I first met Art after hearing Adam Curry play some great Mashups on the Daily Source Code podcast from this "place" called Mashuptown.
After checking out the site, I was hooked. If you are new to Mashups, just think about taking 2 (or more!) of your favorite songs and "mashing" them together so they now sound like a new song.
DJ's around the country are taking this music form to a whole new level and Art Wickson is there to bring it to all of us.
Art has some big goals in mind. After we had some great email conversation, I'm please to feature him as the newest PYNtM guest.
Business Thoughts: Tell us about your blog mashuptown.com. Tell us what it is and when you got started.
Art Wickson: Mashuptown.com was started back in the early days of podcasting. I think my first post was near the end of February '05. It started out as most things do; an experiment. From there, it's kind of taken on a life of it's own and has grown larger than I ever imagined.
BT: How did you get started with blogging and why did you decide to focus on mashups?
AW: Well, I had a blog account for quite a while and hadn't really used it. I figured out how to hack the blog account and the server space associated with it to start podcasting. I really don't think of it as a pure blog or even a podcast. Just a delivery mechanism so people can experience and sample the world of Mashups. I heard my first Mashup on Adam Curry's Daily Source Code back in December. After I heard my first Mashup, I was addicted. Finding them on the net at the time was difficult and after much time spent looking, I realized that others were probably having trouble as well. So I thought that setting up a podcast and scouring the net for the freshest Mashup and providing folks access was something that people would enjoy.
BT: What are your goals for mashuptown.com? What do you see in your future regarding your love of music?
AW: Well, I plan to keep providing samples to people as long as there is a demand. As for goals, I would like to use the site for the development and promotion of the Mashups and the creative and talented Artists that mix them. Our other main goal is to stimulate sales of the original tracks the Mashups are made of. We have some discussions going on right now with interested parties that I'm not at liberty to discuss.
BT: Where do you get the content and have you had any issues with record labels or artists due to your blog?
AW: The content is found on the net. I takes a lot of time and energy to find the best of the genre. Now quite a bit of content ends up in my email account and mailbox. DJ's and Artists from all over the world send me their Masterpieces - it's pretty cool and the community is great. Up on the site is an offer to remove any material that the labels and original artists wish. We also have links through iTunes to purchase the original tracks as well. We are finding that these Mashups do drive sales of current and back catalog as well.
BT: You are getting a lot of promotion from Adam Curry's Daily Source Code. How did that come about?
AW: I can't really remember. I think it started when I sent him a link to Bootystition - a Mashup of Stevie Wonder and Destiny's Child. I kept sending him links to others I thought would be good for his show. Adam has been great and really supportive of the community. His interest in the Mashup scene is obvious and we have been discussing opportunities in the area for the past moth or so.
BT: You make it well known through your "Disclaimer" that the music is for "evaluation purposes only" and that "you will delete the file from your computer after listening". Do you really believe that people aren't sharing these files? Does this really protect you or others?
AW: As I mentioned, there are a few disclaimers on the site regarding this issue. I firmly believe that the majority of people on the net are honest and therefore will abide by the disclaimers posted. I also think that they will support the original artists as well.
BT: Tell us more about you. Where did you grow up and where does your passion for music come from? What is your day job?
AW: Grew up in Vancouver, BC Canada. After college, went to grad school in the US and ended up staying here. Currently living in Louisville, KY. Day job is working in the Health Care industry and currently working on a software development project for the industry. I run several Internet radio stations as well. One of course is the streaming station for Mashuptown.com and I also started patientcareradio.com.
BT: Are there any questions we forgot to ask? Anything else you would like the readers of Business Thoughts to know?
AW: Just a big thanks to you Todd for spending the time to visit and to all the "peeps" that keep enjoying Mashuptown. We have just received commitment of our first artist to Mashuptown Records and are excited about the opportunity to continue to support the development of all the Artists that contribute to this creative art form.
_____
tags: mashuptown | mashups | people you need to meet | adam curry | daily source code | podcasting
Comments