Future of Music Coalition

Current Features

Future of Music Coalition is a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure a diverse musical culture where artists flourish, are compensated fairly for their work, and where fans can find the music they want. More

FMC on Twitter

Must read interview with @jasiri_x http://t.co/rgZHcv3aui

7 hours 55 min ago
@jasiri_x thank you so much for raising your voice!

10 hours 3 min ago
RT @jasiri_x: Why the FCC ruling on Net Neutrality is so important for independent artists like me http://t.co/g9GlfPV1qe

10 hours 3 min ago
Good point in this piece by @marathonpacks: lyrics are a battleground in part because they can be lucrative. http://t.co/lypZ4a4mQn

12 hours 2 min ago
Remember when our 4 million comments broke the FCC’s comment system? It’s because they need to modernize their IT system. #subcommtech

12 hours 12 min ago
It’s incredibly important to stay vigilant about net neutrality in the coming weeks & months. Gotta make the win stick.

12 hours 18 min ago
We’re watching this house subcommittee hearing http://t.co/1d1JN790B8 in case some in Congress want to use budget to kill #NetNeutrality.

12 hours 20 min ago
@3imaginarygirls @zachfromiji @teamloverecords this is great news!

1 day 6 hours ago
@ChunkyGlasses @songprocess actually since Hall started a web series in 2007, he’s a prime example of why we need Net Neutrality! :)

1 day 7 hours ago
@Courtoly @CaseyContrarian @billboard That's definitely interesting. We've also looked at bitcoin-style decentralized ledgers...

1 day 8 hours ago

FutureBlog

Equal & Transparent Streaming for All - A Proposal For Our Industry

Guest post by Emily White, Whitesmith Entertainment

This article is second in a series of guest posts exploring the streaming issue from multiple angles, with a focus on how independent players are impacted. For another take, check out this post from Joe Steinhardt, owner of independent label Don Giovanni Records. read more

Future of Music Coalition Hails FCC Net Neutrality Vote

WASHINGTON, DC— Moments ago, the Federal Communications Commission voted to adopt a new Open Internet order, implementing strong net neutrality protections using Title II of the Communications Act.

Future of Music Coalition CEO Casey Rae made the following statement: read more

A Future with No Alternative

Guest Post by Joe Steinhardt

It’s no secret that debates over the role and structure of on-demand streaming services continue to be a source of ongoing controversy. Unfortunately, too often, these debates are framed in terms of the impacts on the largest commercial players or net industry revenues. This can be valuable as an entry point, but it can also be flattening; streaming critics and supporters alike may have a diverse range of reasons for the opinions they hold. Part of what we try to do at FMC is encourage a deeper understanding of the full breadth of independent perspectives, and to that end, we’ll be hosting a series of guest posts exploring the streaming issue from multiple angles. To kick it off, here’s some thoughts from Joe Steinhardt, owner of independent label Don Giovanni Records and a PhD Candidate in Communication at Cornell.

Dear Chairman Wheeler:

We write to you at a crucial moment for net neutrality, as we probably don’t have to remind you. We understand that your position can be thankless and that it is difficult to take a stand for what is right when there is so much pressure from powerful interests and their political allies. As musicians and composers, we want to thank you for moving forward with strong net neutrality rules. As so many creators have already noted, reclassification under Title II is the best way to ensure that the Internet remains open for us to build businesses, reach audiences and earn a living in what is a challenging marketplace for creative content.

You certainly have our appreciation. And we urge you to remain steadfast in your efforts to keep the Internet a viable platform for creative entrepreneurs. Without clear and enforceable rules that let us compete alongside the biggest companies, our ability to create and innovate will be threatened, if not extinguished.

It’s pretty weird when you think about it: when you hear “I Will Always Love You” performed by Whitney Houston on AM/FM radio in the US, neither the Houston estate nor her label get paid. But songwriter Dolly Parton does receive compensation, along with her publisher. We love Dolly a ton, but this seems unfair. That’s because it is.

Things look much different in the rest of the world, where performers, labels, songwriters and publishers ALL get paid for radio play. Consider how certain genres of music—like jazz and r&b—are powered by performances. “Respect,” belted out by Aretha Franklin. “My Favorite Things” as interpreted by the great John Coltrane. Yet due to a weird loophole in US law that exempts radio stations from paying performers or labels, countless American artists have been unable to collect money owed to them for airplay here and abroad. The problem is particularly acute for performers who aren’t in a position to tour, such as older, so-called “legacy” artists. When it comes down to it, the lack of a public performance right for over-the-air broadcasting amounts to the government giving away music to the rest of the world for free.

Current Features

FMC on Twitter

FutureBlog

Equal & Transparent Streaming for All - A Proposal For Our Industry

Future of Music Coalition Hails FCC Net Neutrality Vote

A Future with No Alternative

Artists to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: We've Got Your Back on Net Neutrality

Getting Artists Paid for AM/FM Plays

Media

Featured Articles

Fact Sheets

Search By Issue