Comments on KEXP on SoundExchange's Webcasting Ruling

Reaching a six-figure range over a year? I wonder what KEXP DJ's salary that amount equals... hmmm...

But I digress. This decision bites, and Cantwell seems like the perfect senator to lobby against this given her previous employment.

Regarding the definition of a 'small webcaster' - it's the same as what the SWSA was. The old SWSA applied to all commercial webcasters with under $1,250,000 in revenue or investment so it was really designed for small guys. On the non-comm side, the SWSA also applied to all college and community broadcasters, meaning they won't be charged the increased rates. Soundexchange had a prior agreement with NPR they were not included in SWSA. They are exploring that right now and should have something worked out by early next week.

This decision blows ass on so many levels. What hasn't really been addressed enough is how this will affect the little lables out there (like ours, The Swingline). We don't get crap for royalties and really don't expect too...what we do benefit greatly from is stations like KEXP and the other smaller on line stations playing our records. The more of them that die...the fewer people actually hear our records. I'm so tired of major lables doing so much to protect their shitty output... if they didn't put out so much crap maybe the margin on what they do sell wouldn't be so shitty

Ben - sign your label up at Soundexchange. If your records are getting internet radio play, your label is due royalties. Check out http://63.236.111.137/jsp/login.jsp

Next week Soundexchange should be announcing a deal with NPR that will help out KEXP. It is incredibly important that KEXP is taken care of, but the bills in congress are not the way to do it. They hurt artists and labels, straight up and should not be supported. The better idea is to give small webcasters and non-commercial stations a break will making the huge corporations pay fair market value for use of sound recordings.