SLMC

ozRocker · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Canberra, Australia

There are quite a few MP3 vendors in SL at the moment. When shopping for one, here are some features you might want to look out for:

- Ease of use for the musician owner (how easy is it to set up?)
- Ease of use for buyers (how many steps required for a user to purchase a song?)
- Lag (if its too laggy land/venue owners won’t like it, buyers will struggle with it if its at a venue with 100 fans)
- Up-front fee/commission based (what % goes to the creator, or if it requires up-front payment, how many songs do you need to sell to make that money back?)
- Security (a lot of MP3 vendors give a link that anyone can access and download from multiple times, may not be a concern, up to you)
- Concurrency (problem with A LOT of vendors in general. When making a purchase someone can change the item on the vendor just before you click PAY and you end up with the wrong item. Most vendors don't experience this problem 'cos they haven't been popular enough to have more than 1 person using it at the same time)
- Reporting (what reports are available to show you history of sales, buyers, etc....)
- Updates (what happens when a new version comes out? Does the current one just stop working or does it get updated automatically?)
- Customisation (can you change the design of the device easily?)

Its not likely for a vendor to be perfect at all the points mentioned above. For example, a vendor with great security might require too many steps in order to download a song. Also, a vendor that automatically updates itself when a new version arrives could be very laggy if its constantly checking the net for updates. A vendor that is very powerful and has many features may be complicated to set up. Just check with whoever is selling the vendor and ask them if they can tell you the pros and cons of their vendor.

- /\/\acro \/oss
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Badwolf · Joined: 02 Apr 2009 Posts: 10 Location: London

We have a dedicated audio vendor as part of our authoring system Hermes. the idea is if you can create the CD - your most of the way to selling it.

Some good points in the OP - so I'm gonna try to answer them 1 by 1 - shameless plug alert

1 - Ease of use for sellers
Our rig is web based - no notecards or config files - if you can create the SLCD - your 3/4 of the way to setting up the integrated vendor. We use a central server so all inventory is updated gridwide upon new content being loaded.

2 - Ease of use for buyers
Potential buyerss can preview - purchase - obtain information with a single touch - the vendor pad is clearly laid out and 100% customisable.

3 - Lag
We use Mono and all system are touch activated for minimum lag. Laggy sims are another question Smile

4 - Commission
Zero commission - the costs of the server are negliable and are covered in the cost of the authoring system - currently L$2750 for the full rig.

5 - Security
We dont give a link - we give an encrypted object that only the purchaser can access.

6 - Concurrency
Never ran into it personally and no reports of problems to date

7 - Reporting
The artist owns the vendor - all monies are paid directly so no reporting is required.

8 - Updates
Most relevant code is server side so most updates are automatic and transparent - if vendors need upgrading it requires a new script to be inserted - reasonably easy if you can use the edit controls.

9 - Customization
Our vendors are full perm - apart from the core scripts - the pack comes with 5 basic types but can be easily changed.

full spec can be found at www.slevolution.com - Select Hermes from the main menu - or on XstreetSL @ https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules...e&file=item&ItemID=997587
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Silas Scarborough · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 1635 Location: None

Looks exceptionally cool. Good luck.
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