Future of Music Coalition
Encyclopedia
Future of Music Coalition (FMC) is a U.S.
501(c)(3) national non-profit organization specializing in education, research and advocacy for musicians with a focus on issues at the intersection of music technology, policy and law.
, Kristin Thomson, Michael Bracy, Walter McDonough, and Brian Zisk.
Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson formed the indie rock band Tsunami
in 1990 and ran the Arlington, VA-based independent label Simple Machines Records from 1990 to 1998. While running Simple Machines, Toomey and Thomson published four editions of The Mechanic's Guide, a do-it-yourself manual for the music business. Following the dissolution of Simple Machines for logistic and financial reasons, Toomey and Thomson worked with the indie rock website Insound
to launch The Machine, "an online forum dedicated to exploring the possibilities and pitfalls of digital music" from the perspective of indie labels and artists. The Machine ran from 1998-2000, and featured interviews with musicians, independent label heads and technologists, including future FMC co-founder Brian Zisk.
In June 2000, Toomey, Thomson, Bracy, McDonough and Zisk released "The Future of Music Manifesto" announcing the formation of Future of Music Coalition.
Toomey served as Executive Director of FMC until 2008, when she left to become the Media and Cultural Policy program officer for the Ford Foundation
. Thomson currently serves as FMC Education Director.
Michael Bracy co-founded the independent label Misra Records
in 1999. He joined the Future of Music Coalition in July 2001 as its Government Affairs Director. He currently serves as President and Policy Director of FMC and is a partner in the government affairs firm Bracy Tucker Brown & Valanzano.
Walter McDonough is a lawyer and academic with a background in copyright, technology and the independent music industry. As an attorney, he has represented the Dresden Dolls
and Mission of Burma
, among others. He currently serves as FMC's General Counsel and is an artist representative on the board of performance rights organization SoundExchange
.
Brian Zisk is an entrepreneur and technology industry consultant specializing in digital media, web broadcasting, and distribution technologies. Zisk founded the Internet radio
station Green Witch in 1999 and co-founded the real-time search company Collecta in 2009. He currently serves as Vice President and Technologies Director of FMC and is the founder and executive producer of the SF MusicTech Summit.
FMC hosts public events, including the annual Future of Music Policy Summit; conducts original research; submits public comments, documents and testimony to legal proceedings; and organizes advocacy campaigns in an ongoing effort to raise awareness of policy issues in terms of their effect on working musicians and the independent music community.
FMC's current projects relate to issues of media ownership, particularly in the U.S. radio
market; Internet and telecommunications policy; artist advocacy and community engagement; artist compensation in the music industry; and copyright
.
.
The report found that two parent companies, Clear Channel
and Viacom
, controlled 42 percent of listeners and 45 percent of industry revenues. Evidence of consolidation was "particularly extreme" in the case of Clear Channel: "Since passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Clear Channel has grown from 40 stations to 1,240 stations — 30 times more than congressional regulation previously allowed. No potential competitor owns even one-quarter the number of Clear Channel stations. With over 100 million listeners, Clear Channel reaches over one-third of the U.S. population." The report also found that virtually every geographic market and music format were similarly controlled by oligopolies. The report concludes that "The radical deregulation of the radio industry allowed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 has not benefited the public or musicians. Instead, it has led to less competition, fewer viewpoints, and less diversity in programming. Deregulation has damaged radio as a public resource."
Addressing the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit in 2003, then-FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein called the study "truly impressive."
On January 30, 2003, Jenny Toomey testified before the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on media ownership, alongside L. Lowry Mays (Clear Channel), Edward Fritts (National Association of Broadcasters), Robert Short (Short Broadcasting), and Don Henley
of the Eagles (representing the Recording Artists Coalition).
