Netlabel on a Blockchain

Here we are, dealing with this message: "Internet Archive services are temporarily offline. We apologize for the inconvenience". For a while, I can't access the Fiat Lux podcast repository and a lot of other content that relies on the Internet Archive. This situation brings back a project I started thinking about back in 2023. I've tried to express this concept several times throughout the year, but it feels like the right moment to share it has arrived only now: a netlabel on the blockchain. This isn’t just about storing music on the blockchain, which has been done since its inception. Instead, it's about creating a netlabel framework within that blockchain context.

A netlabel is essentially a collection of albums that embodies a DIY spirit often linked to the demoscene. They gained popularity in the 2000s but started to decline in the 2010s. Despite this, the concept still holds value and can be just as meaningful as Spotify playlists. The important aspect is the curation — these labels typically showcase artists that the label owner has some connection with. Some are more focused on local scenes, like Mahorka, while others have an international reach, such as Camembert Electrique. There are also labels that blend local and international influences, like Attenuation Circuit, or those that are primarily personal projects, like Treetrunk Records. Most netlabels operate in the underground music scene, and sometimes they aren’t taken seriously, even by the artists involved, until it's too late. According to the Netlabel Archive, there are various reasons why netlabels may shut down. Common issues include dwindling interest, time constraints, or financial challenges in maintaining their website. It’s always disappointing to see the hard work put into these projects fade away and be forgotten, as the Netlabel Archive points out. A significant amount of this work has already been lost, and even more would be at risk if it weren't for the Internet Archive. However, neither the Internet Archive nor Bandcamp, which is another popular platform for netlabels, is required to keep user data intact according to their terms of use. We've seen the Internet Archive crashing, and Bandcamp has had its share of issues too. If everything were to disappear, what would we all do next?

Here are three options. First, you can host a netlabel yourself, paying a monthly fee to a hosting company that will back up your data as part of their service. This option ensures your data is safe, but it can get expensive, especially if you're running a netlabel as a hobby. Another choice is to self-host using your own server and handle all the backups yourself. However, going this route means you can't simply set it up and forget about it. For instance, I recently found out that my IPFS node crashed, and now I have to spend time troubleshooting it — time I really don’t have right now with all my other commitments. The third option is to use blockchain technology, Arweave, which has turned out to be the only solution keeping my two netlabels, Aurora Compilations and Motivational Music, online. The Internet Archive isn’t working, and neither is IPFS, but blockchain is still successfully serving the music.

Since Paragraph is the platform that already uses Arweave, you might already know what it’s about. But just to clarify, Arweave is a data storage blockchain protocol designed to provide permanent data storage by using a "blockweave" (a variation on blockchain technology) and an economic incentive system for data storage. Arweave aims to create a "permaweb", where data is permanently stored, quickly retrievable, and decentralized. A blockchain is a type of database that stores data immutably in "blocks". Unlike traditional blockchains that require verification of the entire blockchain for every new addition, the blockweave only requires verification of a randomly chosen previous block. This makes the process of adding data faster and less energy-intensive. Arweave incentivizes individuals called "miners" to store data on their servers by paying them with AR tokens. Users pay a one-time fee to store data on Arweave, which goes into an endowment that generates interest to pay for the ongoing costs of data storage. The permaweb is the result of the blockweave technology and Arweave's incentive system. It's a decentralized web where content is permanently stored and quickly retrievable.

In her interview with e-Flux, former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning expressed that the fundamental technology behind blockchain has potential, though some of its applications are still untested. She pointed out that the problematic culture surrounding blockchain is influenced by the incentive structures prevalent in Silicon Valley, with cryptocurrency often driven by rapid gains and resource extraction. Could the permaweb be one of these unproven use cases? That's open to interpretation, but I believe the permaweb offers conceptually and practically good solution for a netlabel.

