Save Internet Radio!!! Day of Silence, 6/26/07

[Beth]

I was wrong about the RIAA, it's actually the CRB is a panel of 3 judges appointed by the Librarian of Congress...




We're letting a Librarian decide what music we listen to???

[DarthSarahmus]

I should have added a disclaimer when joining this discussion. I am a fan of fair business practices. I heavily studied NAFTA(North American Free Trade Agreement) in college, I won't shop at Walmart, and I don't eat domestic chocolate. All out of principle.

[kevin]

i think this is where people get confused....there is nothing wrong with the recording industry....its thriving....more people are listening to different types and genre's of music than ever before. 100 millions Ipods have sold since 2001. Thats 100 million people willing to invest $200+ into their music catalog. IPOD's store 5k+ songs...so people will of course be looking to fill that storage space up. Its just that they wont be doing it the conventional(or what was the conventional) way VIA: CD's, cassettes and records. Its digitalized....the blame does lie within the record labels and their not acting or adapting fast enough...that article really hit that on the head! But now its time to make up ground...i don't think the industry is in trouble at all it just has hit a bump in the road as far as distribution goes. Article #1 was great...Ill read the others tonight.

good stuff

[DarthSarahmus]

I think music is a great place. Well, except for that one week when the number one album was Now That's What I Call Music Volume #Bagillion. With all the outlets we have to hear music there is more variety ready at our fingertips. I personally would hate to see all that threatened because thought they could get money.

[kevin]

In this day and age it is harder and harder for musicians to make money. I just don't see making rates such that a small internet radio station can't stay going, and then there is less exposure and loss of revenue for the artist.

thats the problem...is there not small internet radio stations. There pulling in millions of listeners per day and its definitely something that has to be regulated. Do I think rates should be so high that the small guys get pushed out of business.....no way....but I also dont think its right for the big boys to rake in tons in advertising $$ and not be held to the same standards as traditional stations. We've got to take the good with the bad and there was bound to be "growing pains" along the way with such a rapid developing technology in an already established industry. 20 years ago you couldn't cut an album in your home studio(put together for 5K or less) that sounded half way decent? 20 years ago you couldn't blast networking websites with your bands music for thousands to listen to......20 years ago you didn't have events like the Vans Warped Tour , Taste of Chaos and EB/MM Battle of the Bands(plug) giving local musicians the opportunity to play alongside their heroes and gain priceless exposure. I do think that there is $$ to be made out there for a musician. Now whether the intergrity to ones own music and style keeps them from making $$ then thats another story. But there is definitely $$ out there and more opportunity for the musician now..than 20 years ago. I love internet radio(and tv...watch about 85 giants games a year via mlb.tv.com) but i do think there needs to be fair regulations put in place for all parties involved.

[Beth]

The thing that sucks is that small internet radio stations like EB RADIO and Battle of the Bands will also be affected. They're basically barging into everyone's living room and looking under the couch cushions for money.

I agree, there definitely needs to be legislation that is caught up with today's MP3 technology (just like how we'd like to see more legislation for internet-based businesses based on Ebay and the like), but I don't think that imploding all of internet radio on itself is the key.

[SteveB]

This is a great thread, Beth.

What we are living through is the metamorphosis of the music industry.

Distribution used to be (arguably) the most important part of the industry. You could get a record deal, but if your label had no distribution.. you never sold any records. Recording used to be a huge industry too, but with modern technology artists can make a great sounding recording in their own home, for little cost.

So there are two major parts of the "business" that are now dinosaur turds.

The internet makes distribution a non-issue (as long as you've got your mp3s downloadable from a site with good traffic).

Technology has made "studio-quality" recordings easy for even the novice.

Terrestrial radio is dead. (Long live the satellite!)

The last frontier for making money in the music biz is to be the one collecting royalties. BMI, ASCAP, SOCAN and other PRI's (performing rights organizations) collect the artists' royalties for television, radio, jukebox and live performances.

Publishing houses collect and keep the publisher's share of the royalties. They find opportunites to license the writer's music in return for their dough.

How will the record labels, distribution folks, and other dinosaurs survive?
They'll get litigious.

[kevin]

i have an idea.... and it just might be a good one!

[Warg Master]

I should have added a disclaimer when joining this discussion. I am a fan of fair business practices. I heavily studied NAFTA(North American Free Trade Agreement) in college, I won't shop at Walmart, and I don't eat domestic chocolate. All out of principle.

Amen brother!!

[GHWelles]

OK, so I tried calling Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein's offices and both of their lines were busy... good sign?

Called Mary Bono's office. Told the lady on the line about today's Day of Silence and how important it is to help fight to save internet radio before we all marinate and die in mediocre, repetitive terrestrial radio that will suffocate culture and creativity in the music world. The lady on the other line said "oh, ok, I'll tell her".

Maybe if we make it so that their WHOLE DAY is spent fielding phone calls from miffed internet radio listeners, it won't be just an "oh, ok...", it will be "ok, I'll be sure to tell her what you and the other 2000 people said".

Come on, people! Join me!!!

I e-mailed each of them a while ago a nice e-mail response from Boxer