A computer scientist from Tolosa and his colleague have completed a significant music project, responding to the request of the Musikariak Palestinarekin (Musicians with Palestine) initiative. This initiative was created by several Basque musicians to ask more professionals in the sector to leave the Spotify platform, due to the company's investments in the arms industry. The computer scientists, being music lovers, joined the project and created a simple and user-friendly platform, which currently gathers songs from nearly 200 Basque musicians and groups.
Musikariak.eus is a website for listening to music, based on the Bandcamp streaming platform. Although they initially had a more complex idea, they simplified it and collected Bandcamp links, allowing users to listen to music from groups that were part of the Musikariak Palestinarekin initiative. The main goal of the project is to offer a new option for listening to musical groups that decided to leave Spotify, and at the same time, to show support for Palestine.
“"Large groups receive a significant amount of money from Spotify, and it is difficult to give that up."
The website's creators also utilized artificial intelligence in the design process. The platform has three main sections: an alphabetical list of musical groups, a search engine, and the user's library, where playlists can be created. Users do not need to create a profile or pay a subscription. The project does not generate profits, and the creators cover the cost of website hosting, maintaining the Bandcamp links so that musicians can sell albums and merchandise.
The creators are satisfied with the project's reception, although usage has stabilized after the initial boost. They acknowledge that Basque music would need a more powerful platform, useful for all groups, to manage albums and concerts. However, the Musikariak.eus project can be an important first step in that direction, and they intend to make improvements in the future, including creating a more robust agenda.
