In 2007, I was invited to McGill University to guest lecture at a cross-disciplinary class taught by producer Sandy Pearlman. Since the graduate students had been tasked with designing a workable new music-related business model for their final project, I decided to put together a presentation that focused on the back end of the music business model: if and how performers, songwriters and labels were each compensated when their music was either streamed or downloaded.

In the years hence, we have organized this information into two documents — New Business Models and Digital Distribution — and presented this information to thousands of musicians at events and conferences all over the country. These documents — as well as the 42 Revenue Streams list — are a tangible reflection of FMC’s mission; helping musicians and songwriters understand the mechanics of the emerging music/technology landscape, how they are compensated, and how they can participate in this marketplace.

In August 2012, we thoroughly scrubbed and updated both the Digital Distribution and New Business Models documents, adding in new services that have appeared in the past year. In each instance, we describe the service, and if and how labels, performers and songwriters are paid. We have also converted the New Business Models document to a Google spreadsheet, making it easier for musicians to access, and for us to update periodically.

Are there services that we have missed? Platforms you have questions about? Corrections to the existing documents? Please let us know in the comments below!

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