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Carp-Free Independent Music Labels
robkill writes "The actions and intentions of the RIAA have been under close scrutiny in the folk music community as well as Slashdot. In addition to Janis Ian's article previously featured here on Slashdot, guitarist Harvey Reid has an article on the importance of internet radio for the independent music community. Besides posting a number of good links, he has started a signup webpage for independent artists and music labels who are interested in circumventing the CARP fee. Right now, it's only a mailing list for Artists and Record Labels who want to see internet radio succeed. So if you own the copyrights on some independent music, why not join the list? For the rest of us, it's a good list of musicians to support."
Quite Frankly, the RIAA's business practices make me sick. It seems that they try to make money off of everything that we listen to, while squelching the alternatives that we might listen to through another medium. They seem to want to copy-protect everything, throw fair use out the window, and then charge everyone royalties for what amounts to them as free promotion. I hope more artists sign up for this.
Anybody else read the headline this way?
Wishful thinking, I guess!
OtakuBooty.com: Smart, funny, sexy nerds.
won't fall by the wayside. It will take artists and musicians to make internet radio, and downloadable music something that we can all enjoy for a long time to come. We can huff and puff all we want, but they are ones who have to lead the charge for anything to change for the better.
"The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away" -Tom Waits
inetprogramming.com is a website for independent music artists... there is a very long and detailed page about the rate ruling, and links for you to send a fax to congress about making legislation to save the smaller stations as well...
I tried putting this in an article, but got rejected, so I hope a lot of people read this and send in a fax... I don't want to loose my favorite internet radio station...
http://inetprogramming.com/notice.html
From Zeropaid.com webside:
Got a Question for Hilary?
A representative of the RIAA has agreed to take some time out of their hectic court schedule and answer a few of our questions. Don't miss out on a chance to voice your opinion!
I emailed him about it. Hopefully you'll see a change soon. Until then, I can give you the info for one of them--it's in my sig...
c-hack.com |
There's also the RIAA Membership List, which can serve as a good starting-point for labels to avoid.
Alex Bischoff
HTML/CSS coder for hire
I broadcast on live365 (a damn good service I must say) but even those poor buggers have gotten the shaft by CARP. Their solution has been to levy a $5 monthly fee across the entire live365 lineup. I must say I can't blame them, they're trying to spread the hurt around as evenly as possible, but it does mean that you can't run a CARP free feed thru them without handing money over to the RIAA.
I fear that this is what the RIAA wanted. Personally, I think CARP blows, but if the RIAA want to shoot themselves in the foot by all means they should be able to. But it looks like they'll be able to essentially shoot down any big time non-CARP radio feeds by simply being the 800lb gorilla in the music biz.
Who (in terms of a large, easy to use broadcaster like live365) are going to run the risk of not paying CARP fees for everything and run the risk of the RIAA coming down on them like a tonne of brinks is a CARP free stream broadcasts a CARP covered song by accident?
Hang out at live shows if you want to support your local unsigned bands. A lot of them are really quite good. Then, when you're buying their CD if you liked the music (this is about supporting the musician, remember) suggest CARP-free web radio. Leave them a card with a link to information, maybe your e-mail address (a lot of them will have mailing lists, questions, etc). I've mentioned mp3 archive sites and streaming audio to several guys here; none of them have done it yet but all of them were at least thinking about it. The local small time musicians know the problems in the industry a lot better than the geeks do, but geeks can at least make suggestions :)
I think I'll support musicians who make music that I like, even if their politics aren't always in lockstep with Slashdot. Is that okay?
For those who haven't heard it, check out my recording "An Association Named Sue," based on this post by Yo Grark. It's all free, so it's not like I'm being a marketing jackass here.
I've also added a gif of an old pirate flag modified to reflect today's concerns. I think it'd make a great t-shirt, but I'm too busy with other stuff. Feel free to do whatever you want with it.
c-hack.com |
Many of you may have heard about the problems that the (Asian) northern snakehead fish are causing in Maryland. What you may not know is that carp are also non-native to North America, but were introduced from the Old World in the 19th century. Therefore, I am glad that there is going to be carp free music labels. There are many native fish species that deserve to be supported instead.
Hell, I don't want my favorite artists distracting themselves with this business bullshit, unless being a fighter is part of what they already are, like Ani diFranco or Courtney Love. Life is too short, time too scarce for the few genuinely talented artists we have to go running off on tangents.
This is a battle that we, the consumers, should be fighting. If we decide, en masse, not to play the RIAA's game, what the Hell can they do.
Can I suggest that PeerCast (as discussed on /. earlier) is a very good place to start.
And, remember, if we really want to stop these bastards shagging us, we must always remember that our participation in P2P has to be about growing a new, fairer system, not just getting our hands on free stuff.
I mean, you can read endless boycott the MPAA rants here on a regular basis, yet when Star Wars, Spidey, LOTR, etc come out you can also read these same people's takes on the plot twists, and how good they are.
I'm sure there are a few hardcore people who stand behind the principle of thoose boycotts they propose... but even here where most people are far more involved with their views about the **AA than is mainstream, i doubt a huge difference is actually made.
Personally i just do as you do, i saw SW-EP2 in the theatre, i have a pre-ordered copy of LOTR DVD at Amazon which will ship in August, same with the new Dave Matthews CD pre-order.
I despise the crazy bills that the **AA trys to get passed to inhibit our abilities to use a computer as we see fit, yet I still purchase the rare bits of appealing (too me, at least if you just wanna reply to criticize my tastes thats fine, but frankly i may think the same about your taste if so) stuff they put out.
And I know i'm not alone, when there is something out there I want... I get it. I'm no Gandhi, I will not starve myself (so to speak) to make a point, guess i'm just weak, but so be it.
There has been much discussion on the various webcaster lists about going "DMCA-free" - technically, to forgo the DMCA statuatory license. It's coming, thanks to the idiocy of the situation.
The SaveInternetRadio group and the International Webcasters Association have a lot more information about the situation. Good stations such as SOMA-FM have been forced from the air, and more are likely to fold.
However, there is a lot of good music out there that can be freely streamed. Some Internet stations, such as OntheI.com channel 2, have always played freely availabled music, as has MP3.com. It is important to remember that these stations are free of the CARP and DMCA restrictions and payments, much like open-source software is free of licensing restrictions.
I look for a new ecosystem to arise, akin to the open source movement, with music licensed freely to all, with returns coming from the sale of artifacts (DVD's, t-shirts, etc.), and concert tickets.
(p.s. CARP is still crap. I sent this fax just now, you can too.)
sulli
RTFJ.
Quoting from the article: ... the major record labels [working through the courts] ... have ... apply... ... retroactive to 1998.
>
> now made a serious move that, if successful, will
> hefty fees to broadcasters,
Retroactive to 1998? Yeeeesh. If that's true, it would
represent a serious abuse of power, or I'm missing something.
Lawmakers can't even _think_ about levying fees retroactive
to 1998 (Article I Section 9). But now the courts _can_?
The courts are supposed to interpret the law, not go off
on their own doing things that *can't* be made into law
because the constitution won't allow it. Or is there some
twisted interpretation by which some extant law can be
construed to indicate that these fees should have been paid
all along? Can someone explain this, before I lose my last
shreds of faith in our legal system?
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
Yeah, you're right. No laws, just let em go... life will be so much better.
Big Daddy, Johnny, Burp, Aunt Zelda, Scott, Slurp, Big Momma
Please, I urge you all to send a fax to Congress regarding this matter. It's simple and straightforward, and it's free.
SomaFM has a very convenient portal here.