Direct Assessment of a Method for Digital Music Distribution Supporting Revenue Generation and Sharing

我们提出了一个项目，进行审判，生活在网络上，一种新的方法来定价和分发数字音乐。该方法由帝国理工学院互联网中心开发，并在最近的数字经济可行性研究中实施和测试。这项试验将解决这个关键问题，即这种方法是否会被网络上的音乐社区真实的采用和使用。如果这种方法被证明是成功的，那么它将为目前互联网上非常普遍的非法文件共享问题提供一个彻底而深远的解决方案。这种方法结合了Rayna和Striukova博士开发的一种创新定价模式，允许用户下载他们想要的任何音乐，但只为他们喜欢的音乐付费（通过他们的收听模式进行评估），具有新颖的点对点音乐发现和传播过程，该过程允许原创艺术家和社区之间共享所产生的收入。希望这些激励措施足以说服用户为内容付费，避免试图用严厉的法律的措施来遏制非法文件共享的需要。试验将与艺术家和团体以及音乐软件公司合作进行。审判将包括两个阶段;第一个是由帝国理工学院学生参与的现场但受限制的试验，第二个是在网上进行的现场开放试验。试验还将探索使用先进的机器学习软件，使艺术家能够更好地了解他们社区的行为以及其他音乐材料的分发，包括即兴现场音乐会。如果这些试验成功，它们不仅将提供一种解决问题的方法，数字盗版的问题，但也开辟了一个蓬勃发展的互联网音乐社区和其他互联网业务的方式。

We propose a project to carry out a trial, live on the Web, of a novel method for pricing and distributing digital music. This method has been developed by the Imperial College Internet Centre and was implemented and tested in a recent Digital Economy Feasibility Study. This trial will address the critical issue of whether this method will be adopted and used, for real, by music communities on the Web. If proven successful this method would offer a radical and far-reaching solution to the problem of illegal file sharing, currently so prevalent on the Internet.The method combines an innovative pricing model developed by Drs Rayna and Striukova, which allows users to download any music they want but only pay for what they enjoy (assessed by their listening patterns), with a novel peer-to-peer music discovery and dissemination process that allows revenue generated to be shared between the originating artist and the community. It is hoped that these incentives will be sufficient to persuade users to pay for content and avoid the need to attempt to curb illegal filesharing with draconian legal measures.The trial will be conducted in collaboration with artists and groups and music softare companies. The trial will comprise two stages; the first a live but contained trial involving Imperial College students the second a live open trial on the Web.The trial will also feature exploring the use of advanced machine learning software to enable artists better understand their communities' behaviour and the distribution of other music material including impromptu live concerts.If these trials are successful they would not only provide a means of solving the problem of Digital Piracy but also open the way for a thriving Internet music community and other Internet businesses..