VOCALOID: Respecting the Individual
I don’t know how many of you know, but today Vocaloid English-subbing channel Hazuki no Yume announced semi-retirement from the Vocaloid subbing community. For months, Hazuki no Yume has been a primary source of Vocaloid content for me. They discussed several reasons for this decision (a decision that brings me much sadness, but one that I understand and respect), but I will focus on only one with this post. And that is the improper, incomplete, or entire absence of proper source citation.
The Vocaloid community is massive, and consists of hundreds upon hundreds of creators worldwide who work hard every day to bring us content. It’s 2017, a whole decade after Hatsune Miku’s release (not the first Vocaloid by any means, but certainly the initiating event that rocketed Vocaloid to the levels it exists at today) and the community has grown and developed substantially. There are more Vocaloid songs now than ever before, and counting as each day passes.
It’s also worth explaining how truly unique Vocaloid is. it differs from most “fandoms” on many levels, most notably the fact that 1. it extends across an extraordinary array of media and art forms, and 2. that all its content is user-generated. Vocaloid can appear in music, games, anime, comics, books, even in the real world in advertisements alongside real-world celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansson. However, this expansion has also resulted in much ambiguity about what exactly Vocaloid IS. Is it an anime show? Video game? Musical artist? Pop star(s)? All and none, yes and no. It’s hard to explain that Vocaloid is really just a voice synthesizing software at its core without arousing more confusion and questions. Point is, while Vocaloid is expansive, very few people (fans AND non-fans alike) have a good understanding of WHAT exactly it is and HOW it works. (A good term I’ve found to describe Vocaloid’s existence is “remix culture,” although you can research that on your own time.)
Vocaloid songs and PVs are derivative creative works produced by individual artists. The songs we know and have grown to love were not handed down to us by some huge corporation or single superior entity, but handed to us by individuals. Producers. Fans. People, just like you and me. This Vocaloid “phenomenon” (a word I use out of its acknowledged ambiguity) is a creative framework that allows and encourages an exceptional amount of artistic freedom not seen in most other “fandoms” or whatnot. It mirrors and amplifies the individuals that make up its community. It is a platform for individual expression and empowerment. In Vocaloid, the individual has the power to learn, develop, share, appreciate, change, express…THIS is what Vocaloid is about. The creative power of the individual.
Have you ever noticed that fandoms tend to die down and stop trending when source content stops being provided or is slowed (by author hiatus, for example)? The life of a fan community that revolves around a franchise mainly holds the power to expand, developed, proliferate, and prosper in the presence of continuous source material. In the Vocaloid community, this source material exists in the form of the songs we listen to and the PVs we watch. User-generated content. If individuals cease to produce work, then the “bottom-up” Vocaloid community falls apart. Which means that if we still want songs to listen to the PVs to watch, then we need to treat Vocaloid content producers with respect as artists, fellow Vocaloid fans, and human beings.
And this means properly citing producers’ work. Learn the names of producers. Link to their official uploads. Share their work and say their names. If a producer has specific usage policies, abide by them. Give them respect. The song World Is Mine isn’t a “Hatsune Miku song.” It was a song written, composed, and produced by a man named Ryo. You wouldn’t give the artistic credit of Für Elise to “Piano,” you’d give it to Ludwig von Beethoven. The more names you know, not only are you being more respectful, but you’ll also find more music! It’s a win-win situation.
So please, understand the position of the artist and individual in the Vocaloid community. Always give credit where it’s due. Celebrate the art, but also celebrate the brilliant person behind it. Crypton Future Media’s page on Hatsune Miku describes her as a “collaboratively constructed cyber celebrity with a growing user community.” They use phrases such as “global icon” and “worldwide creative community.” The role if the individual creator is one necessary to Vocaloid’s success. Give these creators the attention, appreciation, credit, and representation that they deserve. Cite your sources.
