Just discovered this new group looking to spread the free music ideal, only in it's infancy at the moment but they seem to have a good theory going on; localised, personal stuff like this is a cracking way to spread understanding about what we're all doing so best of luck to 'em.

"MUSIF is an acronym for My Urban Soundtrack Is Free.

Musif is a crazy new physical music distribution method which aims to produce high quality CD's which will be given away for free throughout the city (Dublin currently but if this takes off hopefully more cities). We aim to distribute in as many crazy ways as we possibly can including treasure hunts, leaving the CD's in obscure and unlikely places like wedging them between books in the library or sticking them behind posters or signs on a wall or along the street. These locations will be defined on the web and people can search their local cities for these discs. Droplifting has also been considered, this is in a sense the opposite of shop-lifting, instead of taking things you leave things.

MUSIF aims to release CD's of Creative Commons content, to heighten awareness of CC music both to producers and consumers of music. To this end, we are asking artists if they will release tracks for inclusion on this basis, to raise awareness of CC as a means of distribution."

Project info

Entertainment for the Braindead - Roadkill (Aaahh Records)

Horror Vacuii - Todos Los Colores de la Oscuridad (Zorch Factory Records)

Free music, free culture in general in fact, is a thing of obvious benefits. To the creator it's an outlet which allows for honest enthusiasm, for the passion which was invested into the work to be appreciated by as many people as possible without having to adhere to a communal, often corporate, set of ideals. To the observer it's even more; it's a completely accessible, democratic and non-dictatorial cultural sphere where it truly does fall on the individual to seek out their own tastes and interests without any dictated trends or tastes being laid down by commercial and stylistic influences which rely on absolute saturation and semi-programmed indulgence to retain their hold of cultural life. It's a liberating ideal, one which we're only just starting to see the extent of and of which we can have no idea of the limits which it could reach as an alternative world of art and content.