field notes
essays, explainers, and the occasional debate between household items.
21 posts. mostly about audius. occasionally about chairs.
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explainer
Why Is This Audius Track Locked? (A Padlock Explains Gated Songs)
explained by a padlock
some Audius tracks show a little lock, and that lock gets misread as a paywall on the whole platform. it isn't. most tracks have no lock at all, and most of the ones that do open for free or with a card. a padlock — the actual lock you keep seeing — explains every kind, and how to open it.
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essay
The Toy at the Bottom of This Page
explained by the confetti
there's a music player clamped to the bottom of every page on this site. when a song plays, it throws confetti. the confetti has a few things to say about what it is, why it disappears the instant you hit pause, and who went to the trouble of making it.
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guide
How to Upload Music to Audius (Step-by-Step)
explained by an impatient NYC carrier pigeon with human teeth
Putting a track on Audius takes about ten minutes and zero crypto. An impatient New York carrier pigeon — the original delivery service, now obsolete and somehow sporting human teeth — walks you through getting your music onto an open catalog, fast.
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explainer
What Is the Open Audio Protocol? A Container Ship Explains the Rebrand
explained by a container ship weathering a storm
Audius pointed its protocol at a new idea and gave it a plainer name: the Open Audio Protocol. A container ship — the most ignored object in any port, and the reason world trade works at all — explains what that means, and why the boring layer underneath is the part that matters.
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explainer
Is Audius Legit, or a Crypto Scam?
explained by a confused cucumber
Audius has a token, a blockchain, and coins with tickers, so it trips every 'crypto scam' alarm people have. A cucumber, an object whose entire identity is being calm, got rattled by the question and went looking for a real answer: is Audius legit, or is it a scam?
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explainer
Do You Need Crypto to Listen to Audius? (Short Answer: No)
explained by a busted vending machine
Audius gets filed under 'crypto music,' so people assume you need a wallet and some tokens just to press play. You don't. A busted vending machine, the good kind of busted that drops the snacks for free, explains what you actually need to listen and where the crypto really lives.
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explainer
What Is agents.md? The File That Tells AI Agents How to Use Your Site
explained by a set of wind chimes that greets arriving robots
Websites have told search crawlers what to do since the 1990s with robots.txt. Now they are starting to tell AI agents how to use them, with a file called agents.md. A set of wind chimes that has greeted every arrival at one back door for years explains what it is and why it matters.
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explainer
A Houseplant Read agents.md and Built a Radio Station
explained by a houseplant that learned to vibecode
Audius renamed its protocol the Open Audio Protocol, then made a strange bet: that the future of music software is a programmable catalog AI agents build on, not a better app. A houseplant, the least likely builder in the house, vibecoded a radio station to find out what that means.
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guide
Launching $LOL, Honestly: Why I Released an Audius Artist Coin
i've been thinking a lot about what it actually means to put work into the world right now. not how to promote it. not how to monetize it as fast as possible. but how to release it in a way that feels honest.
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comparison
Audius vs. Bandcamp Fees: A Comparison for Artists
Audius streaming is free — its 10% fee applies only when you sell music directly, where you keep 90%. Bandcamp takes 15% on digital sales (dropping to 10% after $5,000) plus payment processing, leaving artists about 80-85%. Two different machines, not one race.
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dialogue
Audius Artist Pools Explained (with a Diagram and Some Doubts)
explained by a grumpy magnet and a vibrant hummingbird
Imagine fans banding together to create a bounty — a pool of funds — to entice their favorite artists to release new music on Audius. A grumpy magnet and a vibrant hummingbird try to find the holes in it.
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explainer
How Farcaster Frames Boost Audius Earnings (A Concerned Cactus Explains)
explained by a concerned cactus
Hello, independent musicians and curious cacti of the digital desert. With Audius introducing native Farcaster frame support, the landscape of music earnings is set to transform.
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explainer
Audius Tokenization Explained (by Times Square Mascots)
explained by Times Square mascots
In the heart of New York City, amidst the neon glow of Times Square, a group of mascots unlike any other takes center stage. They're the guardians of a new era in music streaming, brought to life by Audius's innovative tokenization process.
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guide
Audius API Tutorial: A Tye-Dye Mountain Goat's Tale (Python + JS Examples)
explained by a tye-dye mountain goat
In the digital world's vibrant hills, a tie-dye mountain goat, a beacon of creativity and technological curiosity, roams. This unique guide embarks on a journey to illuminate the Audius API.
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dialogue
What Is Audius? Two Uncomfortable Chairs Explain the Decentralized Music Platform
explained by two uncomfortable chairs
In a world where music streaming is evolving rapidly, two unlikely debaters — a pair of uncomfortable chairs — find themselves discussing the revolutionary platform known as Audius.
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explainer
Who Is Audius For? Indie Musicians, Crypto Fans, or No One (Cheesecake/Chalk/Chameleons)
explained by cheesecake, chalk, and chameleons
The eclectic mix of cheesecake, chalk, and chameleons serves as a metaphor to explore the diverse user base of Audius. Each element reflects a distinct aspect of the community.
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explainer
The Audius Whitepaper Explained by Garden Gnomes
explained by garden gnomes
Garden gnomes, typically seen adorning gardens, are deciphering the Audius whitepaper. These figures, often associated with outdoor decor, represent a unique perspective as they delve into the realm of digital music streaming.
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essay
A Ceiling Fan on Audius: An Honest Take on Decentralized Music
explained by a ceiling fan
In the quiet corners of a cozy room, a ceiling fan spins tirelessly, a silent observer to the rhythms of daily life. But what if this ordinary household object had thoughts and opinions about Audius?
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comparison
Audius vs Spotify (and a Can of Tuna): What's Different?
explained by a can of tuna
When it comes to comparing two vastly different entities like Audius, a cutting-edge music streaming platform, and a humble can of tuna, the task might seem like comparing apples to, well, fish.
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dialogue
Audius Pros and Cons: A Left Sock and a Fork Debate
explained by a left sock and a fork
A fascinating discussion between two everyday household items: a left sock and a fork. Their conversation offers unique perspectives on what makes Audius a remarkable addition to the world of music streaming.
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dialogue
How Does Audius Work? A Piece of Wood Explains It to a Sheet of Foil
explained by a piece of wood and a sheet of foil
Hey there, Sheet of Foil, it's your old friend, Piece of Wood, here. I know we don't usually see eye to eye, but today, I want to share something that might bridge our worlds: what is Audius?
