掲載日
Tue, Mar 29, 2022, 12:05
- By capturing set lists with 82 percent accuracy, Aslice aims to reduce the disparity between DJ and producer income.
DVS1, AKA Zak Khutoretsky, has launched desktop software designed to capture the music played by DJs so more producers get paid.
Out today, March 29th, Aslice works via a donation-based system, so DJs pledge a percentage of their gig fee to the producers whose music they're playing. Aslice suggests five percent, though whatever the amount, it won't be disclosed.
Speaking to Resident Advisor, Khutoretsky said the project was in response to the deficit in royalties awarded to producers despite the exponential growth of the electronic music industry, which was valued at $7.3 billion in 2020.
Khutoretsky said the current system doesn't work because music collection societies depend on DJs to provide handwritten playlists, while music-recognition software is installed in less than one percent of music venues worldwide.
Aslice identifies tracks using a machine-learning algorithm, matching them with producers registered on its system. When their registered ID is added to the track's metadata, the software will also be able to identify unreleased tracks. Aslice is compatible with rekordbox, Traktor, Serato and as a standalone USB media to read playlists auto-generated on Pioneer DJ products.
"PROs and music collection societies already charge clubs venues and festivals, and even independent promoters for the right to play music," he told RA. "It's literally their responsibility to install these devices and do their job. Millions of dollars are collected each year that never end up back in the hands of the artists whose music is actually played in these venues. Instead, that money gets paid out to the top 100 billboard artists and pocketed by those societies."
He added: "We need to ask the question: why can't some of that money be redirected to proper solutions?"
During Aslice's beta-testing phase in November, 100 DJs uploaded 110 playlists and 5291 tracks. 82 percent were accurately identified and matched. This led to payments for 2,213 producers, with $1.40 the average amount earned per track. Any money not attributed will be channeled into charities chosen by the Aslice community.
"The five percent won't fix the problem by any means, but it can immediately change an artist's perspective about what's possible, not only financially, but with the statistics and information they will get through the service," said Khutoretsky. "While Aslice can offer its own take on a solution now, I genuinely hope people recognise our community's power as a larger group and the pressure we can put on old failing systems to step up and do their job."
What to know more about Aslice? Here's a short Q&A with Khutoretsky.
Why did you start Aslice and how can it help?
There's a growing disparity between DJ earnings and producer income. I felt compelled to directly pay artists for the music I play as a general thank you. When Covid-19 happened, I took the opportunity to address this problem. The existing systems prove they have no interest in fixing problems that have existed for 40-plus years. Our communities started in a DIY way so Aslice is an attempt to revolutionise the relationships between DJs and producers so everyone gets their fair share.
How does Aslice work and what does a DJ need to do to use it?
It captures playlists from DJs with unparalleled accuracy and distributes a small portion of the DJ gig fee directly to the producers played. It's powered by algorithmic analysis and machine learning that guarantees the accuracy our community so badly needs.
After registering the account and downloading the desktop software, DJs can upload any history/playlist file and import the text-only file to the app. Once imported, a DJ just needs to fill in the basic info about the venue, city and date. Finally, they choose an amount they want to share with producers and press "submit." We've built Aslice to work with rekordbox, Traktor, Serato and as a standalone USB media to read playlists auto-generated on Pioneer products.
Why does Aslice suggest five percent?
It puts a small but reasonable amount back in the hands of producers. Some DJs will give more, some will give less. Considering Aslice is a community-focused initiative and purely voluntary, we understand everyone's idea of fairness will differ. We suggest five percent for consideration because most if not all DJ contributions are tax-deductible, meaning it won't affect the take-home pay of those supporting the project. We've attempted to make this accessible to all levels of DJs by creating a minimum share amount of $10 per playlist.
Tell us about the response from those who took part in the private beta.
The general feedback from DJs was that the process is simple and easy to understand. I kept hearing that any hesitation was gone after the first upload. Producer feedback was usually based on immediate results they saw about who played their music and how often. When they realised the speed at which information was displayed, they quickly saw the potential of how this information could be used and would benefit them in the future.
From your point of view, what are the most important results from the private beta phase?
Aslice works with a machine-learning algorithm that has an 82 percent success rate.
We processed 110 playlists with 5,291 tracks, 40 of which couldn't be matched after human intervention. This accounts for less than one percent. On average, DJs shared around $61 per playlist, which is a remarkable number given that during the pandemic, DJs were paid lower fees and offered fewer gigs. The average amount earned per track was $1.40, while some producers reported tracks with payments upwards of $10 and $20 for a single play. Through the 110 playlists uploaded during the private beta, 2213 producers have already accumulated money in their accounts.
These numbers and results prove our initial projections were accurate and emphasise the scalability of the project once it's open to the public. The success of Aslice and the idea of sharing will also depend on the community of DJs and producers and how much they actually want change.
Photo: Yonothan Baraki