As the Best of New Orleans site reports, Crescent City Sounds, the New Orleans Public Library’s free music streaming platform highlighting local artists, is now live. The site currently features 27 albums, including full-length records and EPs by Nesby Phips, Flagboy Giz, Valerie Sassyfras, Craig Klein, Ever More Nest, Micah McKee, New Orleans Nightcrawlers and more.
The NOPL has previously announced the launching of this service. It noted that each year, the library will open a submission period for up-and-coming and lesser-known musicians to submit an album to be included on the website. Submissions are then approved by a group of community jurors — this year’s group included rapper Alfred Banks, journalist Alison Fensterstock, Jazz Museum curator David Kunian, ethnomusicologist Holly Hobbs, MidCitizen’s Tavia Osbey and librarian Joshua Smith — and accepted artists receive an honorarium.
Crescent City Sounds will have a second submission period in 2023. Music will be hosted on Crescent City Sounds for five years, and the license is non-exclusive, so artists retain the rights to do what they want with their music.
