Frequently Asked Questions
Accounts & Identity
Section titled “Accounts & Identity”What is AT Protocol?
Section titled “What is AT Protocol?”AT Protocol (ATProto) is an open, decentralized protocol for social networking — the same technology behind Bluesky. The key idea: your identity and data belong to you, not a platform. FreeMix is built on ATProto, which means your account, music, and social connections are portable.
Do I need a Bluesky account to use FreeMix?
Section titled “Do I need a Bluesky account to use FreeMix?”No. You can create a FreeMix account directly at pds.freemix.fm. But if you already have a Bluesky account, you can use it to sign in — no extra signup needed.
What’s the difference between a Bluesky account and a FreeMix account?
Section titled “What’s the difference between a Bluesky account and a FreeMix account?”Functionally, both work the same on FreeMix. A freemix.fm handle signals you’re part of the FreeMix community. A bsky.social handle is more general. You can always change your handle later.
Can I change my handle later?
Section titled “Can I change my handle later?”Yes. AT Protocol supports handle changes. You can switch between bsky.social, freemix.fm, or even use your own custom domain as your handle.
Can I have multiple accounts?
Section titled “Can I have multiple accounts?”Yes. ATProto supports multiple accounts. Some people use one for Bluesky social posting and another for FreeMix music.
Is my data portable?
Section titled “Is my data portable?”Yes — that’s one of the core promises of AT Protocol. You can export your data and migrate your account to a different server at any time. Your identity (DID), music metadata, license grants, and social connections travel with you.
Licensing
Section titled “Licensing”What happens if someone violates my license?
Section titled “What happens if someone violates my license?”License violations on FreeMix are handled through a combination of community reporting and platform moderation. If you believe someone has violated your license terms, use the feedback button in the app to report it. FreeMix’s Terms of Service include provisions for addressing license violations.
Can I change the license on a track after uploading?
Section titled “Can I change the license on a track after uploading?”No. Licenses are immutable once set. This is by design — people who downloaded or remixed your track did so under the original license terms, and those terms can’t be changed retroactively.
If you need to change the license, you would delete the original upload and re-upload with the new license. Note that any existing remixes and attribution records from the original upload are preserved.
What’s the difference between FreeMix licenses and Creative Commons?
Section titled “What’s the difference between FreeMix licenses and Creative Commons?”FreeMix licenses are purpose-built for music workflows. Creative Commons licenses are general-purpose — they work for text, images, video, software, and more. FreeMix licenses understand concepts like stems, samples, DJ edits, remix chains, and royalty cascades that CC licenses don’t address.
Are FreeMix licenses legally binding?
Section titled “Are FreeMix licenses legally binding?”Yes. By using FreeMix, you agree to the Terms of Service, which incorporates the license framework. When you upload under a license, you’re granting specific rights. When you download, you’re accepting those terms.
What about royalties?
Section titled “What about royalties?”The Royalty modifier is defined in the framework and you can set a percentage when uploading. However, royalty payments are not yet active — no money changes hands during the alpha period. When FreeMix’s commerce features launch, your royalty settings will be honored.
Using FreeMix
Section titled “Using FreeMix”What audio formats can I upload?
Section titled “What audio formats can I upload?”WAV, FLAC, MP3, AAC, OGG, and AIFF.
Large WAV and AIFF files are automatically compressed to FLAC before uploading — this dramatically reduces upload time without any quality loss.
Is there a file size limit?
Section titled “Is there a file size limit?”500MB for tracks, 200MB for stems and samples.
How does the remix tree work?
Section titled “How does the remix tree work?”When you upload a remix, you link it to the original track. FreeMix records this connection as an attribution record. If someone remixes your remix, that connection is added too. The result is a remix tree — a visual map showing how a piece of music has branched and evolved.
Can I delete a track?
Section titled “Can I delete a track?”Yes, you can delete your uploads. However, attribution records from existing remixes are preserved. If someone already remixed your track, the remix tree still shows that connection — even after your original is deleted. This protects the integrity of the attribution chain.
Is FreeMix free?
Section titled “Is FreeMix free?”Yes. FreeMix is free to use. Commerce features (name-your-price downloads, royalty payments) are planned for a future release, but the core platform — uploading, licensing, browsing, downloading, remixing — is and will remain free.
Privacy & Safety
Section titled “Privacy & Safety”Who can see my uploads?
Section titled “Who can see my uploads?”Everyone. FreeMix is a public platform. Everything you upload is visible to anyone browsing the site. There are no private uploads during the alpha period.
How do I report content?
Section titled “How do I report content?”Use the feedback button in the app. Reports go directly to the FreeMix team. You can report license violations, inappropriate content, or any other concerns.
Where is my data stored?
Section titled “Where is my data stored?”- Identity data (handle, profile, social connections) lives on your PDS — either Bluesky’s servers or FreeMix’s PDS at
pds.freemix.fm, depending on where your account is hosted. - Audio files (tracks, stems, samples) are stored on FreeMix’s servers.
- Metadata (track info, license grants, attribution records) is indexed in FreeMix’s database and stored as ATProto records in your PDS.
Your ATProto data is portable — you can export and migrate it at any time.
How do I file a DMCA takedown request?
Section titled “How do I file a DMCA takedown request?”If you believe your copyrighted work has been uploaded to FreeMix without your permission, you can file a DMCA takedown request. Send your notice to dmca@freemix.fm with the information outlined in our DMCA Policy. We take copyright seriously and will respond promptly to valid takedown requests.