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"The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.\nName: Public Records\nQuick Pitch: Public Records is an online community for indie music that seeks to replace the traditional record label structure, calling upon its members to help bands with all aspects of the business.\nGenius Idea: A commune for music.\nIt's becoming a well-worn song: As the Internet makes it easier for musicians to get their music out there, it also makes it harder for anyone to get any kind of tangible recognition \u2014 there's just too much competition, and we're all too ADD-addled to make it through an entire album nowadays.\n\"In the music industry, we have seen a dramatic shift in the way people acquire and listen to new music over the past decade,\" says Ashleigh Schafer, director of communications for Public Records. \"Yet, the businesses that have traditionally profited from selling us physical media still cling to the status quo business model that artists and listeners are increasingly starting to shun.\"\nPublic Records seeks to harness the spidering power of the web that propels musicians into the limelight, replacing the traditional mores of the music industry with a more democratic flavor.\nWe have yet to lay eyes on the site \u2014 as it will be launched in beta in August \u2014 but Schafer describes it as a community that will be packed with casual users (music fans), bands and businesses (industry professionals). The site will cater to both members \u2014 who will pay an annual fee \u2014 and non-members. Members will participate in governing the site, and will pay extra for premium features such as media uploading, downloading, streaming and sale (if you're in a band).\n\n\n\n\nMuch like pre-existing social networks such as Facebook, members can follow bands and keep up to date about their musical progress and events via a newsfeed. Bands and companies can publish updates to their feeds, and share those updates to networks like Facebook as well.\nStill, the site isn't just about keeping up with new bands, it's also designed to be a kind of democratic community for advancing their careers. The whole site is governed by its members, who elect community directors who set goals and strategies for the assemblage. The site then metes out help to the artists deemed worthy in the form of production assistance, grants, distribution, promotion, help landing tours and more.\nGrants are raised internally \u2014 through advertising, membership dues and other fees. The company itself is a nonprofit, so all money goes back into the community to advance artists' careers.\nAt beta launch, the site will not be as built-out as the final version, slated to roll out in January. It will allow bands to upload music and list events, and fans to create playlists of songs they like and earn virtual currency (\"Notes\") for referrals. One can use Notes for on-site purchases (music, merch, tickets). \nHowever, those Notes will gain a lot more clout when the full version of the site rolls out, complete with e-commerce. It will also feature a virtual promoter (provides bands, promoters and venues with an automated system to book shows and communicate via the network), social advertising (users can buy ad space along side of pages or become featured song/artist) and charts.\nAs the music industry continues to change, crowdsourced record labels like this continue to pop up \u2014 we've covered a bevy in the past. Still, the question with such service: Will it be able to draw enough users into its fold that it will truly make a difference in a musician's career?\nSeries Supported by Microsoft BizSpark\n\n\nThe Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2011/07/28/public-records/>