#AskVidasAndAusra 126: How Can I Upload One Of My Pieces To Musicoin?

Vidas: Let’s start Episode 126 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. Listen to the audio version here. And today is a very interesting day: we celebrate 6 years of the beginnings of Secrets of Organ Playing! Isn’t that exciting, Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, it's been already 6 years! Wow, time flies.

Vidas: Very fast. It seems like a few weeks ago, right?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: It seems like this September, for example. Remember the first article that I posted on EzineArticles, and started--you were not part of this project yet, but you joined it later, right?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: By the way, how did you decide to join the Secrets of Organ Playing blog?

Ausra: I couldn’t explain how it happened…

Vidas: Very naturally, probably--gradually.

Ausra: Yes, yes, yes.

Vidas: You were helping me behind the scenes with fingerings and pedalings…

Ausra: Yes, yes, that’s right.

Vidas: And of course...

Ausra: I just didn’t want my name appearing somewhere.

Vidas: You were too shy, right?

Ausra: Yes, I was crypto-editor.

Vidas: Crypto-editor! Haha. Ghost editor! But then somehow things changed, right?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: And are you happy about that?

Ausra: Very much.

Vidas: I sense that since you have started doing this together with me, our conversations became more lively online; and people, I think, get more out of this discussion than myself--I would write just a one-sided article, and now sometimes we disagree, we sometimes have discussion; and people can choose which one they like more, which version.

Ausra: Heheheh. Yes, that’s right. It’s always good to have an argument, and compare things.

Vidas: So, we would like to thank you guys very much for sticking with us for 6 years now, and we hope to help you grow as an organist even further in upcoming years, and help you reach your goals, right?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: And now, going back to the question that was sent by Irineo: he writes:

“Hello back there maestro Pinkevicius, thank you for your interesting email. I have a couple of questions though.

1. How can I upload one of my pieces to Musicoin? I have it recorded in my iTunes, so I guess I should first transfer it to my laptop and then upload it to the site, am I correct? Do I need  some kind of software to do so? If that's the case, which one would you suggest and where can I get ahold of it, please?

2. I also wrote lyrics for that piece. Therefore I suspect it might be classified a short Chorale.
I have to translate it into English as well but, do you think I should upload its original lyrics as well as the translated version?

Thank you so much in advance. Also send warm greetings to maestra Ausra please. Keep up the good work, you both! Very truly yours, Irineo”

So, isn’t that exciting, Ausra, that people are joining Musicoin?

Ausra: Yes! Very exciting!

Vidas: You joined Musicoin, too.

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: Why?

Ausra: Because you suggested that, and I agreed!

Vidas: Hahahaha! Do you find value in that program?

Ausra: Yes, I think it’s much more beneficial than the others.

Vidas: Like, if you put your music on SoundCloud, what do you get? Nothing. You simply have to pay monthly or annual membership fees for that, but you don’t get anything in return. What do you get for putting your music on Facebook?

Ausra: Nothing.

Vidas: Nothing, too! They actually put advertisements on top of your posts, and you become a product for them! So basically it’s a lose-lose situation for an artist. What about YouTube? YouTube does pay for views, and it makes a little bit of sense, right? A very insignificant amount compared to Musicoin. But it still does, so it’s, I guess, it’s one of those things you have to consider. What about Spotify? Spotify, I guess--I’ve heard that for 1 million--for 1 million--listens or playbacks, an artist gets $400. That’s nothing. For 1 million! You know, the majority of people will never get to a million.

Ausra: Of course, it’s hard to get a million!

Vidas: And then $400--that’s nothing compared to the work that is required to get to such a number, right? And Musicoin, with every listen on the Musicoin platform, an artist gets (right now) 1 Musicoin. (That’s their currency.) And 1 Musicoin currently is worth about 1.8c. And sometimes it rises in value, and sometimes it decreases in value, as with any cryptocurrency. But I guess, in general, the more people join this platform, the more valuable it will become in the future--right Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, that’s everything.

Vidas: It’s basically, the demand grows, and basically a supply and demand rule. So, it’s worth doing that for organists as well. You simply upload your tracks--it could be mp3 tracks, for now, only--and you watch your Musicoins come in. That’s very exciting.

Ausra: Yes, that’s right.

Vidas: Of course, you have to share--share your work all over the place so that people will find you. Right Ausra?

Ausra: Because if you will not share, nobody will Know about you.

Vidas: And another good thing about the Musicoin platform is that it’s built on so-called Blockchain technology, which enables them to create smart contracts: automatic contracts where you can specify which proportion of your revenue will go to you, and which proportion will go to, let’s say, your partners (if you have a band or ensemble or a small choir or something). Right now, you have to subdivide your revenue in 8 shares. So right now, for example, these podcasts with Ausra--we divide it in half. One half goes to Ausra, and one goes to me, because we both participate in this--right Ausra?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: Even though you say “yes,” you still get one Musicoin!

Ausra: Okay, okay!

Vidas: Or half a Musicoin.

Ausra: I can give all my Musicoins to you, and make you happy!

Vidas: Hahahaha. I know! But that’s not the point! The point is that you have the choice of doing this.

Ausra: I know, but the thing is that you get such a technical question as this, the thing is that you are just more experienced. You know, all those programs, and internet stuff.

Vidas: Or, maybe you have other questions that arise when I talk? You could ask!

Ausra: Hahaha, maybe not now.

Vidas: Good!

Ausra: Let’s just answer Irineo’s question.

Vidas: So, he writes that he wants to use the pieces that he uploaded to iTunes, right? And repurpose them on Musicoin.

Ausra: How should he do this?

Vidas: So, he simply has to transfer mp3s from iTunes. And there was, I think--I found an article online, “How to Download from iTunes,” and you can simply read the directions there.

Ausra: Yes. And also, the second half of Irineo’s question was about either he needs to put the original lyrics, or just an English translation. So I think he definitely has to include both.

Vidas: Yeah, to expand his audience.

Ausra: Yes, yes, of course.

Vidas: Some people will want to listen to the English version. And others--why not include the original language, too? And specify in tags, you could specify the language: English or another language.

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: We could even submit a Lithuanian chorale, too.

Ausra: Yes. It’s like watching movies, like for example, I love to watch a movie in the original language. It gives me much more, even if it’s a language I don’t know well enough, like French, for example.

Vidas: And, to expand your audience, you can actually include an English translation in the description box. Even though the original track is in another language, people could click and read the English version, too.

Ausra: Sure.

Vidas: Everybody wins, this way! So, we hope this was helpful, right Ausra?

Ausra: I hope so!

Vidas: Don’t hesitate to use our invitation link to join Musicoin. And please, of course, invite other people--that’s how this platform grows; that’s how, in general, it becomes more valuable to you and to everyone. Because it’s a network; your songs, your music, get in front of many more people this way, inside of the platform of Musicoin, just like on YouTube or iTunes. And of course, you get paid for each listen. That’s fair treatment for every musician, I think. Thank you guys, this was Vidas!

Ausra: And Ausra.

Vidas: And remember, when you practice…

Ausra: Miracles happen.