For the benefit of those who don’t really know what I’m up to (which includes me, most days), here’s a brief run-down.
About a year ago, I came up with some ideas about how various technologies could be combined to support independent artists, in a way that’s never been seen before. Essentially, the combination of:
- peer-to-peer networking, for near zero-cost distribution, made legal by Creative Commons-licensed music
- collaborative filtering-based recommendations, to sift the wheat from the chaff (regardless of the quantity of chaff!)
- online concert listings and e-ticketing for small-venue music events
None of which are particularly novel, but the combination of all three into a single easy desktop music-player application brings significant advantages:
- tracks can be downloaded automatically, based on recommendations
- recommendations can be used for “intelligent shuffle” playback
- music events can be recommended “on the desktop”
- e-ticket booking fees can provide revenue to keep the rest free
I hold the opinion that many internet ventures can, and therefore should, be done on a shoe-string. In keeping with that, I’m moving to Poland, where living is significantly cheaper, thanks in no small part to a beer costing less than €1! I’ll slave away on the code, enlisting the help of friends when I can and experts when I must.
On a more personal level, I see this as a chance to prove whether my dreams are feasible: whether I can survive in a foreign country where I struggle with even the alphabet, whether I can ‘work’ and travel at the same time, and whether I can manage a major project within the toughest of constraints. It might work, it might not, but one thing is for sure: it’s gonna be an interesting ride.
Thinking of you as I bought some Krolewska wodka the other day. Not for me unfortunately. I should check out that wikipedia article could be useful in the Old Compton Street vodka shop.