DMCA takedowns are the bane of every game streamer’s existence. And with many major publishers proving to be extremely contentious, the problem isn’t going away anytime soon. But with the help of its ties to the music industry, XSET has found a way to give streamers music to play in streaming, while also helping aspiring musicians gain much needed exposure.
XSET today announced its partnership with non-DMCA music brand PRTL to create a space for streamers to find music they can stream for free, called StreamJ.
“Music is an integral part of the culture of gamers and streamers, and one without the other limits self-expression,†Clinton Sparks, head of business development for XSET, told Dot Esports. “It also prohibits new artists and their music from being exposed to new audiences, for free. Being able to deliver music from new, emerging artists to streamers is a win / win / win. “
Sparks, who is also a Grammy-nominated music producer, has strong ties to the music and video game industry, leading him to forge natural connections with PRTL founders Adam Schmidt and the hip hop artist MC Serch, creating what Serch himself likened to assembling the sci-fi robot cartoon Voltron.
In what they call the “beta†phase of their new music distribution platform, content creators can access the StreamJ profile on Spotify and play any number of songs listed on their profile without having to log in. worry about DMCA issues.
But this is only the beginning of what the partnership has started.
“With something like that, it’s really good to put it in people’s hands and see how they use it,†said XSET co-founder and COO Marco Mereu.
At present, the StreamJ profile is primarily a DMCA-free lo-fi music collection from PRTL. But in the near future, MC Serch and Sparks plan to work to attract more and more independent artists looking to establish themselves.
The ultimate goal is to make StreamJ a place where artists can promote their music to a game-specific audience and build their brand.
“One of the things I love that Clinton says all the time is that it wasn’t about his signing in a big [record label]he was always about to be his own major, â€said Serch.
For streamers, using StreamJ will be as easy as playing music on the profile you like and forgetting about it.
But on the music industry side, XSET and PRTL plan to make StreamJ a way for artists to immerse themselves in the huge audience that gaming and streaming culture has to offer.
“Why are [streamers] only care about popular songs or popular publishers when there are millions and millions of unsigned emerging artists, â€Sparks said.
As a veteran of the games and music industry, Sparks understands the complexity of DMCA issues. But he also sees the positive that playing can bring to musicians who are still developing their brand.
“I’m on both sides,†Sparks said. “I make music to live with, so I don’t want someone to take my stuff and use it everywhere and I don’t get anything for it. However, I also know the extreme worth of someone playing my music and the promotion that comes with it. “
