Jamendo
Jamendo is an internet platform for royalty-free music. Musicians can post their songs there under a Creative Commons licenses. This allows any user for free and legally download this music for private use. Which of the songs offered no free music and thus not commercially available and free in analogy to semi-free software is only half free music can be resolved only on explicit demand.
History
Jamendo (according to a previous version of the site a word created from jam and crescendo ) was officially launched in June 2005. The platform is developed and operated by the company Jamendo SA, based in Luxembourg. After starting Jamendo was initially known, especially in the French-speaking world; so Jamendo representatives were invited, for example, for consultations to the French Ministry of the Interior. Also in Germany the reputation grew among other things, according to reports in several blogs and various media. In July 2007 Jamendo announced that Mangrove Capital Partners, one of the early venture capitalists for Skype, invested in the company.
In January 2010, the media platform was on the verge of insolvency. Although Jamendo achieved in 2009 with the PRO - Store 300,000 euros of 2300 customers, but could not agree with Mangrove Capital Partners through a follow-up financing itself. On February 17, was the founder of the site, Sylvain rooms, announced that Jamendo 've found a new partner and would also try more in the future to build on the great community. Jamendo has been purchased from Music Matic.
Since the launch of the platform, both the number of users as well as the available albums has been steadily increasing. Meanwhile Jamendo claims to have 800,000 users who have access to a repertoire of more than 35,000 albums by more than 19,000 musicians (as of June 2010).
Concept
From the outset, based on Jamendo free music. Musicians can choose between the various Creative Commons licenses and the Free Art License. Be uploaded as well complete albums (especially to prevent copyright infringements ) will be released after an examination.
Albums can thereby be categorized, rated and reviewed by users. One can also donate to the artist. In addition, the website offers other online community features.
First, the albums could only be heard either directly in the browser or via peer-to -peer network ( BitTorrent and eMule/EDonkey2000 ) are downloaded, the MP3 or Ogg Vorbis format are available. Meanwhile, a possibility to download via HTTP is added, abolished the direct support of eMule/EDonkey2000 it. A registration as a user is not required to download.
With a number of programs authorized by Title can be played directly on different computer platforms: Amarok, Clementine, Rhythmbox or Banshee.
There are own software tools for Jamendo, called " Jamendo tools ". These tools include the Jamplayer to play and the Jamcorder and Jamloader to upload new albums.
Business Model
Jamendo is funded until December 2010 including through advertising on the website. The download archives with the music, however, are free of advertising. Fans have the opportunity to donate directly through the Jamendo site on specific artists. Settlement for the artists is limited to PayPal, payment takes place at a sum of 100 Euros or (on demand ) every 3 months instead.
In early 2009 launched Jamendo PRO, the licensing of music for commercial purposes allowed, in addition to each existing Creative Commons licenses. Artists who participate in this program must confirm, not to be a member of a collecting society. Licensees receive extended from Jamendo commercial use rights and a certificate confirming that they have the rights to use the music and that no other fees, such as GEMA, will be due ( see GEMA presumption ). Jamendo guarantees that the participating artists will be involved with at least 50 % of the revenue. In the case of Creative Commons licenses, which do not contain NonCommercial - clause (eg " Attribution Share Alike " ) and thus already allow commercial use, is the added value for the users of music in the representation of Jamendo especially in the above-mentioned certificate and a license that " legally sound " guarantee " that [ the ] commercial use of the music [ ... ] draw any claims of collecting societies [ ... ] according to " will.