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

 

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

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

On July 15, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing for Federal Communication Commission (FCC) nominees Mignon Clyburn and Meredith Atwell Baker. President Obama nominated Clyburn and Baker to fill two vacant FCC Commissioner positions. The FCC has five Commissioners, only three of which can be from the same political party; the party of the current administration constitutes the majority. Clyburn, a Democrat, and Baker, a Republican, will be replacing outgoing Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Debi Tate, respectively. (Later in the week, the Senate confirmed Clyburn and Atwell.) read more

On June 11, 2009, the House Subcommittee for Communications, Technology and the Internet held a hearing on the Local Community Radio Act of 2009. This bill is designed to lift the minimum distance requirements imposed by the Radio Broadcast Preservation Act and allow LPFM stations to exist on “third-adjacent channels,” or channels three clicks away from full-power stations on the dial. Congress imposed this restriction in response to fears that an LPFM’s 100 watt-or-less signal would interfere with a full-power station’s 20,000 watt signal. This is a bit like being worried that a flashlight will steal brightness from an industrial-grade spotlight. read more

Legitimate digital business models and legitimate digital music marketplaces are critical to musicians’ ability to promote, distribute and earn compensation for their music. Recently, a number of new models have been proposed that would compensate copyright owners through indirect means: shares of ad revenue, fees on physical devices or broadband access, or equity stakes in a company, for example. We encourage such talks and experimentation. However, the needs of those who actually create the music – the performers and songwriters — cannot be overlooked in any discussions between corporate content owners and the businesses that use the music. FMC believes that any new business models should embrace the following principles: read more

Legitimate digital business models and legitimate digital music marketplaces are critical to musicians’ ability to promote, distribute and earn compensation for their music. This document translates the Principles for Artist Compensation in New Business Models. read more

Concert ticket giant Ticketmaster and the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation have proposed a merger that would see many music industry services — ticketing, promotion, venues and artist representation — combined in one company. On February 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the matter that included representatives from both Ticketmaster and Live Nation, as well as the independent promotions/ticketing and public interest sectors. The House Judiciary Committee took up the issue on February 26, 2009. In the interest of providing a balanced look at the possible pros and cons of the proposal, FMC solicited statements from experts on both sides of the debate, which are included here. read more

Who gets paid when “Respect” is played on terrestrial radio? You might think it’s Aretha Franklin, the artist whose soulfully commanding vocal made it one of the most indelible tunes of any era. Nope. Since the late Otis Redding wrote the song, his estate gets the spoils (as does his publisher). While no one would deny Otis his due, Aretha’s performance is a huge part of that recording’s success. Her contribution is recognized by satellite radio and webcasters, who pay a royalty to Aretha and her label when the tune is broadcast. Terrestrial radio, however, fails to compensate her. read more

On November 4, 2008, America gave a sweeping mandate to Barack Obama and Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. What does this mean for the music community? While we are still weeks away from determining some of the details how this will shake out – including who will lead the FCC and the makeup of key committees in Congress – this brief update spells out some key themes that will determine the direction of the media, internet and IP policy issues that will affect the future landscape for the music community. read more