In May 2003, during the FCC's quadrennial review of its broadcast media ownership regulations, FMC examined the contents of nearly 10,000 comments available for public review in the Federal Communications Commission Broadcast Ownership rulemaking (Docket 02-277). FMC's analysis found that, as of May 8, 2003, "96.8 percent of citizens filing comments opposed changing existing media ownership rules that would pave the way for further consolidation." Nevertheless, in June 2003, the FCC approved, by a 3-2 vote, new media ownership rules which removed many of the restrictions previously imposed to limit ownership of media within a local area.
In August 2006, FMC released a study documenting the effects of radio consolidation on employment and wages for radio announcers, news reporters and broadcast technicians from the years 1996 to 2003. The study found that, "comparing figures across metropolitan areas, an increase in the number of stations per owner within a metropolitan area was associated with both lower employment levels and lower wages."
In December 2006, FMC released "False Premises, False Promises," an in-depth follow-up to its 2002 study of the effects of the deregulation of radio station ownership. The 2006 report found that the top four radio station owners have almost half of the listeners; fifteen formats, which can overlap significantly in terms of the songs played, make up three-quarters of all commercial programming; and that "across 155 markets, radio listenership has declined over the past fourteen years, a 22% drop since its peak in 1989," leading FMC to conclude that contrary to the stated goals of FCC deregulation, "radio consolidation has no demonstrated benefits for the public."
, released "Change That Tune," a musician-oriented guide explaining the effects of payola
and its ongoing impact on the ability of independent artists and labels to engage with the radio market in the 21st century. "Change That Tune" documents investigations by the New York State Attorney General and the FCC from 2003 to 2007, which uncovered "alarming evidence" that "payola was alive and well in the music and radio industries.”
In April 2009, FMC released "Same Old Song," a study of the composition of radio playlists nation-wide between the years 2005 and 2008, along with a companion study of playlist composition in the state of New York. Both reports found little measurable change in station playlist composition during that period, suggesting that major broadcasters' 2007 settlement with the FCC and the "rules of engagement" negotiated by the American Association of Independent Music in the wake of the investigation had not been effective in diversifying playlist content or ending payola practices.
Network neutrality
or Net neutrality, sometimes described as the "open Internet," is the principle that preserves Internet access without restriction to the content, sites, platforms, equipment or modes of communication allowed. FMC explains its engagement in the issue thus: "All artists deserve the right to use the internet to cultivate listeners, and fans deserve to make their own choices of how and where to access legitimate content." Founding supporters of the Rock the Net campaign included R.E.M., Pearl Jam
, Kronos Quartet
, Boots Riley
, Ted Leo
, OK Go
, Bob Mould
(Husker Du), Kathleen Hanna
(Bikini Kill
, Le Tigre
), Death Cab for Cutie
, and Jimmy Tamborello (the Postal Service
).
In July 2008, FMC released the benefit compilation Rock the Net: Musicians for Net Neutrality on Thirsty Ear Recordings, featuring 15 tracks by Rock the Net participants including Bright Eyes, Wilco
, Aimee Mann
, Guster
, They Might Be Giants
, and the Wrens
. Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Daily called the compilation "one of the sexiest benefit records in some time."
In 2005, FMC received a grant from the Nathan Cummings Foundation
to develop the Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT), a free call-in service offering musicians advice and information about their health insurance options. The HINT Program is led by Program Director Alex Maiolo
, a musician and insurance specialist based in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro area of North Carolina.
In 2010, FMC conducted a follow-up survey which found that "of the 1,451 respondents, 33 percent said they do not have health insurance." Although the percentage of uninsured musicians had decreased since 2002, it was still nearly twice the national average of 17 percent uninsured, as estimated by the Kaiser Family Foundation
in 2008.
. Participants include Saul Williams
, the Indigo Girls
, David Harrington of the Kronos Quartet
and Jon Langford
of the Mekons.
