Creative Commons is on everyone's lips at the moment. This has helped not least, the Pirate Party and its call for reform of copyright law. Many artists see themselves through the requirement of the Pirate Party threatened in their existence, and many voters are wondering: What is the artist for life at all?

Does the Creative Commons model for the future at all? It was clear that the only answer anyone can who is involved in the scene. For this reason, I have no less than the (CC) band Shearer (one of my favorite bands by the way!) asked.

First How did you spread the idea to your music for free on the Internet come?

The idea was more or less born out of necessity. And although we have 2005, after we recorded our album Makin A Munson, been looking for a label that was willing to invest money in us. But as the unknown for most bands is so, we were a bit naive to believe that life were that simple. Around the same time began to be our bass player Andy to write his thesis on the topic of filesharing (The interested reader may like to make the net in search of "file sharing is inevitable"). And so did the other one. We have made a virtue out of necessity and regret the decision, our music under free license, to this day.

Second Will you continue to offer your music for free, and what role does the Internet?

There will of course our music for free. We all believe that audio recordings always be free for personal use should be. And the Internet for the "enabler" is. And while going in Internetdie marginal costs for distribution of content, similar to the radio, to zero. Ie, we have (to record music and mix to create cover, etc) certain initial costs and the more people will suck our music, we have the less cost per download.
Unlike the radio ermnöglicht the Internet but a non-discriminatory manner access not only for consumers but also for the producers. No one has nowadays come under a more financially strong label in order to reach with his music to millions of people. Of course, capital is still an important success factor (marketing costs are not to be underestimated) - although the prospects for young artists today are better than ever. Because the / we do not have the problem that we have "pirated" the whole world. Rather, we must ensure that we are even considered. And these are free downloads is a very good way.
Not to mention the fact that they enable equal participation of all cultural.

Third Do you think that this principle of the Creative Commons has a future?

The principle is definitely the right thing. As the most important point, it legalizes private copying without ifs and buts. At the same time the artist was still enough resources to control use of their works. We believe that creating a Creative Commons fair balance of interests between creators and consumers, and prevail in the long term, if the current copyright situation is not improving. The Internet has now established facts sometimes. And you can now accept and use that to your advantage or you can try to get through the whole inspection (copy protection, DRM, criminalization and prosecution of sharer) under control. I think you already can guess which option we think is reasonable ...

4th Rich as CC-band revenue in order to make the music a living?

Whether or not the revenue-rich, is not necessarily something with CC or not to do. Was for Trent Reznor (aka Nine Inch Nails), the CC-album Ghost last year's best-selling album on Amazon, the revenue certainly rich. For our little band that makes everything completely alone and no label, etc. has in the back, there is not enough at present. So it is but most bands, whether or not CC. Even before CC was only a very small part of it live. Although you get more with the top stars, but the musicians are unknown but clearly in the majority. That will not change radically with CC. The claim of "an artist must still make a living from his work" is in our view also completely unrealistic and a maximum of realizing a basic income.
Nevertheless, we want to emphasize again that it is for us, so definitely better than if we had gone the traditional route. We reach more people, all potential buyers / donors / concert goers and get publicity all over the world. VCOR just a few weeks we have for example a television interview given to TV Tokyo. Pirate Party and CC thank.

5th What do you do besides your music or to promote the concept of Creative Commons? Is your contact with other CC-bands?

We had thought about whether or not we stamp of approval for a type of independent artists from the floor. The CC would like to work, so a website with NEM license text and who uses the seal, which would have confirmed legally binding, that they will benefit directly from all of the revenues, so do not depend in any gag agreements. However, we are not lawyers and musicians, and next time we have our jobs and 40h of music no more. So if someone wants to accept the idea of ​​ever going on - just the name "Music Fair" is unfortunately already forgiven - but [the initiative] going on seems to be nothing more, so you can talk to them maybe once.
Otherwise, we have almost no contact with CC-bands. In rock music, the notion of free downloads (perhaps because of higher product costs) are not enforced, such as the Electronic sector. A few weeks ago we were playing in Hamburg at a CC-party - just had our drummer just before half-torn off a toe, so we had to cancel due to illness. This Saturday we play in Frankfurt at a meeting of the JuPis (= pirate boy. Great acronym!). Maybe because we can finally make a few contacts. Practically, it would be yes, because of completely royalty-free gigs with several bands, etc, etc.

Many thanks to the band Shearer that she has taken the time to answer the questions. I feel great and your music will continue to support you.

Until the new album (! What appears hopefully soon) can be satisfied with my readers the album Makin A Munson:

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