I would like to introduce MIXXMAKER.com, a new service from my company Project Opus.

Originally this was a simple prototype we made in July 2007 for a much larger project still in development, but when we played with it at the office we REALLY liked it as a separate product. So we decided to "tune it up" and explore making it a service.

It's pretty simple after you install the MIXX Maker application on Facebook:

1. You theme your MIXX by completing the sentence:

"I want music that..."

2. You then send a MIXX request to your friends with impeccable music taste.
3. They upload a song that suits the theme of your MIXX with a comment or two on why they are suggesting that song

Upload a song? Yes. Upload a song.
We had thought about providing URL linking or a search function to some free libraries, but when you want to suggest a song, chances are you have it on your hard drive, iPod or CD and you do not want to go hunting for it on the web. That's why you are suggesting the song after all isn't it? So, to make this possible MIXX Maker is tied presently only to Facebook. We use the friends API to legally (our lawyers said we were good) make digital MIXX Tapes (MIXXs) that you can share with your friends. We hope to add the service to other Social Networks with good friends APIs.

Hosting all the files and providing all that bandwidth is actually a costly enterprise to maintain. Our objectives is to explore ways to make money around this service assuming people like it and use it. So in the end for this product to be successful, people need to buy music or money needs to flow toward copyright holders. It's that simple, really.

To that end we have shown it to a number of major labels and industry partners. Everyone seems to like it. Most are taking a wait and see attitude. Though the good people at Nettwerk Music Group are giving it an endorsement right out of the gate, which we appreciate and they are setting us up with some interested parties to help monetize the service. Still, we are open to any and all introductions.

Please give Mixx Maker a try, and let us know what you think.

UPDATE (January 6):
We got some good coverage already (and we were hacked, too, but we're back up.)
Mashable: Get Your Lazy Friends to Make Mix Tapes For You
Tech Vibes: Project Opus Brings Back the “Mixx” Tape
Mathew Ingram: MixxMaker: Facebook meets the mix tape