – secured the right music licenses. They are not paying the artists that are getting played.
This is not the fault of musicians or labels. It’s down to the platforms.
Often they encourage DJs and artists to use their platforms despite not having the correct music licenses. All the while hiding in the small print of their terms and conditions that you should not use copyrighted music.
Many of these platforms are owned by some of the biggest businesses in the world. For example Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, has recently seen many DMCA takedowns for unlicensed copyrighted music.
These huge companies are very willing to use music to grow their businesses, but do they genuinely support the music ecosystem if they are not paying royalties to all artists?
Mixcloud – an independent streaming platform with a fraction of the resources of larger corporations – has invested time and money into getting the right licenses. That is why music takedowns do not happen on Mixcloud.
Mixcloud is the only open platform that pays all rights holders (artists, labels, songwriters, publishers) and also pays DJs. Mixcloud’s monetization program pays 83% of revenue out to rights holders and channel owners.
If you love music and care about the future of this ecosystem, then it’s up to all of us to choose a streaming platform that does the right thing.
If this message resonates with you, please share it.
If you are live streaming your DJ sets, make the move to Mixcloud if you haven’t done so already. It’s worth it.