Current U.S. Copyright law does not compensate performers or sound copyright owners for the broadcast of their recordings on terrestrial radio. The licensing arrangement
for terrestrial radio stations compensates only the songwriter (or composer) and publisher for the over-the-air broadcasts of music. Meanwhile, the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act
of 1995 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
impose an alternate licensing agreement on digital audio streaming services, such as webcast
and satellite radio
, that compensates performers and sound copyright owners as well the other rightsholders who receive payment terrestrial plays.
In 2005, FMC began petitioning Congress to establish a public performance right for sound recordings in order to more equitably compensate all participants in the creative process and correct what it views an unnecessary exception within U.S. copyright law. In addition to a foreclosed revenue stream for artists and the lack of royalty parity for digital platforms, FMC has pointed to the majority of other developed nations with a public performance right for terrestrial radio play as another imbalance. Because of the lack of a reciprocal right between the U.S. and other countries, American performing artists are unable to collect on revenue generated from non-domestic airplay, an inequity likely to be ameliorated with the passage of performance rights legislation in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
501(c)(3) national non-profit organization specializing in education, research and advocacy for musicians with a focus on issues at the intersection of music technology, policy and law.
Background
Future of Music Coalition was founded in 2000 by Jenny ToomeyJenny Toomey
Jenny Toomey is an American indie rock musician and arts activist from Chevy Chase, Maryland, and later, Washington, D.C. She was a member of the bands Geek, Tsunami, Liquorice, Grenadine, So Low and Choke, among others, and has also recorded under her own name...
, Kristin Thomson, Michael Bracy, Walter McDonough, and Brian Zisk.
Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson formed the indie rock band Tsunami
Tsunami (band)
Tsunami was an American indie rock band from Arlington, Virginia, formed by housemates Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson in late 1990 to play at New Year's party...
in 1990 and ran the Arlington, VA-based independent label Simple Machines Records from 1990 to 1998. While running Simple Machines, Toomey and Thomson published four editions of The Mechanic's Guide, a do-it-yourself manual for the music business. Following the dissolution of Simple Machines for logistic and financial reasons, Toomey and Thomson worked with the indie rock website Insound
Insound
Insound is an online CD, vinyl, digital, and music related merchandise retailer that focuses primarily on the sale of indie rock and music from other similar genres. The company is located in Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York.- History :...
to launch The Machine, "an online forum dedicated to exploring the possibilities and pitfalls of digital music" from the perspective of indie labels and artists. The Machine ran from 1998-2000, and featured interviews with musicians, independent label heads and technologists, including future FMC co-founder Brian Zisk.
In June 2000, Toomey, Thomson, Bracy, McDonough and Zisk released "The Future of Music Manifesto" announcing the formation of Future of Music Coalition.
Toomey served as Executive Director of FMC until 2008, when she left to become the Media and Cultural Policy program officer for the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
. Thomson currently serves as FMC Education Director.
Michael Bracy co-founded the independent label Misra Records
Misra Records
Misra Records is an independent record label run out of Durham, North Carolina with branch offices in Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California....
in 1999. He joined the Future of Music Coalition in July 2001 as its Government Affairs Director. He currently serves as President and Policy Director of FMC and is a partner in the government affairs firm Bracy Tucker Brown & Valanzano.
Walter McDonough is a lawyer and academic with a background in copyright, technology and the independent music industry. As an attorney, he has represented the Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione...
and Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
, among others. He currently serves as FMC's General Counsel and is an artist representative on the board of performance rights organization SoundExchange
SoundExchange
SoundExchange is a non-profit performance rights organization that collects royalties on the behalf of sound recording copyright owners and featured artists for non-interactive digital transmissions, including satellite and Internet radio.-History:Prior to 1995, SRCOs in the United States did not...
.
Brian Zisk is an entrepreneur and technology industry consultant specializing in digital media, web broadcasting, and distribution technologies. Zisk founded the Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
station Green Witch in 1999 and co-founded the real-time search company Collecta in 2009. He currently serves as Vice President and Technologies Director of FMC and is the founder and executive producer of the SF MusicTech Summit.
