Doom and Gloom for Web Radio

DailyTech posted interviews with the founder of Pandora and management from Proton Radio (and Proton Music) asking them what SoundExchange's latest rulings mean to them. A lot of net radio stations are dreading the upcoming changes in royalty rates, which are said to be around 400%... a number that would bankrupt most of the industry. An interesting read for anyone who uses online radio.

Comments

Meh...

[FlyByPC]

Do a lot of people actually listen to streaming audio from Web radio stations? I would think I'm more likely to hear what I want by listening to my own mp3 collection, than by relying on someone else's idea of the perfect mix.

I'm sure the DJs do a good job of coming up with a mix of songs that work out for most people -- but for any given individual, I would think the best mix would always be one they chose themselves.

I mean, what Web radio station is going to play Weird Al, Jimmy Buffett, Francis Cabrel, Jim Croce, John Denver, Deuter, Enya, ELO, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Buddy Holly, Brannan Lane, Willie Nelson, Peter Paul and Mary, Tom Paxton, Trevor Pinnock, Pachelbel, Pandora, Queen, Starship, Tchaikovsky, etc -- all without playing any of the many (very popular) artists whose works just don't happen to work for me?

Yeah, I have very weird musical taste -- I admit it. ...But don't we all?

Re:Meh...

[ContractualObligatio]

In terms of choosing tracks you like, you have a strong argument.

However, if your approach to life is that predictable gets boring, or you like the idea of hearing things you've never heard before, then you can see how the "best mix" for some of us cannot be comprised only of artists we already know.

But there's also the question of what you're in the mood for. I like having the choice of radio vs. my own collection. If I'm in the mood for my own selection, I've got it. If I want to hear new stuff, there's the radio. And with both a wide selection of stations and services using predictive algorithms to select tracks I might like, I have a lot of control over the degree of randomness in the mix of music I get from the radio.

It's that mix of my music vs. radio that's the important thing for me - I confess it's a small part of my listening time is to internet radio. But a small percentage across millions of potential audience members is enough to justify the internet radio stations. Unless royalties are raised so high it puts them out of business.

The point of most markets (and commercial arrangements) is to find a price suitable to both parties. Pricing internet stations out of the game, when they could otherwise provide a useful service to a niche market, is an abuse of power. It's a bad thing.

Re:Meh...

[Svartalf]

Considering that it's at least slightly harder to collect MP3's of new Renaissance Festival
and Celtic music (It's doable, because it had to be to be able to listen to the stream in
the first place...) because the media moguls have determined that this style of music isn't
available through them- YES. The same can be said of many of the web radio stations.

This isn't about someone picking and choosing the "perfect" mix of MP3's as you put it. It's about
being able to listen to things that the radio stations and labels just won't touch because they're
not strip-mining that part of culture yet or at all. And that's what this whole rate hike is about.

It's not about getting the artists their fair share. It's about killing off a media form that the
current players don't control, and largely can't control. And I question WHY someone who is involved
with the labels setting the rate for "compulsory licensing"- isn't that kind of bass-ackwards? Shouldn't
an independent party be the one setting that rate?

Re:Meh...

[Gerzel]

The thing is where did you get that music and hear it in the first place?

A lot of these radiostations, offer more than just music, but also commentary and talk. I've heard a lot of artists for the first time on net radio. Some of the songs I've heard over the net are tapes and recordings where the only copy exists at the station itself or are from local artists who don't have big record deals.

Every artist listed in the above post is main stream.

How about Becket and Frenz, Kraftwerk, or atomisk? How about traditional German, African, or any other ethnic music that isn't run through the pop-radio filter?

What is being taken out here are the artists, music and sounds that DON'T often have a record label or that you probably haven't heard of. Good stuff, that deserves to be aired. Granted perhaps most of it doesn't fit the tastes of enough people for it to belong on a major channel, but that doesn't mean it isn't good enough to be played and shared over the radio, either through the spectrum or the wires.

This is an important issue, and if net radio goes down, even if you don't listen. Just wait till they get around to your corner of the net.

Web Radio and new music

[ClaraBow]

Web Radio has been a great vehicle for me to discover new music. I have bought a lot more music lately because of discovering new artists which I heard through Web Radio. I Don't know why the industry is hell-bent on destroying a good thing for both the music industry and the consumer. I just don't get it! I'm mad and frustrated...

SOMA FM

[charnov]

I have been listening to SOMA and Bartok radio for years. It's wonderful stuff and a lot better than whats on broadcast radio. It all flows together and they get new stuff inserted in there, too.

It's a lot better than listening to all my stuff I know by heart and just hitting 'shuffle'.

Re:It's the big media conglomerates, silly....

[Svartalf]

Actually, it's the RIAA labels doing it. SoundExchange charges royalties on behalf of RIAA members and others- it is
the creation of RIAA, in reality. Now, think about it... They largely have control over the media markets through
the means and connections they already have with Radio- but don't have any positive control over anything in the
case of web radio. Very probably never will because the bar to entry is very shallow. Sure it kind of scares the
ClearChannel's of the world, but in the end, it's just another format for them to step into. In the end, they can
compete decently well in that space- but there's still no way to control you or I stepping up to the plate and putting
out stuff that's got NOTHING to do with the labels. Classical. Renaissance. Celtic. And, so forth.

RIAA's members and RIAA themselves do not like that thought at all.

They exist right at the moment to strip mine what we call culture right at the moment. In order for them to maximize
profits (and make the Daytraders happy...) they need to have nearly absolute control on what comes out as usable
music, etc. so that they can extract every dollar they can out of us. Well, so long as people don't realize they're
getting short-changed by these jokers.

Web Radio was helping people find music that the big media conglomerates (You had it right- just the wrong conglomerates)
like Sony BMG, Warner, etc. just have no interest in backing and producing content for- EVER. They don't want that.
Which is why we're here now, discussing this.

The players involved with the compulsory licensing should not be involved in setting the pricing, etc.

Someone that doesn't ever touch content covered by the licensing should not have to pay for it- if they've
got deals with all the performers that are being given "airtime" online, they shouldn't have to pay and if
they break the rules, then they should pay a dear price for that act of infringement.

But, that's not what is going on, now is it?

Net radio is free advertising!

[ZorinLynx]

I have purchased dozens of songs from iTunes because.... ...I heard them on net radio.

WHY THE FUCK is the industry trying to kill something that is MAKING THEM MONEY!? I don't understand these morons! Internet radio is like FREE ADVERTISING. It has introduced me to songs I've NEVER HEARD BEFORE, and ended up enjoying enough to purchase legally!

Are these people morons? I know the answer is obviously yes, but damn! Why are such idiots in control of such valuable intellectual property? Radio play can MAKE or BREAK a song.

And the funniest part? A lot of songs that net radio introduces to people may be older, more obscure back catalog stuff. Stuff that costs the record companies $0 to produce, because it's ALREADY PRODUCED. It's like FREE MONEY.

*grumble* I'm just exasperated at how STUPID record company execs are sometimes. They can make their millions without being total ASSHOLES, but they chose to be assholes anyway.

Re:Only a matter of time

[MrCopilot]

Doom has been ported to everything in existence, so it was only a matter of time before it became playable on Web Radio.

I know you are joking but, I open Amarok and click Radio, Shoutcast, Game and 40 stations pop up many of which include Doom1,2,3 Level music, in regular rotation.

Not to mention the plethora of sites like http://www.doomworld.com/classicdoom/info/music.ph p

Sometimes its comforting.