Move over, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson: FMC has created a movie trilogy that will dazzle the senses, uplift the human spirit, and maybe even win an Oscar or two. After a grueling 72 day shoot, we are proud to announce the world premiere of a new series of videos briefly explaining policy issues that impact musicians. And, unlike the Harry Potter movies, you don't even have to watch them in order.

In the first video, FMC Communications Director Casey Rae-Hunter discusses a topic that you may have come across in your RSS reader lately: net neutrality.

Net neutrality is the principle that protects the open internet. Without it, the web could change dramatically, and probably for the worst. If you're a musician who depends on the internet to promote your music, sell merch, book tours and interact with fans, you should definitely familiarize yourself with this issue.

Go ahead and scroll down to watch the clip. We'll wait.

FMC has been working for a decade to make sure that musicians can compete online right alongside the biggest companies. We’ve always understood that it would be a huge mistake to place bottlenecks and gatekeepers — basically everything that was wrong with the original music industry — on the internet. We’ve advocated for net neutrality because it’s crucial to artists' ability to reach fans on their own terms.

When we first started talking about net neutrality, there weren’t many examples of legitimate, music-related sites and services to point to. Now, there are new ones every day. We want this legitimate digital music marketplace to grow, and we want all artists to be able to participate. Net neutrality means innovation can keep happening and musicians can keep making connections with fans without having to ask permission first.

You may have heard about the April 6 decision at the DC Circuit Court of Appeals that tossed out the FCC’s presumed legal authority for regulating the internet. This is a huge blow to the Commission, particularly as they work to establish basic rules that would preserve the open internet. The decision also affects huge portions of the National Broadband Plan, which contains proposals for getting affordable high-speed internet service to more Americans. Because of this decision, both efforts are currently in limbo.

Check out this earlier post to learn where we might go from here. And remember, it's not too late to tell the FCC how you use the internet in your lives and careers. Our handy comments tool can help you make it happen.

Stay tuned for the next installment in our thrilling video series. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go work on the 3D rendering. . .