Leftob audio cast :: what people sometimes like to know…
December 6, 2008
Who is behind Leftob?
Giorgos Stefanou and Olliver Wichmann (the author of this FAQ). We run the Petcord netlabel and are musicians ourselves.
What is Leftob’s agenda?
To play the music we ourselves enjoy, find relevant and are permitted to broadcast. Popularity concerns are secondary to us, but of course we are happy if someone is listening to our selection nonetheless 
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What does the word Leftob exactly mean?
I’m afraid I can’t tell for sure . Leftob was the result of me spending some time with inventing words that could be pronounced the same way in multiple languages. I suppose it must have started with variations on the word laptop, and from there it was a minor leap to leftob music. Creating nonsensical words may appear strange at first glance, but it has the advantage of avoiding issues with taken domain names or trademark violations (and encounters with overly litigious lawyers).
What led to the launch of Leftob audio cast?
Initially it was the frustration about not being able to find a netradio station that played the kind of music I wanted to listen to. Additionally, there was no radio station that could give experimental netaudio artists a chance to get noticed by an audience not familiar with the netaudio scene. Rather than waiting for a miracle and someone else stepping in, I discussed my idea with Giorgos and did it myself.
Is there a reason why you do not play commercial artists?
Music distributed by traditional record labels comes with restrictive licences that prohibit any kind of broadcast unless you agree to pay a fee for the privilege of playing these works. By focussing on labels and artists who grant the right to share their music, we can keep the expenses for running a netradio station low and avoid hassles with litigious businesses. As a non-profit project, Leftob cannot afford the costs involved with playing proprietary music and therefore opted to neglect it entirely.
I published a work on a record label that might fit to your programme. Is there a way you can play it on Leftob?
If you do own the copyright of your music, you can grant us an exclusive licence that allows us to play your music. In case you have signed a contract that transferred the copyright to the record label, you needed to convince said label to permit the broadcast and have them notified us. If that is not likely to happen anytime soon, then I’m afraid there is nothing we can do for you.
I run a netlabel that features music similar to what you are playing. Can you add it to your programme?
It depends on whether we like it, but principally yes. We encourage experimental netlabels to get in touch with us, so we can provide unknown artists/labels with an opportunity of getting noticed. Often, the media coverage of netlabels is highly biased towards personal friendships rather than objective quality criteria. Traditional ways of getting informed do not really work, because a lot of people who happen to lack influential friends are excluded. Leftob can help overcome these obstacles, but it requires your activity as we may not be aware of your label’s existence.
