musicians
pass the mic
The coalition has collected stories and quotes from other musicians telling how internet radio has impacted their lives. We're passing the mic to you -- feel free to share your voice so you can be heard.
pass the mic
Testimonial Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21
- Chris Simpkins
- 11th Street Band
- Brave New Girl
- Van Go
- Marc With a C
- LIVEwire
- Mighty Crows
- The Ubolts
- The Stranger
- Russell Soule
- New Century Classics
- Great American Taxi
- Alecx
- Glass Audrey
- Mike Stone
- Velvelettes
- Boneshard Oracle
- We R
- Veronica y AVANCE
- Soulstiedtightly
To send your experience, email us.
Pandora helped me realize the power I have to distribute over the internet. It is the one and only way to chase the dream I've had all my life.
I've loved music since I was a child. But, I could not always afford it. I still cannot afford all the music that I would like to have. Internet radio is a wonderful service and I would sorely miss it. Please do not raise the rates,thereby causing people like myself to lose the music that we love.
Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
Christopher E. Sims
Singer,
Guitarist,
Writer
We in BNG support a diverse and innovative webcasting ecology. We like to get royalty checks, and high rates = no webcasters left = no royalties.
As a listener, internet radio exposes me to many more diverse artists than are available to me by radio. As a band, internet radio allows us to be heard by that small group of people who are specifically looking for the type or power pop music that we play. Unfortunately, commercial radio has no interest in playing the music of smaller bands, greatly limiting the number and therefore diversity of musical options which I believe should be available to the public via the airwaves.
Losing control of royalties to the RIAA - which I've worked very hard to avoid altogether and retain my independence - truly upsets me. It shakes me to the very core. More or less, the RIAA is just up and deciding to take over the royalties that rightfully belong to me... and every other musician that gets internet airplay. You simply cannot be independant anymore, ever, unless these bills are thwarted.
The internet radio webcasts of such sites as 247polkaheaven.com and polkajammer.com have done wonders for the polka music industry. These internet radio sites have been fundamental in growing a small niche music sector and to lose them would be a major setback for the music I love! Please keep internet radio alive!
There is very little programming for the style of music that we play...Bluegrass. It is one of the few music genres that originated in the United States. Internet Radio allows for the broadcast of recordings that are lesser known by regional artists. It provides an opportunity for a worldwide audience. If you let these regulations kill Internet Radio, you'll also be cutting off an outlet for small-time musicians to share their music with the rest of the world (and possibly sell a few CDs), not to mention generate interest in their live performances. If a wider audience hears the music, the chances are greater that a larger crowd will attend live performances. This leads to greater revenue for the establishments that support this music. So you see, all of these are interconnected. Please take this into consideration and repeal these royalty rates.
I just wanted to say, as an artist, properly managed internet radio creates more revenue streams than it takes away. A medium as broad as the internet can be a fantastic free marketing tool and testing ground for new musics! To the RIAA, don't mistrust this new technology, learn how to use it. If people really love music, they will pay for the other formats. I have!
This is just the beginning if the corporate world wins this case we are all doomed. Not only will the listeners get less but so will the artists themselves. All the royalty money will go to he corporations not the artists. When the corporations say that they are fighting for their shareholders, they lie. The shareholders might recive pennies of every dollar. Those shareholders are you and me. So how does it make sense for us, We The People to allow destruction of public internet radio, when we get screwed on a decreased number of internet radio stations and recieve only pennies in return. Do not relinquish our power to the the corporate monkey.
As an independent musician and voiceover artist I feel these royalty rate increases are unfair and possibly unconstitutional. It is just big business lobbying to maintain a Monopoly over what we hear and see. Most Internet radio stations are small businesses and they should be protected from underhanded attacks like this. Allowing this rate increase to pass as it stands is just the stepping stone for big record companies to silence the independent musician and artist and control what we hear,say and buy.
Internet radio is a great invention allowing great talent and voices to be heard by the masses who otherwise would go unnoticed. Please don't let big business silence the wonderful new world of talent that we are starting to hear.
My band is located outside of the US (in Krakow, Poland) and right now the only way we can get heard in the States (or the UK or Europe) is through internet radio. If net radio dies, our hopes of touring outside of this country die with it.
Internet radio and broadcasting really levels the playing field for indie artists. Please don't beat up those trying to help and make things go!
I record my own music and generate my mp3's at my home studio. The mp3's get sent to the web site I use; soundclick.com, amongst others. My nusic has been played on various Internet radio stations, Gaming Radio, in Asia, Indonesia, etc. People write me and tell me they enjoy my music. I don't use a recording company.
But from my understanding, this is about royalties collected by the recording companies. So how are people to hear my music if these stations are put out of business by this new ruling?
There are many of us out here, all around the world who enjoy making music for all of our brothers and sisters, and now the vehicle we use could possibly be shut down.
What a shame and a tragedy if this happens.
Diversity and accessibility to great music would in the hands of big money....big surprise....SAVE THE MUSIC! Listen to ours if you like.
www.glassaudrey.com
Regular radio is not the same kind of radio that it used to be, with internet radio supporting the artists that need to be heard to the world, it makes radio resurrect itself back into its old fashioned great quality: giving the listeners a wide variety of good music. Why is the RIAA doing this to Internet Radio? Are they mad because they're not getting their money from the record companies, anymore, like they used to? This rate increase will kill the future of Radio. I refuse to allow this to happen. Please help.
I have been a professional vocalist in the capacity of lead singer for the Velvelettes for 40 years, and I am adamant about the preservation of Internet radio access and broadcasting!
We are just starting up and have no real material up yet. However, we play well and we think that we have a good shot at getting some recognition. However, this all hinges on one thing: the continuation of internet radio, which will probably be our only real medium for getting revenue. So, if you really want to quash us and hundreds of other new and origional bands, go right ahead and let these rates go into effect. On the other hand, if you care even an iota about the underground culture thats trying to buck the stereotypes and stupidity of the mainstream, then maybe try and think about just what you'll be doing to us when you let this all go through.
Without Internet radio my band would never get any airplay, certainly not from commercial radio stations. In addition, I have been exposed to lots of new music as well that I would never have heard. Most of my recent purchases have been based on hearing more obscure bands. Please repeal this harmful law that will only stifle the music industry.
If not for internet radio, our culture would have few outlets to let people hear our music. Tejano music is very rare to find on regular radio. Even in huge Tejano markets such as Dallas, we have no station. Internet radio is are only salvation and that now is being shut down. I am an artist that is not signed to a major label. I have an independent label and I depend on Internet radio to broadcast my music to be recognized in the industry.
My band would be basically non existant right now be it not for the internet. I just started getting my music out there and am not in the means to be able to travel yet. With the use of the internet and allowing others to listen to my songs for free via stream (but not download) I have been able to reach listeners all over the world I normally never would have found so easily. It would be a tragedy if this came to a halt, and it would hurt more musicians than help them, especially independant ones who need the exposure.
To send your experience, email us.