FAQ: Net radio's mixed signals

It's actually a little worse than it sounds: Part of the reason that the fee charged to Internet Radio webcasters is so high compared to traditional and satellite radio is that SoundExchange is charging webcasters a performance fee.

Probably most radio listeners are unaware that when they hear a song on the radio, the person(s) who wrote the song g4ts paid, the person who sang the song gets nothing. So when the Maroon5 song "She Will Be Loved" is played on the radio, Maroon5 gets paid. When broadcasters play "When I Fell" or "Highway to Hell" from the same Maroon5 album, The Beatles and AC/DC get paid, but Maroon5 gets nothing.

SoundExchange wants to extract the taditional writer's fee AND a new performance fee (to pay the performer no matter who wrote the song) from webcasters - while keeping a nominal handling fee for themselves, of course.

It's worse than it sounds because SoundExchange plans on charging terrestrial and satellite radio a performance fee in the future - if they can get the legislation passed.

BTW, our copyright laws don't reach beyond our borders in any enforceable way, so webcasters operating outside the US will continue to pay nothing to SoundExchange. Perhaps the future of webcasting lies outside of the United States.; Posted by: WiredGuy Posted on: 07/16/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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Used to be per hour? AySz88 | 07/13/07

A question: Henry Miller | 07/13/07

Compose their own? JoeRJr | 07/15/07

perhaps but revnomad | 07/15/07

Not a fad voska | 07/16/07

Hey can look at it all ... Jambalaya Breath | 07/15/07

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