Oscillating between free & mediated access online: The case of NaadSaagar Archives & Documentation Society for South Asian Music
A cursory survey of the myriad ways of providing access to audio-visual material online serves up an interesting mix – from almost exclusively paid downloads through portals like the iTunes store and exclusively private collections like that of Firoz Juma (http://firozjuma.com/) to genre-based connoisseur collectives like Raga Vibrations (http://ragavibrations.blogspot.in/) and broader user initiatives like Oriental Traditional Music from LPs and Cassettes (http://oriental-traditional-music.blogspot.in/). However, upon reviewing, one finds that besides the first cited option, all other avenues stand gingerly on legal grounds vis-à-vis copyright and intellectual property rights issues. Thus, while a majority might firmly believe in and aspire for universal access, the legal framework within geographical borders offline and across international borders online acts as a stumbling block towards achieving this utopian state.
Oscillating between providing free and mediated access online, I will present the case of NaadSaagar Archives and Documentation Society for South Asian Music (http://www.naadsaagar.com). As a web-based archive, it envisages to be a consortium of connoisseurs and artists consisting of two sections – one featuring connoisseur collections which are legally ‘uncontested’ and the other a paid, mediated section drawing from artists’ private collections.