Something just for Audio Creators and Fans

I made a simple app for audio sharing some time ago, and I'm redesigning it from the ground up.

Here's the main idea of what I want users to be able to do:

1) Find up and coming creators and creator collabs

2) Buy creator content directly from artists through Chia blockchain offers

3) Receive content over a decentralized hosting network

This is an app aimed at giving artists and fans more control over their content and their network.

I've seen a pattern with content platforms that focus on revenue from ads and data collection.

• When platforms fund services with advertisements, the direction of development will always lean towards what advertising companies want, which is biased visibility to the user, and control over the context they appear in.

• The same goes for user data collection, which biases a platform towards unnecessarily tracking interactions and user choices at the expense of security and usability.

The only way to do this is without ads or data collection is for the users themselves to be the source of revenue for the services, in exchange for permissionless use of platform services.

To overcome this friction, at the bare minimum this service layer has to offer the best service at the best price, it needs to be designed for scaling, and it needs to be offering competitive market rates - as close to cost as possible.

This is a big challenge, but there are new developments in the tech industry that are making this challenge much more of a possibility.

For a less centralized future

Running on a flexible peer to peer network that provides a professional quality of service without compromising on security, utility, and accessibility.

For some creators, distributing their content on a more centralized service means having your content displaced, removed, banned, or demonetized without explanation, without appeal, and with no means to financially support yourself --- at a moments notice.

The design of this app isn't intended to support hateful speech, or verbal abuse, but to protect artists from unfair practices in the music industry.

Let's look at what this could offer if completed:

For Fans:

• As much support as possible goes to your artist and their collaborators
• No forced recommendation algorithms, no ads (no generative search)
• No selling or storing of your personal info (self custody of keys)
• Always have online and offline access to your files anywhere you go

For Artists:

• Access to versatile Chia NFT and DID standards for tokenization of your content
• Work alongside other artists and get paid fairly, transparently, and instantly
• Own both your fan and professional network
• Lower upfront and long term costs to distributing your audio
• Avoid industry pitfalls like predatory contracts with legacy industry players
• Censorship resistant file hosting (denials of service)

How Does It Work?

It's powered by four main components on the backend:

1. P2P Authentication → LIT Protocol
2. P2P Transactions → Chia Network
3. P2P Storage → DIG Network
4. Centralized Indexing and Caching Service (only to start, third party P2P CDNs are TBD)

The frontend application will be built as a progressive web app (PWA), using centralized hosting initially while allowing gradual decentralization.

What Can Users Do?

Create an Account

• When you create a new account, you generate a Decentralized Identifier (DID) on the Chia blockchain.
• This DID is used to perform transactions on the Chia network and deliver audio files securely to you.

Buy NFTs

• Find an audio NFT you want? Complete a Chia offer to buy it.
• download the audio file to your local device upon purchase.
• Play it!

Sell NFTs

• Create an NFT for your audio file
• List it as a Chia offer receiving funds at any wallet on your DID.
• Build your reputation
• Fund your projects

Manage your Audio Library

• Organize, categorize, filter, make playlists, etc. with your collection of tokenized audio

Collaborate with Artists

• Launch a project together with another artist.
• Use smart Chia-based contracts to enforce the terms of collaboration without an intermediary

It's designed to empower artists and fans alike by creating an open, fair, and decentralized music economy.

I'll be unpacking more of how it all works in a series, you can find and start the repository here:

https://github.com/collectivenectar/soundslip-mvp

and find me on twitter @_jonharvey