Depending on where you look, you're going to get a different idea of what Pushtape is. From talking with Farsheed, I know he's quietly building the initial prototype before opening up the project for feedback and contributions. That said, as there are more and more people coming across this project, it would help to provide a bit more detail regarding the goals and features of Pushtape. Also helpful would be some direction for those who want to contribute code, funds, or moral support.
Features and/or feature requests
Base Features
#1226226: Importing/exporting discography
#1263956: Events
#1263994: Blog/News/Journal
#1263926: Rich media display (video/photos)
#1303120: Rich media management
#1266218: Customizable base theme
Add-ons
#1223882: Playlists
#1225102: Third party aggregation
#1226164: Content Distribution and Syndication
#1231816: Online store/Ecommerce
#1305306: Press/Reviews/EPK
Comments
Comment #0.0
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedadding a running list of features and/or feature requests
Comment #0.1
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedupdated the feature list
Comment #1
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedI've pulled some more feature ideas predominately from the following places -
http://groups.drupal.org/node/111789
http://groups.drupal.org/node/21648
See anything we're missing so far? Add a feature request -
http://drupal.org/node/add/project-issue/pushtape
Comment #2
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedComment #2.0
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedadded to the feature list
Comment #3
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedIt would be good to get some more feedback on what features should be included in a base Pushtape profile. Also thoughts on the cost to not only develop a stable release (which would include a few themes), but also to maintain, document, and market. This outline (http://drupalkata.com/music/node/1328) was lifted from some of the notes when beginning to scope out MD4D. Not sure how much of that is relevant until we come up with a better idea of what will come w/ Pushtape out of the box.
Discuss!
Comment #4
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedThis is a *really* hard question to answer. The features that could be included are infinite, but what I'm curious to find is the minimal feature set necessary to build a good foundation. For instance, stabilizing a "track" node, an "album" node and this sort of data architecture seems like the first step. It will be expected that any amount of customization beyond the base feature set will require custom code or hiring a developer. There are just too many use cases to support them all in one install profile, however additional modules can build off of this install profile to extend its capabilities. This way when building a music site you don't have to define track, album nodes or worry about that workflow - this install profile handles those common situations for you.
Targets for Alpha Release
- Define track node, album node, static page node
- Basic defaults for node views and listings.
- Content creation workflow
- Simple default theme
- Basic audio playback with Flower or Soundmanager2. Maybe just restrict to MP3s for now?
- drupal-org.make script
Targets for "1.0" release
- More themes!
- Improved, easier workflow/management
- Marketing effort on pushtape.com
- Media module support
- Theme configuration options
- Mobile friendly
- Themes, themes, and more themes
Potential features (probably better as add-on modules)
- Email capture/Webform
- Blog/Microblog
- Commerce
- Content Distribution. Maybe via a Diaspora app?
- Data export. It would be nice to export an entire site as CSV or static HTML so that data doesn't get locked inside of Drupal.
One thing I know for sure is that a project like this will need ongoing support and maintenance to be sustainable. The cost to maintain, document, and market I think is more of a question of commitment and monthly man-hours, not a one time development cost.
I can't emphasize enough how important the workflow experience is for this install profile, and how important a role themes will play. With music, we are dealing with an abstract medium already (sound) so visual elements are incredibly important.
Comment #5
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedBy the looks of it, the only differences between alpha and 1.0 would be improvements in theming and media (including file managment and workflow). Probably might want to include a blog/news feature as would be pretty essential for artists. As long as Farsheed isn't reponsible for everything, would it make sense to just consolidate these into 1.0?
Comment #5.0
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedadding to the feature list
Comment #5.1
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedupdating feature list
Comment #5.2
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedrevising feature list
Comment #6
Dublin Drupaller CreditAttribution: Dublin Drupaller commentedhiya guys. I have some ideas too that might be of use. am mid project at the moment. will try and contribute at the weekend. great to see momentum on this again. kudos. dub
Comment #6.0
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedrevised feature list
Comment #7
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedI came across another platform that seems to resemble where we're trying to go with Pushtape. The base features are as follows:
Aside from possibly 'Fansite', these seem like good features to include in the base Pushtape platform. Any other thoughts?
Comment #8
discipolo CreditAttribution: discipolo commentedif it were me:
i´d start with a .profile and a .makefile including the profiler library.
i would also include http://drune.org/ either by integrating it or including it. which gives us
- projects[views]
- projects[features]
- projects[ctools]
- projects[jplayer]
- projects[getid3]
next we already know the minimum aditional contrib dependencies from http://groups.drupal.org/node/178429:
- devel
- filefield_sources
- pathauto
- references
- token
these can all go into the makefile
Also I feel like this should use the media module, don`t you think?
next someone should create a kit-compliant feature for albums/tracks and include them and their dependencies. (starting with the minimum)
it might also be advisable to include some sort of calendar feature for upcoming gigs
i feel that would be enough for an initial distribution pretotype which will then be extended with aditional features.
(anyone familiar with http://drupal.org/project/apps yet?)
at least i would release it like that...
Comment #9
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedThat seems very consistent to the base features outlined above. And from our discussions in #pushtape this really should not take long to build with the people we already have.
Comment #10
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedPlease see http://drupal.org/project/pushtape_features
and
http://drupal.org/node/1356858/release
Once this features package becomes stable, we can then work on designing and implementing a theme and then creating a drupal.org makefile for this project.
