About FMC

Future of Music Coalition Weclomes New Board Members, Sets Bold Vision for Artist Engagement

January 1, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC—Future of Music Coalition (FMC) is thrilled to announce the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors. Jean Cook is a musician who formerly served FMC as Director of Programs, where she co-led the organization’s groundbreaking Artist Revenue Streams Project. Jason Burns is a well-respected and forward-looking music manager based in Toronto, Canada. They join a governance team committed to improving conditions for working musicians and composers, and will support FMC’s goal of a musical ecosystem where artists flourish and are compensated fairly and transparently for their work. read more

Help Us Fight for Musicians in 2016!

You’ve stood behind Future of Music Coalition through 15 years of fighting for musicians in the halls of power and beyond. We can’t thank you enough.

Did you know that FMC is building new systems to improve the lives of music creators? We’re not raising money for an office Jacuzzi (though that would be awesome): we’re connecting musicians to decision-makers, hosting events and workshops and providing amazing—and free!—resources for artists and their teams. In 2016, we will drive a global artist movement based on the core values of fairness and opportunity. We will help musicians lead the charge. And we will rally music fans and supporters to our cause. Together, we will fix a broken industry.

Digital Tomorrows – A Conversation With Kiran Gandhi And Yvette Nimako

By Josh Urban

Dotted Music

December 4, 2015

I waited off to the side, reporting on the Future of Music Coalition’s annual policy summit in Washington, DC. “Would you be willing to come speak to my class sometime?” one of her alma mater professors asked, to which she agreed. Another colleague leaned in for a hug. Things quieted down a bit, and both women graciously agreed to an audio interview. Without further ado, here’s our conversation about the music industry, creativity, women in business, and thoughts on the question: Can the world can be saved?

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Downtown Boys Partner with DemandProgress.org and Others to Launch Spark Mag

By Jim

CoolDad Music

November 11, 2015

Downtown Boys have partnered with DemandProgress.org, Future of Music Coalition, and Impose Magazine to launch Spark Mag, a new culture website whose aim is to publicize the music of radical and politically-minded artists from all genres and to connect them with fans and the organizing campaigns these artists have been working on for years. Spark Mag aims to highlight artists who may receive less coverage for their work because of their radical views.

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Members of Downtown Boys and Demand Progress Launch New Publication, Spark Mag

By Michael Kolb

AdHoc

November 11, 2015

In a video accompanying an Indiegogo campaign, Downtown Boys’ singer Victoria Ruiz announced the launch of Spark Mag, an online magazine dedicated to giving radical, politically minded musicians of all genres a platform to express their ideas directly to fans via weekly interviews and artist-penned editorials. Spearheaded by grassroots activists Demand Progress, in collaboration with IMPOSE Magazine and the Future of Music Coalition, the magazine will be edited by Ruiz and fellow Downtown Boys member Joey La Neve DeFrancesco. Their goal is to connect artists, activists and fans to utilize culture to effect social change. The website already features writing from Priests, Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz, and profiles of Algiers and Abdul Ali. read more

Spark Mag: Culture is a Weapon

By Spark Mag

Vimeo

November 8, 2015

Introduction to new cultural and political website, the “Spark Mag,” at theSparkMag.com. Grassroots activist group Demand Progress—partnering with Future of Music Coalition, Impose Magazine, and political rock band Downtown Boys—has launched its new culture website called “Spark Mag.” read more

The People Issue

By Matt Cohen

Washington City Paper

November 6, 2015

Tucked away in the basement of a nondescript Columbia Heights house, some of the most exciting music in years has been recorded at Swim-Two-Birds, the home studio of spouses Hugh McElroy and Kevin Erickson. From Priests to the Cornel West Theory to Hemlines, Swim-Two-Birds has become synonymous with a certain sound among D.C.’s musical contingent. That’s mostly due to the studio’s all-analog setup—rare in today’s digitally obsessed culture—but also because of who Hugh and Kevin are: deeply passionate music nerds. Hugh—a D.C. native—has been a part of the local punk scene for years, playing in experimental post-hardcore band Black Eyes in early aughts, while Kevin works full-time advocating for artist’s rights with the Future of Music Coalition. read more

FMC Turns 15 At This Year's Summit!

As past Summit attendees know, our annual policy conference isn’t just about fact inundation. This being the music industry, we like to celebrate too — and this year we have a pretty great reason to do so. The Future of Music Coalition is turning 15 years old, so we’re having a Quinceañera shindig on Monday night, October 26, at Gypsy Sally’s (3401 Water Street NW).

Musician Scholarships Available To Attend Future of Music Policy Summit

International Musician

September 21, 2015

The Future of Music Policy Summit is a two-day annual event in Washington DC that brings together musicians and composers, managers and artist advocates, labels, publishers and music societies, tech innovators, legal experts and policymakers to discuss the most pressing issues facing the music business, all centered on the needs of musicians themselves.

Hosted by Future of Music Coalition and Georgetown University, this year’s event takes place on October 26-27. read more

Aspen Breakout Sessions Address Key Policy Issues

Technology Policy Institute

August 6, 2015

The Technology Policy Institute has confirmed participants for the 2015 Aspen Forum breakout sessions. The three informal, off-the-record breakout sessions will cover the pertinent topics of music licensing, intellectual property and competition policy, and unlicensed spectrum. The Aspen Forum is scheduled for August 16 – 18 and registration can still be performed online.

The session, “Music Licensing: Moving to the Digital Era” will be moderated by Michael Smith, Technology Policy Institute Senior Adjunct Fellow and Professor of Information Systems and Marketing at Carnegie Mellon University. Participants include: read more