Introduction
Welcome back to The Bluffer's Guide to Cryptocurrency - a layman's approach to understanding Bitcoin and Blockchain Technology!
In the previous blog, we introduced the real life application of how crypto could be a game changer for the music industry for both fans and producers, whilst sharing some personal experience that some of you might have related to. Catch-up with that here.
So with this change coming to the music industry, there have been all sorts of sites popping up for musicians with the sheer number of them sending your head in to a spin. It's impossible to keep up with every single one yourself, unless you have helpers. So my advice would be to pick a maximum of 3 or 4 to focus on. I don't have helpers myself so I will try to cover the main ones I use in this chapter and one or two to keep your eyes on.
Let's start off with one of the first platforms I joined at the beginning of 2018 called Atom Collector Records. I'll give an "at a glance" summary of the platform, its principles and how it works in this blog, before going in to more detail in Round 2.
But hold (or should that be hodl) your horses, it's disclaimer time!
Before I begin, I want to emphasise that this is a highly simplified version of what I have learnt from my own research and I'm sharing my learning with you. If you do know this topic inside out, be nice to those who are still learning about this (myself included) and we can grow together.
Furthermore, this is not financial advice and I am not a financial advisor. I am a crypto-enthusiast and wanted to create a guide to help total beginners understand what this is all about. Please seek financial advice from a qualified professional if you have any doubt about how to spend your money.
So with that said, brace yourselves, you might learn something! Shall we begin?
What is "Atom Collector Records"?
In short, Atom Collector Records (ACR) is a promotional platform allowing producers to share tracks they have uploaded on to various other platforms, but having them all under one roof. Tracks aren't uploaded to the ACR site directly, rather they are embedded from where the original file is located (be it Spotify, SoundCloud, Youtube etc.).
Let's say that a track has been uploaded to Soundcloud, the producer would then copy and paste the link to that track in to their profile on ACR.
Why do that when you can just share the original link?
Well, ACR is a bit like looking through a shop window at all the music sites that are available for producers to upload their music on. Listeners who don't want to create accounts on various different platforms can listen through the embedded players on ACR and engage that way.
Also, this is where the working of the platform really comes in to its own as just pasting a link to your track on ACR doesn't get you anywhere and you won't get heard.
How do I get my music heard on ACR then?
You need to earn credits so you can allocate them to the track you've just added to your profile. To earn a credit, you have to listen to someone else's track on the ACR website for at least a minute. Once earned, you then allocate the credit to your track, which will then put it "live" on the website in the genre you specified when you added it to your ACR account.
What happens when my track gets played?
Well, if your track gets played, that's awesome news as you may have reached your next fan but it does also mean that a credit gets taken off your tally for that track. If you go down to 0 credits for the track, then it won't be "live" anymore - so you better get listening to more tracks and earn those credits!
The philosophy of community
Now, you may be thinking, "Well, that's all well and good but is this just a listening platform?" No, it's not just a listening platform as there are many ways of interacting with other users. You can leave a comment, share the track on Twitter (which tags the artist, the platform and a few hashtags already generated), vote for the track, interact in the chat box or tip the artist in a cryptocurrency known as $INDIE.
All of these things can help you meet new friends, grow your network and fanbase, reach people who you may not have even thought would like your music and increases your profile online.
What's in it for listeners?
Of course, listeners get a chance to discover new music from a variety of different places that they may not have thought of before. Add to that the ability to vote, comment and tip your favourite artists is a strong incentive anyway.
However, there's also another element for the listeners to get excited about and that is $INDIE rewards. $INDIE is a cryptocurrency that can be exchanged in to fiat, used to tip other artists on the platform if you like their tracks or redeemed for other rewards on ACR Partner sites.
You can earn $INDIE by listening to tracks from various platforms from within the ACR website. When you log-in, you will see the dashboard and there will be a little logo next to the platform, which changes from one day to the next. It could be SoundCloud one day, Bandcamp the next or another platform.
Is there a mobile version?
At the moment, there is no app for ACR but if you use your phone browser and log in, you can listen and earn credits through the "mobile player" which is designed for smaller screens.
What other things are on the site?
This platform is also a great informational resource with links to articles about all sorts of new developments in the crypto world for musicians and listeners to get excited about. One such item is the "Musicians Daily Checklist" which goes through a list of tasks that will help producers get their name out there even more. It can be overwhelming at first but it gets easier the more you do them.
There is also a newly launched radio show that producers can submit their tracks to for some extra exposure called "Radio Evolved" - hosted by Juxta John, the creator of the platform. This is aired every Sunday evening at 20:00 UTC with live singing and a vibrant chat room.
Which platforms are supported on ACR?
At the moment, ACR supports tracks uploaded to the platforms below but this is a growing list as new sites come to the fray:
- SoundCloud
- Spotify
- YouTube
- BandCamp
- ReverbNation
- Fanburst
- Musicoin
- dsound
- DTube
- Choon
Who created Atom Collector Records?
Well, we have Juxta John to thank for creating this site. A rocker, singer and I.T. expert, this guy has constantly evolved the website to what it is now and the number of users and tracks on the platform have grown significantly since I joined at the beginning of 2018 to over 3,500 members.
I have a lot of respect for Juxta and what he is doing for independent artists and once you get to grips with the site, I'm sure you will too. He's always active on various platforms, even when he is on holiday! So if you have any queries, he will usually respond quickly. I think he secretly has a clone or 3!
How do I create an account?
That's very simple, you can click here to create your profile and start using the platform.
In round 2 of the ACR Overview, I'll be going through a little more detail about how the site works and how you can get the most out of it on some of the other crypto sites - that's right, ACR spreads far and wide!
Ok, time for a time out!
So a brief overview of what Atom Collector Records is about here - next up, we'll be scratching the surface of Choon. Stay chooned for that ;)
If you are enjoying the series so far, I'd love to hear from you! Thanks to those who have sent in some donations, it's much appreciated and helps keep the whole thing going! My Bitcoin wallet address is:
3GiV9VsqGPFSHBQfwbfUQv8tAPMGE2kDef
or if you prefer - use the QR code:
Now though, it's your turn.
Did you enjoy the article or find it useful?
I'd love to hear from you and if you learnt something new, feel inspired to do some of your own research or felt I didn't cover something well enough, let me know and when I finalise the pdf, I'll make it right!
For now though, take it easy and catch you soon!
Nicky
Contents
The history and technology of Bitcoin
2.1 How and why did Bitcoin come in to existence?
2.2 How does Bitcoin & blockchain actually work (Part 1)?
2.3 How does Bitcoin & Blockchain actually work (Part 2)?Buying Bitcoin
3.1 Being secure with cryptocurrency & wallets
3.2 How to Buy Bitcoin & How Exchanges WorkBlockchain Platforms for Musicians & Music Fans
7.1 Atom Collector Records Part 1 (you are here)
7.2 Choon
7.3 Musicoin
7.4 Inmusik
7.5 Steemit
7.6 Channels
7.7 Sola
7.8 MindsConcluding thoughts