Ignoring all rationality and responding only to the lobbying of the RIAA, an arbitration committee in Washington DC has drastically increased the licensing fees Internet radio sites must pay to stream songs. Pandora's fees will triple, and are retroactive for eighteen months! Left unchanged by Congress, every day will be like today as internet radio sites start shutting down and the music dies.]]>A bill called the "Internet Radio Equality Act" has already been introduced in both the Senate (S. 1353) and House of Representatives (H.R. 2060) to fix the problem and save Internet radio--and Pandora--from obliteration.
I'd like to ask you to call your Congressional representatives today and ask them to become co-sponsors of the bill. It will only take a few minutes and you can find your Congresspersons and their phone numbers by entering your zip code here.
Your opinion matters to your representatives - so please take just a minute to call.
If your checking today they will be back online. My station is via live365 and non-paying listerns couldn't get in.
]]>(Seriously, I haven't heard the song in so long I forgot XD)
]]>It is one or the other, it's not both. so if your station doesn't accrue at least $500 in royalties then you have to pay the $500, but if you exceed $500 then it's not another $500 on top of that. but still.
Perspective:
Last year Live365 made $1.5 million
On July 15th Live365 will owe at least, "as little as", $500 per channel to SoundExchange. Live365 has 10,000 "channels". (This bill is retroactive from Jan 2006 to now)
10,000 x "as little as" $500 = $5 Million
$5 Million > $1.5 Million
]]>What do real radio stations pay? I bet it's more than that...
I'll answer the last first. Terrestrial radio does NOT pay soundexhange costs, only internet radio. so to answer your last question. $0
your math, it's all wrong. It per song PER LISTENER.
Here is the correct math:
1 song, 1 listener = $0.0011
1 song x 100 listeners * $0.0011 = $0.11 per song
$0.11 x 15 songs in one hour = $1.65 an hour
$1.65 x 24 hours in a day = $39.60 a day
$39.60 x 7 days a week = $277.20 a week
$277.20 x 4 weeks a month = $1,108.80 a month
$1,108.80 x 12 months a year = $13,305.60 a year for a 100 listener at a time internet station for *just* 2006/2007 rates. this rate of 0.0011 will be 140% higher in a few years.
and this $13,305.60 fee is *just* for soundexhange. it doesn't not include any fees owed to SESAC, BMI or ASCAP which are completely different identities.
it's per song, *per listener*, a $500 a year minimum (per channel).
1 song, one listenr = $0.0011
1 song x 100 listeners * $0.0011 = $0.11 per song
$0.11 x 15 songs in one hour = $1.65 an hour
$1.65 x 24 hours in a day = $39.60 a day
$39.60 x 7 days a week = $277.20 a week
$277.20 x 4 weeks a month = $1,108.80 a month
$1,108.80 x 12 months a year = $13,305.60 a year for a 100 listener at a time internet station for *just* 2006/2007 rates. this rate of 0.0011 will be 140% higher in a few years.
This isn't about trying to make money, or making sure that the artists and their recording companies get compensated, this is about destroying Internet radio.
]]>What do real radio stations pay? I bet it's more than that...
]]>Would you rather have 1000 internet stations broadcasting your song once a day at 5 cents a stream.
Or a handful of of stations broadcasting your song at a dollar a stream.
Those stations that can afford the higher rates will need to play much more commercial songs to attract advertisers.
So, if you are a musician who isn't attached to a major label, you probably should support lower rates.
]]>Um, no. Unless you're part of the wealthy and privileged class in America, your opinion doesn't matter.
Once again, government and big corporations are controlling America.
]]>This sucks. Considering the music industry is about to be overtaken by the gaming industry, you think they'd do everything in their power to keep music listeners around. How anyone in the music industry views internet radio as a bad thing or needing to pay more, I don't know. Pandora exposed me to music I would never find, causing me to start buying music again. Needless to say, I will only buy cds at shows from here on out if RIAA goes through with the rate hike.
]]>Damn the RIAA.
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