Mission and activities
FMC's stated mission is "to ensure a diverse musical culture where artists flourish, are compensated fairly for their work, and where fans can find the music they want."FMC hosts public events, including the annual Future of Music Policy Summit; conducts original research; submits public comments, documents and testimony to legal proceedings; and organizes advocacy campaigns in an ongoing effort to raise awareness of policy issues in terms of their effect on working musicians and the independent music community.
FMC's current projects relate to issues of media ownership, particularly in the U.S. radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
market; Internet and telecommunications policy; artist advocacy and community engagement; artist compensation in the music industry; and copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
.
Major label contract clause critique
In October 2001, FMC published its first major collaborative research project, a detailed breakdown of standard contracts offered by major labels. The report, compiled with the help of entertainment industry attorneys, paired potentially problematic contract clauses with "easy-to-understand critiques in the hopes that even those who are completely unfamiliar with the music business can understand the implications that result from signing a standard major label deal."Effects of radio deregulation
On November 18, 2002, FMC released a report entitled "Radio Deregulation: Has It Served Musicians and Citizens?" The report documented the effects of radio station ownership consolidation following the Telecommunications Act of 1996Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. This Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, was a major stepping stone towards the future of telecommunications, since this was the...
.
The report found that two parent companies, Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
and Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
, controlled 42 percent of listeners and 45 percent of industry revenues. Evidence of consolidation was "particularly extreme" in the case of Clear Channel: "Since passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Clear Channel has grown from 40 stations to 1,240 stations — 30 times more than congressional regulation previously allowed. No potential competitor owns even one-quarter the number of Clear Channel stations. With over 100 million listeners, Clear Channel reaches over one-third of the U.S. population." The report also found that virtually every geographic market and music format were similarly controlled by oligopolies. The report concludes that "The radical deregulation of the radio industry allowed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 has not benefited the public or musicians. Instead, it has led to less competition, fewer viewpoints, and less diversity in programming. Deregulation has damaged radio as a public resource."
Addressing the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit in 2003, then-FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein called the study "truly impressive."
On January 30, 2003, Jenny Toomey testified before the Senate Commerce Committee hearing on media ownership, alongside L. Lowry Mays (Clear Channel), Edward Fritts (National Association of Broadcasters), Robert Short (Short Broadcasting), and Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
of the Eagles (representing the Recording Artists Coalition).
In May 2003, during the FCC's quadrennial review of its broadcast media ownership regulations, FMC examined the contents of nearly 10,000 comments available for public review in the Federal Communications Commission Broadcast Ownership rulemaking (Docket 02-277). FMC's analysis found that, as of May 8, 2003, "96.8 percent of citizens filing comments opposed changing existing media ownership rules that would pave the way for further consolidation." Nevertheless, in June 2003, the FCC approved, by a 3-2 vote, new media ownership rules which removed many of the restrictions previously imposed to limit ownership of media within a local area.
In August 2006, FMC released a study documenting the effects of radio consolidation on employment and wages for radio announcers, news reporters and broadcast technicians from the years 1996 to 2003. The study found that, "comparing figures across metropolitan areas, an increase in the number of stations per owner within a metropolitan area was associated with both lower employment levels and lower wages."
In December 2006, FMC released "False Premises, False Promises," an in-depth follow-up to its 2002 study of the effects of the deregulation of radio station ownership. The 2006 report found that the top four radio station owners have almost half of the listeners; fifteen formats, which can overlap significantly in terms of the songs played, make up three-quarters of all commercial programming; and that "across 155 markets, radio listenership has declined over the past fourteen years, a 22% drop since its peak in 1989," leading FMC to conclude that contrary to the stated goals of FCC deregulation, "radio consolidation has no demonstrated benefits for the public."
Payola
In 2008, Adam Marcus, working on behalf of FMC and the American Association of Independent MusicAmerican Association of Independent Music
The American Association of Independent Music, or A2IM, is a not-for-profit trade organization serving the Independent music community as a unified voice representing a sector that comprises over 30% of the music industry's market share in the United States...
