Indie Music Memo To FCC: We Need A Level Playing Field Too

Those of us in the business of creating independent music are staunch advocates of net neutrality, and we're encouraged by the recent appointment of Julius Genachowski as FCC Chairman. Just like the free exchange of ideas, freedom in the arts requires equal access for players of all sizes. On behalf of the members of The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) we're hopeful that this represents a commitment by the new administration to make sure there's a level playing field in the technologies that independent artists and labels use to get their music heard.

As listeners continue to move away from the classic sales model to a "time spent listening" performance model, we hope Chairman Genachowski will also demonstrate a respect for Intellectual Property and by extension the need for artists and labels to be fairly compensated for the works they create when those works are used or recreated.

With the losses of manufacturing and service industries from the U.S. economy, the importance of protecting and promoting music is ever more important, and especially during these difficult economic times, we believe protecting Intellectual Property, and the ability of artists, musicians, songwriters, labels, and the entire community of independent music-makers must be a top priority for the U.S. government.

Certainly, the music industry's economic difficulties pre-date our current national economic crisis. But despite shifts in how fans find and consume music it remains a fact that music resonates in people's lives -- and is central to the culture -- as much as ever. As the central voice for independent music labels, we at A2IM are encouraged that independent music is a growing share of the music industry.

People want independent label music! We've seen this in many ways. For example, according to the non-profit performance royalty collection society SoundExchange -- who's mission is to track and collect royalties from non-terrestrial broadcasts like webcasting, satellite radio, cable & Direct TV -- almost 40% of audience impressions for non-terrestrial broadcasts are from independent music, a telling statistic when you consider that these sources are almost entirely programmed to the specific tastes of individual listeners.

In the old terrestrial and bricks and mortar marketplace, access to music has long been -- and continues to be -- limited by the high costs of promotion and the decisions of gatekeepers. The result is tightened playlists skewed toward oldies, and a minimal number of overly repeated megahits. It's no surprise that at AM/FM radio independent artist and label music audience impressions consistently remain under 10%. But when you leave the decision up to the fans, the demand for independent music increases dramatically. Similarly, retail shelf space is controlled by those who can afford expensive advertising programs with a few big box retailers, a far cry from the new paradigm of wide open and inclusive digital retailing. Due in large part to these digital sales, in just the last year independent label market share grew from 29.49% overall (and 34.67% digital) in 2006 to 31.76% overall (and 37.16% digital) in 2007.

This growing independent label success story is rapidly becoming a leading example of the vibrancy independent music brings to our culture and our world, as independent labels produce music from a wider variety of music genres and a more diverse collection of artists.

As Thomas Friedman of the New York Times famously wrote in his 2005 book of the same name, the world is now flat! Everyone who embraces the digital model now has access to a global market and can compete. Intellectual Property in general, and music specifically, are big contributors to our economy -- and to our culture. Making certain that open and fair access to market is maintained while supporting fair compensation for the use of music is the worthwhile and achievable goal. At A2IM we're proud to welcome our new FCC chairman, and call on him and and the incoming White House administration to support all of us striving for a more vibrant, more diverse, and more fair atmosphere for independent music.

Comments

[WhoneedsGoverment]

I agree with you except quoting Friedman????

The industry brought it upon itself...t­hey no longer promote artist....­they want the bucks and not the reality.

They say we own the airways, I say " We want the airways, that's right , that's right"

[medicontheedge]

some of the best music out there is NOT on the radio. my particulat interest is traditional and modern celtic influenced music., and aside from limited terrestrial and sat radio programs, there is NO radio play. too bad.
there is LOTS of good world and indie music out there to find if you look for it!

[jhNY]

But without some kind of gate-keeping and/or filtering, how would the public know who among the myriad of independent artists are good enough to buy? Please don't say: by listening. That would take a years, even if one limited one's sample size to a minute...

And by the way, music once having been free, is never going to pay like it did before. I should know. I used to have a job in the music business at a major record label, which when I was hired I was told I could count on keeping till retirement. Let's just say retirement came 15 years early.

[rjmiller]

Why are major record labels any better than everyone else at deciding who is good? In fact, I would contend that they are worse than practically anyone else as they base their decisions on sales and marketability instead of the one quality listeners actually care about: quality.

The internet is full of curators. If you like a certain band or style of music, a quick google search will find a website or blog that recommends similar artists. Allmusic.com has a pretty decent system for that, and includes practically every band you've ever heard of.

Also, the next step in music is NOT independent label dominance, it is NO label dominance. Distribution of music at this point is practically free and recording has become absurdly cheap. For example, my band www.myspace.com/lacoteriee) is independently releasing our first EP that cost us the kingly sum of $140 to record, mix and master. We'll probably never be millionaire rockstars, but at least we have the opportunity to be heard by anyone in the world.

[HoneyBQuick]

Amen. I agree with you on every point - and the truth in what you are saying is actually very exciting for music lovers...

Also, if you're not investing the time to do a little research in finding the music that you will love, then you don't really love music... I don't let ANYONE tell me what I should be listening to, though I will take a recommendation from someone I trust.

[ManwithaParachute]

I stopped listening to the radio very early on. I went the store an bought music by packaging which looked cool to me. Luckily or intuitively, I chose well for my tastes. My tastes are ecclectic so I am open to new things. Since graphics and packaging are no longer a viable method to chose the next great artist, I read and listen. When physical media no longer is available for distribution or consumer purchase, I will not buy music unless it is directly from the artists. By the way this is how I purchase 90 percent of the music now. The artist I like now seem to be smarter than the Ameriscam Idol crowd.