1.What is the M.P.A. ?
Music Photography Archives (MPA) is a living digital library created and curated by a collective of music photographers across the globe. United by their passion for music and live performances, the photographers of MPA record and archive the people, events and venues that compose the ever-changing landscape of the music scene around them. The MPA is also a photographer-owned agency licensing photographs for editorial, commercial or personal use internationally.
2. How do you select the events you document?
Our photographers personally select the events they photograph. We all try to cover different aspects of the local music scene but our time and resources are limited. If you think there’s a great show (or band) that needs coverage, feel free to let us know.
3. Can I book you to shoot a show?
Sure, please get in touch! However, please remember that professional photography services are not paid with a ticket and a free beer. We do like beer, just like you do, but you do not get paid in beer, do you?
4. I am running a magazine and I would like to use your photographs. How shall we do?
Please contact us to discuss licensing fees. If you are a media and that you frequently publish articles about the music scene, we also have a subscription program that offers preferential rates to our archive library database. We are always open to partnerships.
5. Can I just copy the photographs and re-publish them?
As stated in our terms of use, any external use of the photographs without permission (commercial or non-commercial) is prohibited. The MPA website is monitored by two copyright protection agencies (PIXSY & DMCA.com). If that wasn’t enough, we also have a lot of ninja friends. And we know where you live.
6. I only have a small blog and I work hard to promote the music scene. I don’t make any money from it but would love to use some of your pictures.
Of course, we understand that as we’ve all been there. Get in touch with us and we’ll see if we can work something out. We’re happy to help if we can but remember to always ask first!
7. I am in a band you photographed! Your pics look great because we spent years to look that awesome. Can I have your pictures for free?
Well, it’s true that our pics look great because you do. However, we still invested time and money in photo shooting your performance and putting it up online for everyone to see. So we’re also doing our bit in promoting you.
8. I am a musician and you posted an image of myself that I really hate. I don’t want people to see me like that!
Our photographers do their best to always show artists in a good light. However if it happens that a photograph makes you feel uncomfortable, drop us a line and we’ll remove the photo in a heartbeat. We care about your image.
9. I am a photographer. How can I join the team?
Thanks for your interest! As the MPA adventure just started, we are going to take a little while to ensure our boat is steady before we sail it towards the vast oceans of the world.
We will soon expand and welcome other photographers to the team, both as full members and as occasional contributors. Our project aims at collecting a team of talented music photographers, as geographically diverse as possible. So, please follow us on Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) to hear about our updates and upcoming announcements!