Issues
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Featured Articles
Taking the Pulse: survey on health insurance and musicians
In 2002, Future of Music Coalition conducted an online survey to gauge the level of health insurance among working musicians. Of the nearly 2,700 respondents, 44 percent of them did not have health insurance.
As a response, we launched the HINT project, which has been providing musicians with personalized, artist-friendly advice about their health insurance options since 2005.
With the health care now a national issue, FMC is re-launching the survey from March 1 - April 1, 2010.Musicians, songwriters and composers: Click here to take the survey. read more
Music On Our Terms
There’s been no shortage of talk lately about Net Neutrality, with everyone from Jon Stewart to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski discussing the future of the Web as we know it. I wanted to take a minute to talk about why Net Neutrality is so important to the creative community, particularly musicians.
Today’s artists are using the open Internet to connect with audiences and advance their careers on their own terms. Musicians are collaborating, selling merchandise, booking tours and building fan bases via the Web. OK Go’s homemade YouTube video became an international sensation and led to the band winning a Grammy for best short video. Erin McKeown holds “virtual concerts” around her house that her fans can watch live online from all over the world. And even though she lives on a remote island off the coast of Washington State, composer Alex Shapiro makes a living off commissions from her MySpace page. read more
New Business Models
Watch the presentation (20 minutes in 5 parts).
Download the New Business Models spreadsheet, which details if/how performers, labels and songwriters are compensated under various models.
Download the Digital Distribution sheet, which explains how independent and unsigned musicians can use services like CD Baby, Tunecore, Reverbnation, Nimbit or Amazon’s Create Space to get their music into many of the most effective digital music services.
Download slides from Jed Carlson, COO and co-founder of ReverbNation. read more
Guess Who's Invited to the White House?
Since Barack Obama’s inauguration, many in the arts community have pondered what the change in leadership might mean for our field. It’s clear that the new president has some interest in music—he’s got Jay-Z on his iPod and even handpicked “long, strange trippers” The Dead to play at the Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball in D.C. But looking past the meeting of tye-dyes and power ties, what does this mean for cultural policy?
This article originally appeared at NewMusicBox.com read more
FCC Nominations Hearing: July 15, 2009
Official Filings
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January 14, 2010
Comments of Independent Creator Organizations in FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Preserving an Open Internet
Groups underscore the importance of net neutrality to a legitimate and competitive digital marketplaceNovember 20, 2009Testimony of Jean Cook at the New York City Council Committee on Technology and Government
Remarks demonstrate the importance of open internet structures for musicians



