Obama Sends Strong Message to FCC to Preserve Net Neutrality

Today, President Obama weighed in on the Net Neutrality debate, with a position urging the FCC to reclassify the Internet as a Public Utility.  Who knows if Obama has any real power to influence the FCC's decision, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.  Here's a great article from Gizmodo breaking down the issue and Obama's comments.  And you can watch the video of Obama's statement below.

Just last week, I wrote about this, encouraged by the 4 million Americans who made their voices heard during the FCC's Public Comment period.  Now that the White House has taken a firm position, it's an even better time for YOU to get involved.  Here's an easy way to send a message to the FCC.  Let them know you don't want big ISPs controlling who gets what internet content and how fast they get it.

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Takeaways from the Future of Music Summit 2014

Last week I attended my 6th Future of Music Summit, a conference focusing on the intersection of policy and technology as it relates to musicians' rights, revenue streams, and impact on society.  This is not your typical music conference - at times it can be wonky and sometimes dry - but it is also extremely important.

One of the discussions that reached a fever pitch at this year's Summit was focused around Net Neutrality.  You've heard me speaking out on this before, asking you to contact your congressperson to ensure the giant ISPs aren't able to pick winners and losers on the internet.  We don't need a fast lane for the big companies who can pay more to deliver their content to you at higher speeds.  This will be disadvantageous to smaller companies and indie artists who would otherwise benefit from a level playing field on the internet.  Over 4 million people made their voices heard during the FCC's Public Comment period, and the FCC has proposed a hybrid solution of sorts.  Please take a moment to read about the far-reaching implications of this and get involved here. 

It's a bit dismaying to hear some of the same issues discussed at the FMC Summit each year, where no progress has been made.  One of these pertains to the problem of metadata in recorded music.  Today's music business is all about micropayments - you're WAY more likely to get an aggregate of fractions of cent for streaming on Spotify than you are to get $17 for a physical CD.  So it's important that recordings played on the radio, streamed over the internet, and used in other media are accurately identified and tracked, so that the content owners and creators can be paid what they're owed.  As metadata evangelist and orator extraordinaire Jim Griffin explained, we have a system for internet domain registration that requires everyone to register their unique domain names.  The incentive for companies like Go Daddy to maintain global databases and accurately manage registration data is PROFIT, which is arguably why it works.

We do NOT have such a system for registering musical recordings.  There are metadata, such as ISRC codes, that are used to track recordings and allocate payments, but these codes are not across all platforms and there is no globally accessible database in which to store them.  The result?  Tons of recordings go into a "black box", where royalties are distributed to the larger, more powerful companies, according to their market share  I share Jim Griffin's belief that it would be a step towards a more sustainable and thriving musicians' middle class if we could just develop a system to track and pay for all recordings used throughout the world using a common database (or databases) using globally unique identifiers (GUIDs).  A very technical subject, but one that impacts the financial stablity of nearly all musicians today.  So what can you do?  Make sure you report accurate data about your recordings to all of the services you use (e.g. SoundExchange).  For more info, check the FMC website for video clips from the Summit as they become available,

Last, but not least, I attended a great panel featuring representatives from the musicians union, among others.  I didn't expect it from the title of the session, but this ended up being a great discussion on Fair Trade Music.  It was great to find out the unions are no longer dictatorial, rigid organizations that only support their members' activities - they're more collaborative, and want to engage with local initiatives to organize around fair treatment for musicians.  I had an opportunity to share the progress we've made with Fair Trade Music DC, and believe that we're ready now to tap into the resources and strength of the AFM as we move forward.  For more info on our initiative, click here.

I'll write more on these topics in the coming weeks, but the main takeaway from FMC is that we all need be hyper-aware of the policies and legislation impacting musicians, and organize at the Federal level and in our local communities to fight for a better future for musicians.

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The Music Industry Comes to DC this Sunday Night and We're Hosting the Kickoff Party!

I'm proud to be a part of the Future of Music Summit for the 3rd year in a row.  This is a great opportunity for local music folks to learn a ton and network with some of the most influential people in the music industry!  To kick off the conference, I'll be hosting a special Metro Music Source meetup on Sun, Oct 26, at Comet Ping Pong in DC! This free event, co-sponsored by SpokesBUZZ, a Colorado-based music nonprofit, Listen Local First, and Sasha Lord Presents, will feature networking from 8-pm.  The featured topic will be Fair Trade Music DC. Following the networking hour will be a showcase of live music from Wiredogs, an American punk rock band from Denver, and Lowercase Letters, a powerful DC soul, funk and blues band. For over 5 years, MMS events have been a focal point for the DC area music scene, bringing together local musicians, record label reps, artist managers, publicists, music journalists, filmmakers, designers, publishers, producer/engineers, and many others, with the goal of fostering connection, collaboration, and opportunities for the DC area music community. Hope you can make it!

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Metro Music Source Networking Event - Wed, 10/15 @ Iota!

I'll be hosting the next Metro Music Source musician-music industry meetup on Wed, Oct 15, at Iota Club and Café in Arlington!

This is a great opportunity for musicians and industry professionals to connect, share opportunities and knowledge, and discuss topics of the day in a relaxed atmosphere.  The event is free and informal.  Musicians are also encouraged to sign up for Iota's open mic, with signups at 7:30 and 10pm.