, released "Change That Tune," a musician-oriented guide explaining the effects of payola
Payola
Payola, in the American music industry, is the illegal practice of payment or other inducement by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on music radio, in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day's broadcast. Under U.S...
and its ongoing impact on the ability of independent artists and labels to engage with the radio market in the 21st century. "Change That Tune" documents investigations by the New York State Attorney General and the FCC from 2003 to 2007, which uncovered "alarming evidence" that "payola was alive and well in the music and radio industries.”
In April 2009, FMC released "Same Old Song," a study of the composition of radio playlists nation-wide between the years 2005 and 2008, along with a companion study of playlist composition in the state of New York. Both reports found little measurable change in station playlist composition during that period, suggesting that major broadcasters' 2007 settlement with the FCC and the "rules of engagement" negotiated by the American Association of Independent Music in the wake of the investigation had not been effective in diversifying playlist content or ending payola practices.
Artist Revenue Streams
In January 2011, FMC announced the Artist Revenue Streams research project, a multi-method research initiative funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to assess how US musicians and composers working in all genres are currently generating income. The project was inspired by the widely-distributed article by Kristin Thomson entitled The 29 Streams, noting the wide variety of ways that musicians and composers can make money from music. The research includes in-depth interviews with musicians and composers, case studies, and an online survey, open from September 6 to October 28, 2011. Results from the project will be announced 2012.Rock the Net
In October 2007, FMC launched the Rock the Net campaign, a coalition of musicians and labels who support network neutrality.Network neutrality
Network neutrality
Network neutrality is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the Internet...
or Net neutrality, sometimes described as the "open Internet," is the principle that preserves Internet access without restriction to the content, sites, platforms, equipment or modes of communication allowed. FMC explains its engagement in the issue thus: "All artists deserve the right to use the internet to cultivate listeners, and fans deserve to make their own choices of how and where to access legitimate content." Founding supporters of the Rock the Net campaign included R.E.M., Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
, Boots Riley
Boots Riley
Boots Riley is an American musician, vocalist, writer, and public speaker most known for being the front man and producer of The Coup as well as the front man for Street Sweeper Social Club.-Biography:...
, Ted Leo
Ted Leo
Theodore F. Leo , called "Ted," as a short form of "Theodore," is an American punk rock/indie rock songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, though he is most known for his singing and guitar playing...
, OK Go
OK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
, Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
(Husker Du), Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna is an American musician, feminist activist, and punk zine writer. In the early- to mid-1990s she was the lead singer and songwriter of Bikini Kill, before fronting Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s...
(Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill was an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in October 1990. The group consisted of vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band is widely considered to be the pioneer of the riot grrrl movement,...
, Le Tigre
Le Tigre
Le Tigre is an American electroclash band, formed by Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman in 1998. It also featured Sadie Benning from 1998 until 2001, and JD Samson for the rest of the group's run...
), Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
, and Jimmy Tamborello (the Postal Service
The Postal Service
The Postal Service is an American electronic indie pop band composed of vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset.-Background:...
).
In July 2008, FMC released the benefit compilation Rock the Net: Musicians for Net Neutrality on Thirsty Ear Recordings, featuring 15 tracks by Rock the Net participants including Bright Eyes, Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, Guster
Guster
Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...
, They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, and the Wrens
The Wrens
The Wrens are an indie rock band that formed in the late 1980s in New Jersey. The group consists of Charles Bissell, Greg Whelan, Kevin Whelan, and Jerry MacDonald. Their debut album Silver was released in 1994...
. Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Daily called the compilation "one of the sexiest benefit records in some time."
