wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

The director of Sita Sings the Blues, Nina Paley, had to pay $50,000 to use old songs in her animation movie. She then put the movie online for free and turned herself into a free-culture activist. Composer Jaron Lanier was a digital pioneer in the '90s, but in his new ...

Film composer James Horner has scored soundtracks as diverse as Titanic and Field of Dreams. His most recent effort, the sci-fi extravaganza Avatar, reunites him with James Cameron, the director who launched Horner's professional career. Today: the composer talks about scoring Avatar, which mixes traditional orchestral sounds with ethnic instrument. ...

Today’s “Soundcheck Smackdown” tackles perhaps the most challenging question facing the arts in the digital age:  how much does the artist “own” their art?  We’ve talked a fair amount over the years about copyright, file-sharing, pirated music… it’s clear that the rise of digital music media has caused a huge downturn in the recording industry and that the music world is still trying to figure out a way for musicians to create their art, contribute it to society, and still be able to make something from it.

Download Freedy Johnston's bright and melancholy track, "Don't Fall In Love With A Lonely Girl."

Download Axis Trio's inventive track, "Ehcheka."

Download Vijay Iyers's funky tune"Mystic Brew."