Comment #11
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedFrom what I can gather from our discussion in #pushtape the other day, we're in agreement this is a good feature set to include in the default distribution. Is that the same thing as http://drupal.org/project/pushtape_features? If not, why?
Comment #12
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedIt looks the issue queue is now more consistent with the base features above. At the same time the 'add-on' features have been marked as 'closed (won't fix)'. Does this mean that these features would never be included in the Pushtape distribution? If that's the case where should development and feature requests occur?
Comment #13
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedFYI, I am working through a design and development strategy with Nica Lorber (creative director of Chapter Three) and will post what we come up with in a separate issue. This document will guide development and design decisions by clarifying core goals, mission statement, and target audience.
Comment #14
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedBased on this thread and recent discussions in #pushtape, I think we have a pretty clear idea of what the initial scope/feature set should be, but we get a bit hung up on defining the target audience (or audiences). While obviously we can't and shouldn't build a once size fits all solution, it would be nice to identify some common use cases (single artist/band, record label, music publisher/supervisor) and provide templates that 'users' could select and customize during setup. A couple screengrabs from Drupal Gardens might provide some inspiration for one type of approach.
Interestingly enough, the portfolio project is working through some similar issues pertaining to scope, process, but also goals -
#1372320: Document project milestones and history
#1354088: [meta] Scoping the use-case
#1360570: A specific use-case: freelance musician or a band
That's awesome Nica is helping define the project. Would be even better if she could provide guidance along the way!
Comment #15
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedI'm in the process of revising the design and development roadmap for Pushtape- but first I want to point out that I think there are two project ideas being talked about here and that we may be talking past each other.
1 :: Pushtape
This is a project I started, and that I am mostly doing on my own because I have a general interest, need and desire to build a software product that serves the use case of a single band. In this use case a band, DJ, or individual musician is seeking a solution to build a strong online presence for their group with structured ways to share and distribute their music online. The concept is similar to what Bandcamp is doing but self hosted, customizable, and hackable. While this vision for Pushtape is clear to me, I need to do a better job of communicating and outlining my roadmap with milestones, tasks, and ways people can help.
2 :: Drupal for Musicians (MD4D, Kendra Hub)
This is a much broader and more ambitious project that I feel you (Gus) are speaking to. It more closely matches previous conversations and initiatives for a music distribution for Drupal, the mission to create a system that can be configurable for a wide variety of musical sites and user scenarios (record label, individual musician site, playlists, commerce, etc). It involves lots of evangelizing and organizing lots of people around a community that has a diverse array of needs and goals. Perhaps Pushtape can help spark development and attract more interest for a larger project. But Pushtape is not the same thing as this larger concept.
How do we move forward?
Where do you stand? We need to better understand each other. Below you'll find a series of design and strategy questions that I encourage everyone to answer for themselves, and if you feel so inclined, you can post your answers or thoughts in this thread. These questions have been pulled from my conversations with Nica, and her experience working with clients to develop roadmaps and a strategy guide. While simple questions, they are surprisingly difficult to answer. Take your time and really think about these questions. By answering these questions it will help you clarify your own ideas, as well as help you communicate to others what you are trying to do. As a project moves forward, this design and strategy document can be helpful when faced with tough decisions as it creates a point of reference for everyone involved.
Design and Strategy Process
Definitions
Background
Mission
Plan
Competitive Landscape
Research and Strategy
Metaphors
Theme & Site Design
Functionality
Installation & Setup
Hosting
Content types
Template Pages
Deliverables & Next steps
Comment #16
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedFirst off, I (still) think MD4D and Kendra Hub were completely different. However, after talking quite a bit in this thread, previous posts and the IRC, I still don't see how Pushtape, at it's core, is that different from the MD4D that Dub and many others in the community (including yourself) previously signed off on. We also seem to have a consensus on which features to include and also that a single-band/artist would be the primary use case out of the box.
Let's first figure out if there's really a disconnect. Are there big differences between MD4D as referenced above and Pushtape?
Comment #17
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedMD4D
Pushtape
Putting aside differences in scope, the main difference is logistical. For a MD4D there are a lot of non-technical logistical hurdles to solve such as fundraising, hosting, infrastructure, support, team building and project management. By nature it is a more ambitious project and larger projects need more people and more organizing. A decision making process is needed because there are lots of variables.
Pushtape on the other hand, has minimal infrastructure and organizational requirements. It does not have to deal with negotiating and planning out feature requirements for different use cases. The strategy is to avoid bottlenecks by making the requirements simple and obvious and by controlling as many variables as possible. This is my goal - to build a minimal polished product that 'just works' for a single band. I don't want to get bogged down by trying to build an entire MD4D infrastructure or a developer toolkit. In the end, I know what I'm trying to build and just want to build it and share it.
Comment #18
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedHey guys,
Moving things forward here is the document created from working with Nica through the questions I posted above and created related tasks/todos as issues:
Pushtape Design and Strategy Process + 1.0 Roadmap
Comment #19
gusaus CreditAttribution: gusaus commentedGreat work, Farsheed! After glancing through the design doc, aside from a couple features (notably events and video), it's essentially the same single artist solution that I personally (and probably dub and others) have been interested in contributing towards. I guess you'll let us know if you need feedback, help, or anything?
Thanks for doing this!
Comment #20
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedMarking as a dupe of #1398262
Comment #20.0
zirafa CreditAttribution: zirafa commentedrevising the feature list