For over 5 years, MMS events have been a focal point for the DC area music scene, bringing together local musicians, record label reps, artist managers, publicists, music journalists, filmmakers, designers, publishers, producer/engineers, and many others.

Hope to see you there!

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My Trip to France, or How To Save The World

A few days ago, I returned from a 10 day trip to France.  Paris, my home abroad, always seems to bring out the best in me.  Even on no sleep, I'm constantly inspired and energized to "take on the day" (a phrase drilled into me each morning by my former roommate in Paris, Jeff), and pursue greater meaning in my life.  From the brilliant art and architecture to the humble accordion music played by the panhandlers on the metro, one can't help but feel alive in this great city.  It's good to know those days of living in Paris as a student, waxing philosophical with friends over some cheap (but great) red wine, were not simply the vestiges of youth, but rather a mindset I can return to again and again.  

This trip I also traveled to the south of France. The Provence region, and all the quaint little towns we visited were exceptionally charming, with great food and wine, and incredibly picturesque surroundings. We met some great people along the way. I have to say, the concept of personal space is quite different in France.  When you get into an elevator, the French don't avoid conversation.  And at a restaurant, you're almost always sitting a scant few inches away from another table.  A simple, "Can I borrow your pepper?" can lead to an enthralling conversation replete with the joy of cross-cultural connection, and the sense that we are are all more alike than we are different.

My love for music is closely related to my passion for languages, and I have spent much time honing my French skills. The French people we met were overjoyed to find an American well-versed in their language and culture, and I found there was an openness and generosity of spirit.   Of this I am convinced: our world would be a much better place if we all took a little more time to communicate, understand, and respect each other. 

I return to the US refreshed, and invigorated with a healthy dose of perspective, 8 bottles of incredible wine, and an eagerness to make more music, the universal language.

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More Thoughts on Fair Payment for Musicians

We had a great showing at our Fair Trade Music DC Roundtable last week.  I left with the general feeling that there is hope for musicians to make a living wage if we foster better communication and partnerships with venues, become more astute businesspeople and show the value of what we do in concrete terms, and pursue a mix of traditional and alternative venues - along with other income streams.  However, we still have a ways to go in this effort.  Let me share a personal anecdote.

I played keys with one of my singer/songwriter clients this weekend, sharing a bill with 2 other great local solo artists.  We all gave several hours of our time - prep, travel, load-in, setup, running our own sound, and then an hour performance each.  That's about a 4-5 hour time investment.

It wasn't a huge venue, but EVERY seat was filled.

After the venue took 50% of the $5 cover, we ended up with $27 each.  If you assume a 4 hour time investment for the gig, that's less than minimum wage.

Moreover, the venue did not offer any accommodation for food or drink, so most of us either netted $0 or took a loss.

Now, I do think we might have undersold ourselves with the $5 cover.  But we realistically couldn't have asked for more than $10, which would have amounted to $54 per act.  That's still abysmal, and doesn't recognize the professional service that musicians are providing.  There would have been NO bar sales in this particular room without the music as a draw.  I personally think that a scenario in which the venue is filled to capacity should never result in a performer leaving empty handed.  What's worse, the same venue had booked another band on the lower level at the same exact time, which cannibalized our audience.

My point is not to complain.  It is to underscore the need for local musicians to do the following:

1) Stop playing venues that don't pay.  Support and promote venues that do.
2) Learn how to be a better businessperson - negotiate guaranteed minimums, including hospitality (we were told that others at this venue received comps for food and drink, just not us).
3) Educate venues - they may not realize what they're doing.  Suggest other ways of being compensated, e.g., a percentage of bar sales.
4) Support and cultivate alternative venues, such as house shows.
5) Get involved with Fair Trade Music DC - take the online survey and make your voice heard.

'Til next time...

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Fair Trade Music DC - Event Tonight + Survey!

DMV Musicians!  You're invited to attend the next Fair Trade Music DC Round Table event, which will take place tonight, 9/8 at The Blind Dog Cafe at Darnell's in DC.

Fair Trade Music DC is a community initiative aimed at developing equitable relationships between DC area musicians and music venues.  By participating in our Round Table meetups, you'll be helping your local musical brethren - as well as yourself - to create a dialogue and advocate for fairness and transparency in the local music scene The ultimate goal of FTM DC is to establish a set of best practices around minimum performance fees, promotion and marketing, hospitality, sound/backline requirements, and more. 

The Sept. 8 Round Table will continue our musician-focused group discussions, supplementing the input we've received at past events, and moving us closer to developing these community best practices.

Please join us beginning at 6pm, Monday Sept 8, in the backroom at the Blind Dog Cafe, located at 944 Florida Ave NW, 20001. (BYO Food and Drink, cookies and Lemonade provided!)

We hope you can make it, but either way, we invite you to take our anonymous survey, so we can identify more of the common issues facing local musicians and celebrate the venues that are treating them right.

The survey is easy, and only takes a couple of minutes.  The individual results of the survey will not be made publicly available.  Visit this page http://fairtrademusicdc.org/, then:
 

1) Pick a Venue ( if the venue you played is not on the list you can add it - no need to add house shows)

2) Fill out the survey

3) Add any additional details or comments in the comment section

4) Press submit

5) Feel free to fill out the survey again for any other venues you have performed at in the past 6 months.

Thanks for your support - hope to see you there!

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