MOVING
So you’re ready for a fresh start with your apps but a bit confused what to do? You want to move to decentralized and open source social networks, and sustainable music platforms, as an alternative to Instagram, Spotify, etc?!
Well I’m as excited as you, it feels like we’re back at the early days of the internet!...
Here is where you want to move to: Mastodon and Pixelfed. (Find me there @zoemcphers and there / zoemcpherson)
Find the section about music further bellow.
Intro to Mastodon & the Fediverse
List of Fediverse projects.
https://fediverse.info/explore/projects
What is the Fediverse?
This zine provides an argument against corporate social media and offers some practical suggestions on how to use alternative social media.
https://archive.org/details/fedizine/fedizine-imposed/page/n9/mode/2up
Import from Instagram to Pixelfed
pixelfed.social/site/kb/import
Tools & tips
- Which project (which “social media or app”) in the Fediverse to start with?
Mastodon (kinda like forums, or twitter, it’s still evolving, well curated posts and even better curated feeds if you look further into different local servers but that’s for advanced, start with .social). My experience so far with Mastodon has been great. Ppl are helpful, respectfull, there’s no censorship and no fascist billionnaire behind it. Every interaction becomes really meaningful. You can share pics and videos there too.
Pixelfed (instagram equivalent, but still is a work in progress I find, and they don’t accept HRes videos or pics).
Loop (video, also a work in progress, I didn’t figure this out yet)
They’re connected anyways and they’re evolving really fast.
- Which server do I select when I set up my account on Mastodon?
Just use “.social” you can always move servers later and keep all your connections
- Whats the difference between Bluesky and the Fediverse? I know you’re all on there since you broke up with X, but somehow I trust it less than Mastodon, now you can see why:
https://social.growyourown.services/@FediTips/113896029909649321
Advanced
- Use Icecubes (iOS) or Fedilab (Android) to gather several Mastodon accounts (tip from Jessica Ekomane)
- This bridges several platform from the fediverse and bluesky: https://fed.brid.gy/
- There’s music servers on Mastodon too such as sonomu.club, post.lurk.org, stereodon and some others. (tip from *_jayrope)
- Custom themes Mastomods for Mastodon (tip from Peter Kirn)
- Looking for Secure encrypted chat? The Fediverse is not that. But you can use Signal, for instance.
- Other: Duckduckgo, Brave (browsers with no profiling), Protonmail (End-to-end encrypted email)
- Huge list here: https://ethical.net/resources/
Music
- How to delete Spotify without loosing my collection?
Transfer playlists between music services: https://www.tunemymusic.com/
Delete your Spotify subscription now!!!
- Which streaming and music platforms are the most sustainable and pay artists more (and more directly)?
Subvert (collectively owned new Bandcamp). You can become a member now!
https://subvert.fm/
Nina Protocol (a listening platform and online music store)
https://www.ninaprotocol.com/
Resonate (community-owned music streaming service)
https://resonate.coop/
Bandcamp
More popular streaming platforms, but less sustainable:
Apple music
Qobuz
Tidal
- How can I buy music in the most direct way?
By buying records or merch from artists after their shows or on their online shops
AND, very important, from local shops or online retailers such as these amazing connaisseurs Boomkat, Hardwax, etc. Trust them, they only pick the best stuff out there!
Questions
- Will artists still get jobs if they are not present on Instagram ? And for decent fees, not depending on their amount of followers? :)
- What if we ditch social media entirely?
Connect
Find me here:
https://mastodon.social/@zoemcphers
https://pixelfed.social/zoemcpherson
SFX’s catalogue:
https://www.ninaprotocol.com/profiles/sfx
https://sfx-space.bandcamp.com/
This is all a work in progress and I keep on learning as things move and ppl interact. I’ll keep feeding this page with updates.
If you think of anything else I could add here, let me know.
I hope this was clear enough and that it helps us continue to connect with one another in a sustainable, decentralized and fun way!