Tomorrow morning, remix hosting site thefuture.fm is releasing an iPhone app that streams mixes from over 5,000 DJs, all without a hint of copyright infringement. GigaOm sat down with thefuture.fm co-founder and CEO David Stein to discuss the site's new Mixscan software, which automatically picks out copyrighted song fragments and keeps track of how many times they've been played, for how long, and by how many people. Then, Mixscan aggregates the data and processes any necessary compulsory licensing fees, which are then paid to the appropriate copyright holder.
This service is not only appealing to listeners, but also to DJs trying to find an audience without the fear of getting angry emails from artists and music labels, or worse, a lawsuit. Other streaming music sites that host mixes — like Hype Machine or 8tracks — could also benefit from Mixscan technology. Thefuture.fm is apparently in talks to license it, though no specific sites were mentioned.