Why Audio Files Still Matter

I genuinely love making music for people. Central to this joy is simply making my music easy for people to use. It might seem obvious, but for independent musicians, accessibility has often been a significant challenge. When iTunes first emerged, discussions were dominated by words like “piracy,” “stealing,” and even just “sharing.” While Steve Jobs opened a door to broader distribution, independent artists without major-label backing found themselves largely excluded from this technological advancement.

Audio files remain indispensable for theater playback, filmmaking, and creative manipulation. Trying to run a show from a streaming link is unreliable and needlessly complex. Software like QLab, paired with high-quality audio files, significantly enhances the audience’s listening experience during live performances. Similarly, filmmakers and film editors—some of the best music editors I’ve known—utilize sophisticated editing tools that overlap significantly between audio and video. Witnessing their skill in manipulating sound feels akin to watching an expert DJ blend one of my tracks into a richer, expansive mix.

Dancers, who possess deep expertise and sensitivity to music, continually amaze me with their innovative sound manipulations. Initially, I believed the greatest joy was seeing various choreographers interpret my music differently over the years. Yet, experiencing the unique ways dancers directly engage with and reshape my audio has been incredibly heartwarming and inspiring. It affirmed my decision to fully embrace and encourage open access to audio files—not viewing it as loss but as a meaningful, collaborative win.

Creating and releasing music through audio files provides musicians a lasting asset. Beyond mere digital ones and zeros, each file encapsulates the artist’s effort, intention, and creativity, carrying immense potential to be continually rediscovered and repurposed. Unlike previous physical mediums such as vinyl, 8-Track, cassette, CD, or MiniDisc, audio files possess unparalleled immediacy and reach, holding significant value in an interconnected digital landscape. When early internet platforms like Napster and LimeWire emerged, many were outraged. Yet, I quickly recognized this “free distribution” as an unexpected advantage, something iTunes neither fully embraced then nor effectively addressed.

Furthermore, unlike vinyl or cassettes, audio files have a vibrant present and future through licensing opportunities and inclusion in AI datasets. For those supporting my music, I strive to ensure these files remain globally accessible across diverse platforms. There isn’t a single dominant platform, which allows independent artists to thrive through niche specialization and generous distribution. After nearly 30 years in music-making, this approach feels deeply rewarding. Music licensing offers a powerful means of directly supporting musicians—not through large Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP or BMI, but by engaging directly with smaller independent creators: the dance accompanists, film composers, and passionate individuals in home studios tirelessly exploring new sounds. These are precisely the artists deserving of our licensing support.

Music is experiencing a remarkable renaissance; in fact, we’ve been living it for some time now. The ongoing integration of advanced software tools continues to expand the possibilities for artists everywhere. My excitement now extends into audio processing through AI. Using deep learning principles to explore innovative sound synthesis methods has significantly piqued my curiosity. Training AI systems on my own dataset of tracks promises new sonic discoveries, akin to the explorations I’ve undertaken with DSP and modular synthesis. This integration represents a compelling future, further validating the ongoing relevance and power of audio files.