Conceptually, permaweb aligns surprisingly well with the ethos of netlabel culture, creating a unique intersection between technology and artistic expression. Both operate in relatively underground spaces, catering to communities that value independence and creativity. With the permaweb, users make an upfront investment in their digital content, which pays off in the form of permanence and accessibility. Once something is uploaded, it remains available indefinitely, offering a sense of security. I cover these costs myself when I upload my work to the permaweb. And, there are certainly less obvious ways to upload content for free, even if there are certain trade-offs as a result. Both the permaweb and netlabel communities share a strong DIY ethos that attracts a diverse array of developers and creators, all eager to carve out their own space within the digital landscape. Crucially, both communities also provide opportunities for establishing trust — an element that can be difficult, if not impossible, to cultivate in many other contexts. The "trustless" nature of blockchain technology and the permaweb paradoxically fosters a sense of trust among participants, enabling parties who may not know each other personally to engage in transactions and collaborations akin to the netlabel scene.

And, practically speaking, there may come a day when the domain names for my netlabels are no longer available for any number of reasons, but the music will still remain accessible. The transaction links are permanent. If the original gateway to access those transactions disappears, there are alternative gateways that can be used to reach the same content. Additionally, there's an even better option than Creative Commons for protecting artists' rights — the Universal Data License. This license operates on the permaweb, allowing artists to prove their ownership of music and maintain control over its distribution.

If you're on board with the idea like I am, here's what I've been doing in practical terms. For my netlabels I use Faircamp to create HTML preview pages for the music along with MP3 files that can be streamed directly through those pages. These can be hosted anywhere, including on Arweave. I also use ArDrive, which makes it easy to upload content to Arweave. It has a versioning system similar to Git, and it allows me to group multiple files into a single transaction using Arweave manifests.

So, I’ve got the Arweave transaction link — what’s next? There’s a TypeScript proxy created with the help of Cooking with the Permaweb that links the domain name on Deno to the transaction. Whenever I need to update the websites, I regenerate the manifest to get the new transaction link and then update it in the proxy script. While there are other options out there, like the self-hosted solution I tested back in March, this proxy setup has proven to be the most reliable and practical for me. The proxy script has been so effective that I’ve used it in other projects I've contributed to, such as the MedMera podcast run by Chris DeBry. There’s still a lot on my plate, though — I need to write scripts to automate many of the manual tasks related to the HTML. Right now, Faircamp doesn’t support Arweave manifests, which means tracks won’t play without some manual adjustments to the HTML files. I also need to tackle issues with SEO, RSS bugs, and other problems. Fortunately, once I get these scripts written, it’ll be a one-time setup that I won't have to revisit ever again. A detailed tutorial might be published soon! This approach fits perfectly with the idea behind Aurora Compilations: use music to set your intentions for the upcoming year, release the tracks, move on, and then come back later to see how far you've come.

Recently, there was some criticism from a certain archivist within the netlabel community, who pointed out that Arweave was backed by venture capitalists at the point of its inception, which raises concerns according to him. On the other hand, Bandcamp operates as a company and isn’t a non-profit. The Internet Archive, while a charity, faces significant challenges due to political pressures and ongoing legal issues. Arweave serves as a tool, which also has functionality in its protocol preventing dissemination of overly controversial or illegal content — which was my main concern — and it has maintained its decent reputation over the years, aside from the fluctuations in its token value during 2024. It’s just a new technology that needs to be utilized responsibly. If there’s anything I overlooked, I’d be happy to discuss it — in a respectful way, which is always beneficial for learning and understanding new perspectives.

To sum it up, using blockchain is generally more cost-effective than hosting or self-hosting, but it can be a bit pricier or more time-consuming compared to services like the Internet Archive or Bandcamp. However, it's important to note that those platforms aren't required to keep your work permanently. So, if long-term storage is a priority for you — like being able to access your content in 10 years or more — then Internet Archive and Bandcamp might not be the best choices, because it's hard to say what their future will look like in 10 years or so. I decided to go with Arweave, and I'm really satisfied with that decision because it supports the idea of a netlabel on a blockchain.