ProMusicDB hopes to find the answer with the Internet Archive, AFM Local 47, & the Wrecking Crew

by Christy Crowl

With all the media focus on how musicians and artists are not being fairly compensated for their work in the digital age, it is pretty easy to not ask the question on perhaps an even bigger long-term issue:  “How will musicians’ credits and history stand the test of Digital Time”?

Who is responsible in the digital domain for maintaining and archiving authenticated credits for musicians’ live and recorded performances, so that their story in history is told correctly? What about all the professional musicians’ websites – what entity is responsible for archiving the “history” on them, or making sure somewhere a digital copy is being kept in the case the site is no longer hosted or maintained?

These are questions that ProMusicDB, the Professional Music Database, is hoping to answer for the professional music community, in partnership with The Wrecking Crew, AFM Local 47, and the Internet Archive.

Utilizing technology developed by the Internet Archive primarily for the University Community, ProMusicDB launched its first trial today focusing on how to set the standard for preserving a professional musicians’ digital presence. Continue reading →