Many internet radio stations/sites are participating in today’s Day of Silence. If you don’t know, this is in protest over the new proposed rate hikes for internet radio. For more information, check out SaveNetRadio.org
This affect everyone. Your favorite internet radio station may be at risk.
In a London press conference this morning, Apple and EMI announced that the entire EMI music library will be made available through Apple’s iTunes store without DRM. The DRM free files will also be encoded at a higher quality than the usual iTunes music from other labels. The EMI tracks will be $1.29 (30 cents more), DRM free and encoded as 256kbps AAC files (up from 128kbps). Music downloaded from iTunes without DRM will be playable on any device that can play the AAC format. Consumers who do not want to purchase the higher quality unprotected tracks can opt for the standard 99¢ 128kbps tracks, both versions are offered. People who purchased the lower quality tracks can upgrade to the new format for 30¢.
EMI will also be making unprotected music videos and full albums available through the iTunes store at their current pricing. This is great news and will put the other labels on notice. Let’s hope EMI and Apple show that this is the way to go and are successful so that the other labels will follow.
One thing to note, this deal does not include the Beatles catalog…
[via NPR (Radio Broadcast) and Arstechnica]
The music industry is at it again. On Friday March 2nd, the U.S. government (specifically, the Copyright Royalty Board, or “CRB”) announced the new royalty rates Internet radio webcasters must pay to license the music they play for the years 2006-2010 (the fees are retroactive). The issue is the disproportionate royalty structure that is well over the revenue generated for even the largest and most profitable internet radio sites.
Sites like Digitally Imported (di.fm) and Pandora (pandora.com) could not even begin to cover the fees that they would incur based on the new royalty rates. For an explanation and examples of how the royalties will work, check out the FAQ at SaveTheStreams.org.
What you can do…
Send a message to your representatives in Congress.
Get PSAs and Banners, Spread the word!
Support your favorite internet radio site. (check out our Digitally Imported sidebar widget for WordPress)
