Are you a music seeder or a leecher?

There are seeders, and there are leechers.

A seeder is a contributor: They aren’t the ones who create the art but are rather the purveyors of music. A leecher is a listener looking for new music. The exchange can be seen as an organic harmony, connecting artists to their fanbase.

Seeders manifest as critics, DJs, bloggers and other promoters. Their tasks are to extend various musical tastes to their public. This job is crucial because the seeders are entrusted to filter music by type and quality to entertain their audience.

Discretion is a matter left to the broadcaster at IU’s student-led radio organization, WIUX.

IU student Jessie Davis, also known as “DJJD,” is one of many seeders who are also hosts to live broadcasts on the college station.

“WIUX plays a lot of material you won’t find on the regular radio,” Davis said. “It’s about having fun and representing different genres for the listeners.”

Getting involved is just a matter of contacting the committee and applying. Many different genres are up for grabs, and spaces are competitive but attainable.

“Good DJs bring a flair to music and make the recommendations exciting,” said Davis.

As far as bringing live music to an audience is concerned, IU’s Union Board has a long history of delivering entertainment to Bloomington.

“I work with the Union to help support local music and local music scenes,“ IU student and Union Board representative Amy Pottenger said. “We are concerned with not only bringing the entertainment to the campus, but connecting the campus to itself.”

This interconnectivity has hatched concerts and events benefiting not only the artists and patrons, but local charities as well.  The annual Live from Bloomington compilation released by the board raises money for Hoosier Hills Food Bank, while other events have provided donations for charities as well. Joining the board is easy, too.

“There are lots of opportunities to move up and take on responsibilities within the organization,” Pottenger said.

Another popular medium of sharing and critiquing music is blogging. Sites such as Tumblr, Last.fm and even Facebook are tools for spreading music. Users browse and add posts on a regular basis. Sharing a new song today has become as easy as copying and pasting a URL.

Critics evaluate music, amalgamate like-minded participants and inspire new searches and repeat collaborations. The process builds a connection and trust between seeders and leechers.

As long as there is music, the seeders and leechers will exist. To maintain a continually blooming Bloomington scene, it’s important to participate in both positions of the cycle — to cultivate as well as consume.