EMI opens up music online for remixing by the public

EMI Music, the UK-based record company, is embracing the trend towards user-generated content with a site letting fans remix and upload songs and videos from one of its albums.

The campaign centres on the reissued album “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts”, by Brian Eno and David Byrne.

Visitors to the bush-of-ghosts.com website can remix and upload their own versions of the songs on the album, to be reviewed by other users. The public will also be able to create videos for the tracks, which will be streamed on the site.

The record company hopes the recently launched site can take advantage of viral marketing via blogs and other websites.

EMI digital media manager Andy Way says the process of setting up the site has not been easy but believes it could provide a template for future initiatives.

“There’s been an interesting set of discussions, both internally and with the publishers. Legally it’s been a challenge,” he says.

The site was designed by digital agency Mook and is due to stay up until the end of the year.

The initiative was the brainchild of David Byrne, the former Talking Heads frontman. The 1981 album was one of the first to incorporate samplings as part of the music. â¢Separately, EMI is this week releasing special football themed compilations and individual mobile phone ringtones as downloadable packages. Each package contains a handful of tracks and is available from online digital service providers including iTunes, Napster and OD2.