On this page:
A multi-dimensional custom library of tracks
This article gives a short overview of the basic ordering principles of the wikiloops music collection and the possible ways to navigate within the different dimensions.
Public and private-access-only areas
The majority of tracks on wikiloops are offered in the public wiki, where tracks can be listened to by the general public, and collaborated on by wikiloops members.
The wikiloops track search tool and the radio streams only offer tracks published in this public segment of the track collection.
Besides the public wiki, the second part of wikiloops collaborations is hosted in private groups, where they are only accessible to invited members. More about private Bands
The category grid structure
Finding something in a library depends on the ordering system applied to the collection, and wikiloops offers one of the more sophisticated tools to meet the needs when looking for backing tracks, regardless of which instrument you want to play.
We keep records of multiple categories which apply to each and every track, ranging from musical genre to details like the musical key or meter.
Mapping these criteria in an online database allows browsing the huge amount of music by applying a custom filter set, which can be as vague as "Track should have vocals"
or as precise as "Track must be Blues at 89BPM, in the Key of A minor and a line-up of Drums, Bass and Guitar. Oh, and please just tracks with Chord info."
More on how to use the track search tool.
Mapping the relations of multiple remix versions
wikiloops offers ways to visualize and navigate through the relations between the remixes belonging to the same initial session template.
The most self-explanatory display of remix versions' relations to each other is offered by the remix tree, which displays the initial track at the top level and the remixes as responses.
All displayed versions are available on wikiloops and may be listened to and remixed.
Read more on how to navigate remix versions on the wikiloops interface.
Mapping tracks by artist or collaborating teams
wikiloops offers simple-to-use tools to find tracks which have been uploaded by a single individual or a collaborating team of several members.
To learn more about this third approach, continue with Following up musicians' tracks.
help article was written by Richard Kaiser on and last edited on
If someone had told me that one day I played with musicians from all over the world I would have taken for a madman. Today this is real! Thanks Dick