Get the HINT
In 2002, FMC conducted an online survey of working musicians to gauge their level of health insurance coverage. The survey found that, "of the nearly 2,700 respondents, 44 percent of them did not have health insurance." The report expressed concern for the lack of health insurance coverage among musicians and formulated a plan to address the issue.In 2005, FMC received a grant from the Nathan Cummings Foundation
Nathan Cummings Foundation
The Nathan Cummings Foundation was endowed by Nathan Cummings , founder of Consolidated Foods, now called Sara Lee Corporation...
to develop the Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT), a free call-in service offering musicians advice and information about their health insurance options. The HINT Program is led by Program Director Alex Maiolo
Alex Maiolo
Alex Maiolo is a musician, writer, and health care reform advocate who lives in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro area of North Carolina.- Activism :...
, a musician and insurance specialist based in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro area of North Carolina.
In 2010, FMC conducted a follow-up survey which found that "of the 1,451 respondents, 33 percent said they do not have health insurance." Although the percentage of uninsured musicians had decreased since 2002, it was still nearly twice the national average of 17 percent uninsured, as estimated by the Kaiser Family Foundation
Kaiser Family Foundation
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , or just Kaiser Family Foundation, is a U.S.-based non-profit, private operating foundation headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy...
in 2008.
I Support Community Radio
FMC's "I Support Community Radio" campaign collects video testimonials from artists addressing the importance of non-commercial and community radioCommunity radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
. Participants include Saul Williams
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, the Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, David Harrington of the Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
and Jon Langford
Jon Langford
Jon Langford born October 11, 1957, Newport, Monmouthshire is a Welsh-born musician and artist who is presently based in Chicago. He is the younger brother of science-fiction author and critic David Langford...
of the Mekons.
Public performance right for sound recordings
FMC supports the establishment of a public performance right for sound recordings.Current U.S. Copyright law does not compensate performers or sound copyright owners for the broadcast of their recordings on terrestrial radio. The licensing arrangement
Music licensing
Music licensing is the licensed use of copyrighted music. Music licensing is intended to ensure that the creators of musical works get paid for their work. A purchaser of recorded music owns the media on which the music is stored, not the music itself...
for terrestrial radio stations compensates only the songwriter (or composer) and publisher for the over-the-air broadcasts of music. Meanwhile, the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act
Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act
The Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995 is a United States Copyright law that grants owners of a copyright in sound recordings an exclusive right “to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.” The DPRA was enacted in response to the...
of 1995 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization . It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to...
impose an alternate licensing agreement on digital audio streaming services, such as webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
and satellite radio
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
, that compensates performers and sound copyright owners as well the other rightsholders who receive payment terrestrial plays.
In 2005, FMC began petitioning Congress to establish a public performance right for sound recordings in order to more equitably compensate all participants in the creative process and correct what it views an unnecessary exception within U.S. copyright law. In addition to a foreclosed revenue stream for artists and the lack of royalty parity for digital platforms, FMC has pointed to the majority of other developed nations with a public performance right for terrestrial radio play as another imbalance. Because of the lack of a reciprocal right between the U.S. and other countries, American performing artists are unable to collect on revenue generated from non-domestic airplay, an inequity likely to be ameliorated with the passage of performance rights legislation in the U.S.
2010 Board of Directors
- Michael Bracy, President
- Brian Zisk, Vice-President
- Farnum Brown, Treasurer
- Bryan CalhounBryan CalhounBryan Calhoun is vicepresident of New Media and External Affairs at SoundExchange. At SoundExchange Calhoun plays a key role in the connections to performing artist and rights owners, management of new media form, and the advancement of the company's role in music business education and...
, Secretary - Peter DiCola
- Walter McDonough
- Lissa Rosenthal, Ex-Officio
- Nicole Vandenberg, Director Emeritus
Advisory Board
FMC's advisory board includes a variety of figures in the fields of music, technology, policy, law, academia and the media. Noteworthy advisory board members include:- Jeff ChangJeff Chang (journalist)Jeff Chang is an American journalist and music critic on hip hop music and culture. His 2005 book, Can't Stop Won't Stop, which chronicles the early hip hop scene, won an American Book Award in 2005...
