DVS1 and his team have announced a new platform in public beta designed to share the wealth between DJs and the people who produce the music that they play.
Aslice describes itself as a “community-focused service dedicated to creating a fairer ecosystem” by “revolutioniz[ing] the relationship between DJs and producers” through easy and accurate reporting.
Aslice was founded by Zak Khutoretsky (aka DJ, producer and Midwest techno stalwart DVS1) in 2020 and, after recruiting former Global Head of Red Bull Radio Ethan Holben as CEO, launched in a private beta. A public beta of Aslice launched today and is available for sign-up at aslice.com.
Aslice works by “automating the process of performers uploading their playlist text files” to the app:
Aslice is meant to supplement, or augment, rather than replace existing reporting by Performing Rights Organizations, though the company points out that many producers presently miss out on these royalties altogether.
It’s also voluntary. Unlike most programs, DJs have to have a Come-To-Jesus Moment to use this app — a revelation that “tithing” 5% or 10% or 20% of each gig fee (an amount which they currently pocket) is ethically sensible. Aslice is a bet that DJs have actually been interested in doing this all along, or at least since Spotify finished caving in the head of producer royalties, but were held back only by the red tape of locating and issuing micropayments to dozens or hundreds of rights-holders around the world.
That might seem like a dubious prospect, depending on how cynical you are about your peers. There’s a lot of technology and weight behind this to merely call it an experiment in human nature. But the frictionless-ness of Aslice is actually a way to find out.
