Impact of Royalty Increases on Internet Radio (5)

[CMNetworx]

Wait a minute here, She pays for advertising, but isn't her song being played on the internet radio a form of advertising? Shouldn't she pay for that? If the song isn't heard on the radio, be it fm or internet radio, it will not sell. Musicians should have to pay to have their songs played and profit from the sales of their cd. Just like any other kind of product, If it is talked about on the tv or radio, or internet radio, it is because that group paid to advertise their product...

[Woofpop]

Kathy Fink is a sellout - a miserable corporate shill.

[zunipus]

My comments Part 1:

Disgust and nausea is all I can feel having heard the corporate-line comments by Silverman, Fink and Lee. Could they have expressed themselves any better as illogical sycophants to the corrupt US music business that destroys diversity and promotes parasitism of artists for the sake of lining executive's pockets?

Parts 2, 3 and 4 of my comments can be found after video #9 at the end of this series.

[rgbis4uno]

why do the people arguing over this keep from bringing up the fact that internet radio is being charged exponentially more than any other form of radio? i mean seriously? yeah compensate away but don't make them pay an arm and a leg while the other guys just have to drop a couple washingtons on the plate.

[leafygreens13]

She doesn't "get" what she has to gain from webcasters. Even if she is a Grammy winner, children's folk music is of minimal interest for the mass public and there have been few outlets to reach a larger audience. My guess, she gets no play on commercial radio, and is only heard on a few NPR stations. She doesn't "get" the fact that internet radio may allow her to expand her audience and possibly have more gigs & CD sales as a result. She obviously drank the kool-aide or lemonade, or whatever.

[sionnak]

Does it bother the NPR that Cathy Fink, an artist, who uses public radio to promote her cd's and shows, is for the new royalty decision by the CRB that would cripple the NPR?

[rockordi]

You live in a freaking MANSION, Ms. Fink. Sell it for a more modest house and you'll have fewer problems.

[foleyco]

I see, so musicians shouldn't be able to live a life with any luxuries? Why do artsits have to live a bare bones existence? Also all of these responses about musicians are greedy for buying expensive instruments is unfair. As artists become more succesful they graduate to higher quality equipment, would you want to hear your favorite band play squires through a crate?

[rockordi]

I am not saying they need to live in poverty, but I've seen the houses around Maryland/Washtingon DC/Northern Virginia, and the large houses cost over $1,000,000, and add the cost of living, and you think, "Why live there?" Especially when you can buy a smaller, but still good-sized, suitable house, for half that, and reduce your taxes as well. And then the cost of running a small business is less troublesome, and she won't have to blindly attack an industry that's trying to help her.

[ohshervin]

The question isnt whether the industry will be 'ruined' the issue is fair compensation for work. For some reason people seem to over look that producing and manufacturing music is a costly, time consuming labor of love. Unfortunately, love does not pay the bills. if artists are not paid for the music they create, they will not be able to create. sadly, the lines are being blurred these days. Name calling is juvenile and distracts from the issue at hand.

[NightAire]

Turnabout is fairplay, ohshervin:

For some reason people seem to over look that producing internet radio is a costly, time consuming labor of love. Unfortunately, love does not pay the bills. If webcasters are not paid for the radio they create, they will not be able to create.

If it works for artists, it works for webcasters! Who shall we get the government to rob blind for us... the listeners?

[Ezreal]

So, we're supposed to feel sorry for this woman because her $40,000 home studio STILL isn't good enough, and she has to pay $10,000 for an acoustic guitar? Explain that to artists who record on their laptops with the guitar they bought for $150.00 at the pawnshop. No justification there for destroying an entire industry.

[RandomPaths]

Fink is ignorant of the facts. The large broadcaster is the wheels. Without the wheels, the car will go nowhere and benefit nobody. This is critical for Congress and the Senate to be involved and pass the Internet Radio Equality Bill--and every U.S. citizen over 18 should be calling their Congressman/woman or Senators now. Time is running out. Go to live365(dot)com/choice and just type in your zip code to get their phone numbers.

[star1079fm]

Fink is buying very expensive acoustic guitars! She apparently is living high on the hog. I don't question her musical abilities, but her financial economics seems to be out of wack. She also implies that NetRadio does not pay performance royalties, yet they do.

[dizn0g]

Yeah, and she seemed to be doing fine before Internet Radio. And she keeps talking about her investments, well I'll tell her I've got 10s of thousands into Creamy Radio myself. Screw you.

[ClubHitRadio]

She's old and she doesn't get it. These greedy people are digging their own graves.

[irishtoddy]

except for the big guys internet music WILL go silent because no one can afford the rates!!! Yes u r right it is about money. GREED!! Webcasters are not saying they dont want to pay fees just make them as fair as satellite and terrestrial radio. Why is that so hard to do.

[NightAire]

Wish I had $40,000 to invest in my internet radio station... maybe I should chage Ms. Fink royalty fees if I expose my audience to her music?

[dotmejd]

So Ms Fink pays $100 an hour for a studio session. I wonder how she would feel if she was forced to pay $3000 an hour? Furthermore, she was also forced to pay $2,900 per hour for any sessions she had in the past 17 months.

This is the reality facing webcasters today. I am amazed. As others have observed, dead webcasters pay NO royalties...

[brownlagoon]

This is a joke! I listen to Internet Radio everyday and have followed the CRB issue closely.I wish the RIAA/SouneExchange people would understand the bigger picture here. That is this: Keep fighting for the CRB rate hikes and you will 100% go bankrupt all of you. No one will support you and you will be boycotted around the world. Why do you think your record sales are so low now? Because of sueing people and fighting technology instead of embrassing it.

[sorcerykid]

Ms. Fink, it's nice that SoundExchange has offered an extension of the Small Webcaster Settlement Act. However, SoundExchange can only administer the existing compulsory license. The SWSA expired December 31, 2005. Therefore, this SoundExchange settlement isn't legit.

SoundExchange is a collecting body for digital performance royalties. They do not represent of all record labels nationwide. Therefore, they cannot negotiate separate rates and terms with specific classes of Webcasters.

[sorcerykid]

Ms. Fink, your metaphor is flawed.

A panel of judges appointed by Congress doesn't set the fair market rate for the sale of all guitars via a federal statute. It is determined entirely through fair competition within the marketplace by thousands of real willing buyers and sellers. SoundExchange, however, is a government endorsed monopoly.

[blacksheepboy87]

Sorry, if you insist on using $10,000 gold-plated magical fairy-dust acoustic guitars, that'll have to come out of your own pocket. Internet radio royalties cannot be an artist's bread-and-butter income. Consider it a bonus. Record sales are your income. You are in the business of making and selling records. Internet radio stations are in the business of promoting your music. Don't shoot them in the back and yourself in the foot.