"It’s time for every musician in America to demand protection from the telecommunications companies and their ‘self regulation.’ We need strong net neutrality laws to protect the openness of the Internet, or our music, our views, and our freedoms will be as silent as the second half of the muted Pearl Jam song."

Washington, D.C.— The Future of Music Coalition and Media Access Project today filed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission requesting clarification that Clear Channel’s practice of forcing local and independent recording artists to waive potential royalties as a condition of having a song considered for broadcast airplay is tantamount to payola.  read more

Ahead of an important congressional hearing on digital performance royalties for non-interactive webcasts, the Future of Music Coalition urges Congress to establish a rate system that ensures artists get paid fairly and webcasters can continue to broadcast.

FMC has submitted testimony to the House Small Business Committee, which will hold a hearing Thursday on the Copyright Royalty Board’s controversial new rates for webcasters. Many small webcasters have complained the rates are so high they will be forced to stop broadcasting after the implementation date of July 15, while some musicians and copyright holders believe the new rates reflect fair compensation for the use of their work. read more

Washington, D.C.— You remember several years ago, in 2005, former Attorney General, now New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer caught several major labels and major radio companies with hands in each others’ cookie jars engaging in payola — receiving payments from record companies to play certain records?* Sure you do, his investigation garnered national headlines and resulted in fines and penalties from several major labels that exceeded $30 million. read more