, hip hop journalist - Rick Carnes, President of the Songwriters Guild of AmericaSongwriters Guild of AmericaThe Songwriters Guild of America is an organization founded in 1931, to help "advance, promote, and benefit" the profession of songwriters. It was founded as the "Songwriters Protective Association" by Billy Rose, George M. Meyer and Edgar Leslie...
- Peter JennerPeter JennerPeter Jenner is a British music manager and a record producer. Jenner, Andrew King and the original four members of Pink Floyd were partners in Blackhill Enterprises.- Early career :...
, President Emeritus of the International Music Managers Forum, manager of Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, T. RexT. Rex (band)T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
, the ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Robyn HitchcockRobyn HitchcockRobyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
and Billy BraggBilly BraggStephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes... - Lawrence LessigLawrence LessigLawrence "Larry" Lessig is an American academic and political activist. He is best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright, trademark, and radio frequency spectrum, particularly in technology applications, and he has called for state-based activism to promote substantive...
, founding board member of Creative CommonsCreative CommonsCreative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
and Professor of Law at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San... - Ian MacKayeIan MacKayeIan Thomas Garner MacKaye is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, label owner, and producer. Active since 1979, MacKaye is best known for being the frontman of the influential hardcore punk bands Minor Threat and The Teen Idles, the post-hardcore bands Embrace and Fugazi, as well...
, founder of Dischord RecordsDischord RecordsDischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
and singer/guitarist for Minor ThreatMinor ThreatMinor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
, Fugazi, and the EvensThe EvensThe Evens are a Washington, D.C. indie-rock duo, formed in the fall of 2001, comprising partners Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina... - Slim MoonSlim MoonSlim Moon is the founder of the independent music label, Kill Rock Stars. He also started its sister label, 5 Rue Christine...
, founder of Kill Rock StarsKill Rock StarsKill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission... - Amy RayAmy RayAmy Elizabeth Ray is an American singer-songwriter and member of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She also pursues a solo career and has released four albums under her own name, and founded a record company, Daemon Records....
of the Indigo GirlsIndigo GirlsThe Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area... - Ann PowersAnn PowersAnn Powers is an American writer and pop music critic.Powers has been writing about popular music and society since the early 1980s...
, chief pop music critic for the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country.... - Hank Shocklee of the Bomb SquadThe Bomb SquadThe Bomb Squad is an American hip hop production team, known for their work with the rap group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track...
and Public Enemy
Boycott
In September of 2011 FMC joined with National Hispanic Media Conflation to boycott* afternoon conservative radio hosts 'John & Ken' at KFI AM 640 Los Angeles. FMC did lend their name to the boycott but never mentioned anything about it on their website. The conflict was based on NHMC claim that John and Ken engaged in "hate speech." The apparent conflict with FMC's stand on freedom of speech and censorship was never explained in a public forum.Press coverage
- "Creative Rights & Artists." ArtsJournal.com: July 19 - 23, 2010. Blog discussion series hosted by the Future of Music Coalition, the National Alliance for Art Media + Culture, Fractured Atlas and ArtsJournal.com.
- Chaitovitz, Ann. "The Need for a Performance Right" (Op-ed) Huffington Post. 7 Jan 2009.
- Grebb, David. "Music Biz: Compromise Is Key." Wired. 7 Jan 2003. Coverage of the 2003 Future of Music Policy Summit.
- King, Brad. "Rocking in the Free World." Wired. March 2001.
- Lee, Jennifer 8. "Musicians Protesting Monopoly in Media." New York Times. 8 Dec 2003.
- McGuire, David. "Musicians Score a Date With Lobbyists." Washington Post. 6 May 2004. Coverage of the 2004 Future of Music Policy Summit.
- Jenny Toomey's op-eds for the Nation.
- Ulaby, Neda. "Jenny Toomey, Rocking the FCC." NPR. 11 Feb 2004.
- http://www.nhmc.org/content/take-john-and-ken-air