Wikia expands into lyrics
Wikia, the home of fan-based wikis, has acquired the LyricWiki database of licensed song lyrics. LyricWiki users, in return, are now able to use Wikia’s custom tools including the Question and Answer section.
Part of the deal is that Wikia secured a licensing deal with Gracenote, so that music publishers will get paid their due royalties.
Wikia is assembling a collection of complementary sites, including Guitarhero.wikia.com, Music.wikia.com, documenting how music is tied to culture, Ibanez.wikia.com, a community centered around guitar maker Ibanez, as well as artist favorites beatles.wikia.com, holdsteady.wikia.com, and ladygaga.wikia.com.
LyricWiki solves two problems: It counteracts the annoying spread of incorrect song lyrics across sites that copy each other by letting the community argue over what the correct words are. And it offers lyrics in a tasteful ad-supported layout, free of the garishness of so many lyrics sites. I’m catching up on REO Speedwagon’s “157 Riverside Avenue” right now.
Wikia is based in San Francisco and was founded in 2004 by a team including Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. It has, of course, an extensive Wikipedia entry.
Next Story: Chevy Volt poised to resuscitate dying automotive town Flint, Mich.
Previous Story: MOG signs deals with four major music labels, independents
About the Author, Paul Boutin
Paul (paul@venturebeat.com) covers Apple & the iPhone, social networks & social media, digital music & video, and any crazy Internet story. Paul wrote and edited for Valleywag from 2006-2008, after several years with Wired magazine and Slate. He writes regularly for The New York Times' technology section and sometimes for Wired and The Wall Street Journal. He studied computer science at MIT in the early 1980s, and worked as a software developer and network administrator for 15 years before becoming a professional writer. Follow him on Twitter at @paulboutin, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
-
pawel