Pianobook: the rise and the fall

The project called Pianobook will always have a special place in my heart. It was started almost five years ago by British media composer Christian Henson, one of the co-founders of Spitfire Audio. The original goal of the project was to entice musicians and composers to try themselves in creating their own virtual instruments. Also, to digitally preserve valuable and rare musical instruments that we have collected over the years or inherited from our ancestors. Finally, the idea was to share these creations with the community for free, by providing mutual inspiration.

Those in the field are aware that virtual instruments are a pretty big business these days. We're living in a time when almost every person is aiming to sell something to another. This is the very reason why I was so drawn in by the initial altruism of this project. Although I never tried building virtual instruments of my own, I recorded around fifty compositions that were entirely or almost entirely realized using resources available on Pianobook.

Over the years, Pianobook was going through different changes. The most dramatic one is the introduction of the commercial element. This began with adding the possibility to tip the samplists if you like their creations or find them useful. Finally, the program called "Pianobook Artists" was born. Through this, a handful of members got an opportunity of selling their more ambitious creations for a solid price. Not to mention the advertising and promotion, behind which stands Spitfire Audio itself.

Personally, I think that the project has lost much of its charm with this move. Although I believe that quality work and effort should be rewarded adequately, this also created an elitist environment that favors only rare ones. Those already have certain advantages, unlike many valuable project members who will likely never enter that golden circle. But those other members are the true soul of Pianobook and what makes it tick.

In his addresses, Henson often pointed out his wish that the Pianobook become "a place of opportunity". This should include both those creating virtual instruments as well as those who are making music with them. Honestly, I expected a more prominent recognition of composers who supported the project through their music. True, my compositions were often in monthly highlight playlists and several were featured in Henson's vlog. However, the absolute limelight still belongs to the samplists and not also to those using their products. Actually, I hoped that this would be the goal of the "Pianobook Artists" program when it was announced.

Anyway, the mentioned changes drove me toward making a longer pause from Pianobook. I'm not in a position to support the project financially by purchasing commercial titles or through extensive tipping. However, I believe that I gave a big contribution through my compositions. Lately, however, there aren't many free submissions that really piqued my interest, although the number of new members seems to be growing. Naturally, their creations most often aren't at the same level as those from more experienced samplists. But I certainly appreciate and welcome their effort and enthusiasm.

Henson has recently announced his resignation from the project as a coordinator and regular contributor, although I'm convinced that he will continue following Pianobook through his YouTube channel. I hope that Pianobook will persevere in the future, primarily by following the ideology it originally started with.