I'm telling ya... community-made -- No, Kompoz-made! -- music is going to rule the airways soon enough. The stuff you guys are producing is amazing. I had the Kompoz iPhone app streaming music the other day while I was outside by the pool, and song-after-song I was blown away. I tagged a few of my favorites.
Kompoz Konnect, our desktop application for uploading files, will be retired this Sunday. It has served us well over the last two years, but it is time to put Konnect on the shelf and focus our efforts on the new online multi-track uploader.
Why don't we keep both? Several reasons.
Konnect uses FTP to upload files. We've noticed several attempts by hackers to try to work their way in using the open FTP ports. We can lock that down better over HTTP.
We've added (and plan to add) additional features to the online uploader, that have not been added to Konnect. It's out of date.
Supporting multiple operating systems is tough! Konnect runs on Windows and Mac. Testing Konnect on all the variations of Windows (from XP through Windows 7 -- and even ME!), plus Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard, and Snow Leopard, is labor-intensive.
The online uploader is faster and more reliable. Konnect occasionally stops working and/or drops files.
I've posted a couple of blogs now about the RPM Challenge 2010, and I've applauded the 40+ members that successfully completed the challenge by producing the Kompozite CD. I've just come to learn that a second CD was also completed by another smaller (and quieter) group of Kompozers. Check out Two of Seven Minds, a virtual band that includes Cascia, Matt, Tracy, Dean, Gord and Nate.
One of my favorite songs on the Kompozite RPM CD is Howlin' Blues, by Alberto, Bill, Bjorn, Brooke, Casia, Matt, Rab & Roger. Brooke (a/k/a 40milecreek) has created a video to go along with the music. Check it out below.
They did it! Forty-three Kompozers wrote/recorded/mastered seventeen songs in twenty-eight days, and produced a CD for the RPM Challenge. It's an amazing accomplishment.
You can download their CD in a ready-to-burn format. Erik has uploaded a ZIP file that includes all of the songs, a printable PDF CD "album" cover, and a free program to burn the songs to disc (Windows only). Just follow the easy instructions included in the ZIP file.
I'm really excited about an update we just rolled out. We've totally revamped our online uploader, and added some really cool new features. I think you're gonna like this.
Upload Multiple Files at Once
You can now upload more than one file at a time. Until today, the only way to do this was to use our desktop software called Kompoz Konnect. Uploading multiple files is now supported via the Kompoz web site directly. Simply go to the project you wish to upload to, select the Upload New Track link, then choose the files you want to upload. You can use the standard Windows or Mac keyboard shortcuts to choose multiple files, or pick one at a time, adding each to the upload queue. When you've selected all the files you want, click the Upload button and send them up all at once.
Upload a ZIP File with Multiple Audio Files
You can now upload a ZIP file containing all of the tracks you wish to upload. We'll auto-expand the ZIP once it's uploaded, and add each track individually to the project so that other members can playback, comment, and download each.
Faster Uplooads
The new uploader is 20% faster and more reliable than using Kompoz Konnect. You'll notice a significant improvement in upload times!
Auto-Detect Track Types
Kompoz will now guess at the track types, saving you time. We'll check for certain keywords in the track file names, and suggest a track title and track type for each. For example, if the track file name contains the any of the words 'snare', 'drum', 'cymbal', 'kick', etc., we'll mark it as a Drum track. If the track file name contains the words 'vox', 'vocal', or 'harmony', we'll mark it as a vocal track. Choose good names for your tracks before uploading them to make adding them to Kompoz easier!
It's stated in the Kompoz Terms of Use, and again on the track upload page. Unless you personally own the copyright, you may not upload songs, tracks, or PDFs that have a no-use/no-share traditional copyright. Material released under a creative commons license is generally OK, as is public domain material (as long as you abide by the attribution and commercial use requirements of those licenses).
For the most part, Kompoz members have been very good about adhering to the Kompoz Terms of Use. Unfortunately, as the site has grown and gained attention, people with no intention of collaborating have been abusing the service and using it as a free personal file sharing system. When I find those violations, I immediately delete the projects and usually suspend the members.
I can't keep up with the number of files uploaded, and inspect each and every track. Fortunately, many of you have been alerting me via private message when you spot one. Thank you! I want to publicly thank Rich, Erik, and Enrico who have been so vigilant.
I've recently added a new link on every track page to help make reporting violations easier. You'll see it just below the track details, and just above the track comments. It looks like this:
When you click that link, it will open a popup window with the track details. There's an optional comment field if you want to send me a note, otherwise, just click the "Report It" button and I'll get a message with all the details. No need to send me private messages anymore! Easy and fast.
With the help of the community, we can keep this site clean and ensure the lawyers stay away. Kompoz depends on you!
Creative developers in London have launched a new site called CodeOrgan, which translates Web page code into instrumental songs.
CodeOrgan analyses the text in the body of the supplied URL and follows an algorithm to render that site into a musical composition. It chooses a drum pattern, synth style and key based on the contents of the page, and plays back the associated music via the "Play this website" button.
Here's my idea... Record what CodeOrgan comes up with for Kompoz.com, then incorporate that into a completed Kompoz project. Best new song gets a Kompoz t-shirt and 2 free private projects. Send me a link to the project by March 20th. Who's up for the challenge?
You may have noticed that we have a new sponsor here at Kompoz. I'm particularly thrilled to have these guys in our corner, because the service they provide is extremely useful for all musicians. And these guys do it really well.
As their tagline states, BandVista.com provides band websites with industry features in five minutes. Whether you're a solo artist, an online virtual band, or even one of those "real-world" bands, you need a strong website to connect with your fans and to promote your music. BandVista provides exactly that.
Creating a really good website is hard. This is particularly true of websites for bands, which require advanced features to stay competitive. These days, a good band website must have streaming audio, a gig calendar, video, a photo gallery, an online store, a blog, and more. And the content must be easily updated and kept fresh. Building all of that from scratch is hard, expensive, and time-consuming.
BandVista makes it simple. They provide hundreds of templates, and a wizard-based guide that asks you questions about your band, then builds the site for you. You can upload your own artwork, or chose from stock photography they provide. Upload your music, click publish, and you're done!
Start by entering your band name:
Next, choose a site template for your band's website. There are hundreds of styles to choose from, and you can even customize them by uploading your own artwork.
Next, jump into the online BandVista Control Panel where you'll be able to manage your content anywhere, anytime. With the Control Panel, you can:
Change the styles and font, header images, and colors
Upload gallery photos
Upload music that plays for your fans, using a built-in MP3 player
Add custom header code for custom site analytics and tracking
It's stated in the Kompoz 
