Comments on: Small broadcasters live another day http://www.p2pnet.net/story/12786 p2pnet.net - reader powered Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:11:09 -0300 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Fred Wilhelms http://www.p2pnet.net/story/12786/comment-page-1#comment-144217 Fred Wilhelms Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:17:17 +0000 http://www.p2pnet.net/story/12786#comment-144217 According to the "clarifications" SoundExchange made after the Thursday meeting, if a webcaster qualifies under the definition of "small webcaster," they do not have to pay the $500 minimum. The trick here is to define "small webcaster," as no one has made public the usage limits (listener hours) that SoundExchange wants to apply. Non-US artists can register with SoundExchange for payment. It is a little more difficult because they need a tax ID number in order to avoid 30% withholding, but that's the IRS's fault, not SoundExchange's. For groups that have never toured the US and are unlikely to, it is a bit of a hassle to get the number. SoundExchange has done a particularly lousy job of finding non-US artists, especially Latin acts, even those who are actively recording for the Latin divisions of the RIAA. Their outreach to Asian and African musicians is equally bad, based on the names on the "unfound artist" list, but the problem with Spanish language acts (check the list for hundreds of groups beginning with "Las" or "Los") should be a major embarrassment. SoundExchange, however, appears embarrassment-proof in all things. Going offshore or underground would permit stations to continue to stream music, but it won't pay artists. The fairest solution is still IREA. Stations will pay a reasonable royalty and artists can get paid. The public attention that this situation brought to Internet radio will have to stay focused on SoundExchange's performance if they are to be shamed into getting things right, but we have tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of people who are now aware of what SoundExchange really is and really does, and can stay on their case. The fairest solution remains IREA, and everyone should continue to stay in contact with their Representatives and Senators to keep the pressure on for support and passage. Rest assured that the continuation of negotiations doesn't mean the RIAA has stopped lobbying. Fred According to the “clarifications” SoundExchange made after the Thursday meeting, if a webcaster qualifies under the definition of “small webcaster,” they do not have to pay the $500 minimum. The trick here is to define “small webcaster,” as no one has made public the usage limits (listener hours) that SoundExchange wants to apply.

Non-US artists can register with SoundExchange for payment. It is a little more difficult because they need a tax ID number in order to avoid 30% withholding, but that’s the IRS’s fault, not SoundExchange’s. For groups that have never toured the US and are unlikely to, it is a bit of a hassle to get the number. SoundExchange has done a particularly lousy job of finding non-US artists, especially Latin acts, even those who are actively recording for the Latin divisions of the RIAA. Their outreach to Asian and African musicians is equally bad, based on the names on the “unfound artist” list, but the problem with Spanish language acts (check the list for hundreds of groups beginning with “Las” or “Los”) should be a major embarrassment. SoundExchange, however, appears embarrassment-proof in all things.

Going offshore or underground would permit stations to continue to stream music, but it won’t pay artists. The fairest solution is still IREA. Stations will pay a reasonable royalty and artists can get paid. The public attention that this situation brought to Internet radio will have to stay focused on SoundExchange’s performance if they are to be shamed into getting things right, but we have tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of people who are now aware of what SoundExchange really is and really does, and can stay on their case.

The fairest solution remains IREA, and everyone should continue to stay in contact with their Representatives and Senators to keep the pressure on for support and passage. Rest assured that the continuation of negotiations doesn’t mean the RIAA has stopped lobbying.

Fred

]]> By: dave http://www.p2pnet.net/story/12786/comment-page-1#comment-144199 dave Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:00:40 +0000 http://www.p2pnet.net/story/12786#comment-144199 So mass outlets like Pandora now don't have to pay the $500 per "channel". But where does that leave noncommercial stations that don't make a cent in revenues? It sounds like they still have to pay the $500 even if they only broadcast enough music to enough listeners to pay a small fraction of that on the per-song basis. And these unpaid royalties are one of the most grotesque scams of all time. Imagine letting entrusting the "distributing" agency keep the money of those it mysteriously fails to find. There should at least be a wholly separate body that gets paid by monies distributed. And what of performers who wouldn't go anywhere near a crooked anti-music monopoly outfit like the RIAA? What of non-US musicians whose music gets played on US-based webcasts? Presumably royalties for their music goes straight into SoundExchange's corrupt pockets. The only answer is not to play RIAA crap, and not to pay a cent. Get a non-US hosting, and starve these grasping parasites of money they've done nothing to earn. To hell with SoundExchange and their crooked pals in government. Free the music. So mass outlets like Pandora now don’t have to pay the $500 per “channel”. But where does that leave noncommercial stations that don’t make a cent in revenues? It sounds like they still have to pay the $500 even if they only broadcast enough music to enough listeners to pay a small fraction of that on the per-song basis.

And these unpaid royalties are one of the most grotesque scams of all time. Imagine letting entrusting the “distributing” agency keep the money of those it mysteriously fails to find. There should at least be a wholly separate body that gets paid by monies distributed.

And what of performers who wouldn’t go anywhere near a crooked anti-music monopoly outfit like the RIAA? What of non-US musicians whose music gets played on US-based webcasts? Presumably royalties for their music goes straight into SoundExchange’s corrupt pockets.

The only answer is not to play RIAA crap, and not to pay a cent. Get a non-US hosting, and starve these grasping parasites of money they’ve done nothing to earn. To hell with SoundExchange and their crooked pals in government. Free the music.

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