s0undpad project started as an electronic music newsletter and then transitioned into a YouTube channel for archiving and sharing my personal music collection. Particularly, these are lesser-known mixed CD compilations from the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

I chose to do this because much of my CD collection was unavailable digitally, so I uploaded it to Youtube for others to access. This was possible with copyright implications, meaning I could upload, and artists would still get rightfully paid the ad revenue from my content.

However, many of my uploads were taken down for copyright infringement, to which I have no objections. Some labels do not permit uploads, which meant I would not find out they were forbidden until I’d combined a mix compilation into a single audio file, digitised the artwork, and then combined them into a single video for YouTube.

Ultimately, I decided to stop uploading them as it did not feel like a worthwhile return on investment in time. I now pay for SoundCloud to upload my collection, as the copyright restrictions do not appear quite as strict.

A part of me feels conflicted about uploading work that I did not create. However, I think it’s also essential to archive my collection so that others can access a part of electronic music history and culture.

I’m uploading works that, in some cases, are not available anywhere else on the Internet, which I hope will give artists greater exposure and encourage listeners to explore their back catalogue.

That said, I’m still trying to figure out where I stand on the ethics of the digital archiving situation, and the conversation will continue in this space.

Mixes | Tracks | Collection