Internet Radio is something that will not happen unless the Big Three (GM, Ford and Bailout) with Microsoft push legislation that would prevent royalties from being paid to the artist.
Currently in the United States the Internet is protected by a silk thin layer that can be broken through anytime by the supreme court, so expect this to be a short lived fantasy. Alas we all know that EMI, Universal and Apple own the market and as long as companies like LaLa, Spotify, and SIRIUS XM have contracts with ASCAP & BMI (Who are controlled by labels) the world where artist receive absolute 100% Royalties from marketing campaigns developed by on-line radio stations is nil… and by nil I mean it will never happen. Thus the cycle of mainstream music will continue.
When SIRIUS XM realizes; for its own preservation, that it should concentrate on developing regional stations, the music industry will exceed the limits of its current state. By the way how the hell do you think car owners are willing to pay for plans that cell phone companies cannot even explain? Unlimited Internet on a car??? As appose to the unlimited Internet we pay for on our phone already… it just doesn’t sound logical… Baby Boomers will not pay for it and generation X’ers will not be able to afford it… also I’m pretty sure there is a free app for that… With long term contracts in place with all the top automakers for the next decade Satellite will reign supreme. I think Internet Radio will just blossom and whither like the average bunch of roses from a 7/11.
As one station losses its popularity (MySpace) another will replace it (Facebook). This is not to say that Internet Radio is doing everything wrong. They’re just not developing a logical business model, but, lets look at SIRIUS XM who has a Hip Hop aficionado in charge of XM U; the companies Indie radio programming… By the way XM U thank you for playing “Fire Flies” and “Grizzly Bears.” While we all love the music of the Boomers their incestuous decisions to put Molly Sirus and the Hollywood circus in front of bands that grew up in the shadows of CBGB OMFUG blows my mind. We all want change and we all want it for the better but Internet radio goes against the grain of why kids want to become Rock Stars. Its not just for the music… its because they want to look cool, they want to get laid, and they want those mansions on MTV (The Devil) Cribs. Internet Radio is socialism and Rock n’ Roll is capitalistic and it doesn’t take an adorable lippy dog named Baxter to cut to the core of it. To be honest it is rather impressive that he ate the whole wheel of cheese…
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