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

[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