CcMixter's Patreon Campaign Remixes How Music is Valued.

Launched in March of this year, ccMixter's Patreon page is providing a way for fans of Creative Commons music to show their support of the site and it's artists.  This is a big step for the future of ccMixter, the site that helped launch the world of free downloads, free sharing and free use of source material.  With Patreon, ccMixter's rich history and archive of #ccmusic has a future where the music is still free, and the costs to maintain and expand the community that create it are provided for.

watch Jack Conte speak about Patreon and artist support

I asked Kara Square, who is at the forefront of this effort, a few quick questions about her thoughts on why Patreon is a great fit for the ccMixter community.  Kara runs her own record label, Thinkroot Records, writes and produces her own music under the pseudonym Mind Map That, and serves on the admin team at ccMixter.  She basically embodies the culture of music that is at the core of ccMixter's community, and thrives as an independent artist and entrepreneur.  This is what she had to say:

Q: Why is Patreon a good fit for the goals of ccMixter?

Kara: ccMixter artists love collaborating to create music. We pool our skills to make our music better than it is when we go it alone. Likewise, Patreon gives us the chance to pool our resources to keep ccMixter online and make it an even more awesome site.

ccMixter is one of the few spots on the web that doesn't have distracting advertising or mandatory subscription fees to participate, but the site still needs money to cover basic expenses and updates. Patreon is a platform that allows anyone who loves ccMixter to contribute financially and become a patron. The cool thing about it is that you can become a patron of ccMixter at whatever level you are able. With the different levels, rewards are offered to express our gratitude. Even contributing $1 each month adds up when we pool our resources. As more and more people join Patreon, ccMixter will have a sustainable income that can be counted on and used to make the site better and better.

Q: When ccMixter reaches it's initial goal, will there be future goals to hit, other features released?

Kara:  We have created 3 goals for ccMixter based on the sites needs. The initial goal is $770, which will cover our monthly server costs. The second goal is $2100, which will cover all of ccMixter's monthly expenses including: server costs, domain and email fees, accounting and tax fees, and personnel. It will allow ccMixter to regularly pay two part-time admins and one part-time tech director. Our third goal is $3000, which will be used to finish updating ccMixter's websites to keep everything relevant and functioning.

Q:  Many of the initial Patreon contributors are ccMixter artists, why is that?

Kara:  I think ccMixter artists are joining Patreon because they find the site personally valuable. They have experienced the magic of collaborating and connecting with musicians from all over the world. They have received the support of the community and want to keep it alive. And they know that they are expanding creativity by creating music that can be freely used by other creators.

Q: Who benefits from the contributions made at Patreon?

Kara:  Everyone who is part of the ccMixter community benefits. Everyone who visits ccMixter to find remixes, samples, and pells benefits. Everyone who visits Dig to find music for their projects benefits. Everyone who listens to ccMixter music all over the web benefits. Everyone who watches videos online that use ccMixter music benefits.

To visit ccMixter's Patreon page, follow this link.
https://www.patreon.com/ccMixter