Getting started.

Why
For too long the massive multinational media companies have dictated the shape of our culture and censored our lives. They systematically seized all media distribution and with that they gained control of what we see and hear.

They created a system where sharing art, the most natural thing in the world, is a crime. Where the joy that art brings comes with a price tag that only the privileged can afford. Digital copying frees art form its physical bonds, making it drastically cheaper to distribute. This should allow many more to enjoy it. Instead digital copying has been used to further restrict access to art via Digital Rights Management.

Everyday, artists from all over the world are forced into choosing between a rock and a hard place: either 'selling out' or being denied access to the public. Sometimes a system can be twisted for so long that people start to think it's normal. That there is no other way of doing things even when technology has moved on. The old ways persist.

Time for change.

When
Now! The greatest empowering system for business is also becoming the greatest empowering system for art.

The internet has spawned a massive 'global' culture. Unfortunately this culture is often denounced as a 'counter culture' by the powers that be and big media, and our fellow human beings are demonised to score political points (pirates): Their only crime is wanting to share and exchange their culture and art. To show off what their artists, representing their culture, can create. To communicate and express themselves through another's art (that's what art is for!).

It's just real, raw, human culture in all its wonderful diversity doing what human do. It should be embraced. It is a breath of fresh air from the oppressive business sanctioned culture that the big media corporations ram down our throats on a daily basis.

The truly remarkable thing about the myriad of cultures from all over the world is how easy it is to get along with each other.

Where
Everywhere. The net has risen to become the prime source of fresh media content from all over the world. It is fast, efficient and convenient, and opens our eyes to see other people for what they really are, bypassing the political rhetoric of their, and our 'leaders'. With the rise of broadband, more and more content is being produced by free speaking individuals, groups and small independent companies.

Who
We at Artists Unchained seek to empower these independent producers to further expand their horizons, and capitalise of the raw power of P2P. To assert their freedom of speech and artistic expression.

Further, we seek to empower fans to become promoter-fans (Pro-fans) and play an active part in media distribution.

How
The system we propose is an artistic 'business' model, and combines many concepts already in use on the net into a workable, legal, and sustainable system. We believe many artists and millions of fans are crying out for a new way of doing things - this is our stab at the beast.