This month, ProMusicDB took a big step on behalf of musicians everywhere and filed the platform’s technical specifications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which describe how ProMusicDB can preserve, protect, and authenticate the digital identity of music creators and musical works in the digital realm.
These technical tasks are accomplished in the form of an artist-contributed, non-profit music credits database and digital archive, to be created by musical artist contribution for the public good, forever.
ProMusicDB is bringing the possibility of obtaining validated artist-contributed data into both the archival (library) and music business sectors — something sought after, but not easily attained by everyone who needs to do their job with music-related metadata. We are also bringing the possibility of standardizing and unifying the way artists collectively contribute their metadata into the music business ecosystem when they need to. In my mind, our challenge and mission is similar to the Smithsonian’s — which is bringing about the increase and diffusion of knowledge — only in music credits specifically, and in the digital realm.
As the industry has raced forward, more demands have been placed on musical artists (and their business managers) to contribute metadata (credits, etc.) over and over again into multiple platforms in order to be paid from multiple sources. The sad thing is that even with this gallant and time-consuming effort to input all of their data to get paid — which at our count could be up to thirty different entities — artists are still having to go through the same hassle when trying to get their music credits aligned across entities like IMDB, AllMusic, Gracenote, Wikipedia, Discogs, and others. And then left out to fend for themselves are music librarians at top-notch music schools that need the same validated metadata to properly identify works, music performers, and creators for cataloging, or to help their students identify a performer on a recording, and their job is nearly impossible to do. It just shouldn’t be so hard to find out who wrote, produced, or played on something, regardless of why you need the information.
If you think about it, as album artwork and music credits have gone missing from streaming services and other digital platforms, the data problem has gotten worse for the industry. That’s why it’s time for musical artists to have their own platform under their own control that lets them multi-task their credits and metadata — for doing business and for preserving their legacy.
ProMusicDB’s inaugural open enrollment period for music creators and musicians will begin in late September 2016. After the short open enrollment period, musicians can only join through referral from another ProMusicDB member in good standing.
If you would like to be notified of the upcoming open enrollment period and (free) informational Webinars, please visit ProMusicDB and #SaveYourName in history today!
Contact Christy Crowl, Founder/CEO: christy@promusicdb.org
