Of Internet Radio and Ragtime (a reprise...)

This blogging thing is addictive. I keep finding new things to talk about.

Here.

At least they're reconsidering it; though being a cynical sort of creature, I think I know which way it'll come out. Heads they win, tails we lose.

I came across the original controversy in a ragtime newsgroup I'm on. One of the members runs an Internet radio station devoted to ragtime. He would be unable to afford the new (increased by a factor of 27) fees (he's a college student), and the radio station would have to close.

Let's ask ourselves who benefits from this, shall we? The ragtime musicians whose work appears on this radio station get pennies. Alas, no ragtime performer is going platinum any time soon. So for the musician, the gain from the increased royalties would probably be in the double digits. But what of the loss from the exposure that Internet radio provides? How many lost sales would that be? How many lost potential listeners? Yes, if you've got a platinum album and you want to increase your sales revenue from $1,000,000 to $27,000,000, it's all fine and good - but what if you're going from $1 to $27? Is it really worth it?

Moreover, a lot of innovative and fascinating services would be lost. I have recently become addicted to www.pandora.com - an Internet radio station that learns your preferences and only plays stuff you like. It's a really nifty idea and a wonderful way for obscure musicians to be heard; but I'm not sure they can afford to pay 27 times what they're paying now. Can anyone?

Oh, and I would be remiss to not mention http://www.ragtimeradio.org/ - listen to it while it's still here.