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This month's newsletter features the listings that were submitted to me this past month. The contacts listed are sorted into FIVE sections. 1. Publications that will REVIEW your music |
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2. SITES/PUBLICATIONS WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED Sonic Ruin Magazine PO Box 752, Harvard, IL 60033 Carl Isonhart zombiezilla@yahoo.com myspace.com/sonicruin We are a print fanzine specializing in Glam/Rockabilly/Blues/Punk/Sleaze and basically straight up, good ol' Rock and Roll. . ignore Magazine 810 Cotanche St. #3, Greenville, NC 27858 PH: 910-850-6852 Zach Stephenson z@ignoremagazine.com www.ignoremagazine.com Youth-culture publication that has drawn comparisons to NYC staples like VICE, Mass Appeal and Paper. Has received praise from Gawker, VH-1's Best Week Ever, SuicideGirls and The Miami Herald. herbertsherbert.com PO Box 6218, Albany, CA 94706 Norman Famous herbert@herbertsherbert.com www.herbertsherbert.com Feature reviews of, articles about and interviews with independent musicians. All types of music are welcome. Please visit our website for submission details. Nine5Four The Magazine PH: 954-709-6444 D. Francis francis@nine5four.com www.nine5four.com An online magazine for ALL unsigned talent. It's not WHERE we live, it's HOW we live. Music Industry Newswire 4332 W. 230th St., Torrance, CA 90505 www.musicindustrynewswire.com News, reviews, events and rants from the music business. We do accept CDs for review. These should be sent with cover letter and contact information to our street address. REAX Music Magazine 1614 N. 17th St. Ste. B, Tampa, FL 33605 PH: 813-766-1495 FX: 813-247-6975 www.reaxmusic.com Published monthly and is available through local Tampa Bay businesses, music venues, restaurants, independent record stores, and hotels. 
3. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC Radio Free David PO Box 555, Tijeras, NM 87059 PH: 505-281-0800 FX: 505-281-0110 David Schneider david@radiofreedavid.com www.radiofreedavid.com Artist friendly internet radio station. We play music to rock to - music to groove to... and everything in between. We specialize in tunes with a beat and a twist, including acoustic and live versions of your favorite songs. The Love Zone - WHCR 1026 6th Ave. #301 S., New York, NY 10018 PH: 917-545-2169 Maurice Watts maurice@mauricewatts.com www.mauricewatts.com For over 23 years playing some of the best R&B love songs of the past and present. YP's Crunk House Radio Show PO Box 45793, Atlanta, GA 30320 PH: 770-843-2559 Sheryl Brown ypscrunkhouse@hotmail.com www.myspace.com/ypscrunkhouse An online radio show which features independent artists by way of interviews and music airplay. BBS Radio 5167 Toyon Ln. Paradise, CA 95969 PH: 640-876-9146 Donald Newsom don@bbsradio.com www.bbsradio.com If it's not mainstream, it's on BBSRadio.com. More live talk radio than anyone in radio! 128K music broadcasting on BBS Network, Inc. SongVault.fm 2788 Loker Ave. Carlsbad, CA 92008 PH: 760-438-9555 Paul John paul@songvault.net www.songvault.fm An internet radio network for independent artists with radio stations for every genre possible. Aggressive Decibel Radio 132 S. Harrison St., Easton, MD 21601 PH: 410-822-5074 Bryan Hilyard bryanshm@aim.com http://www.myspace.com/adrshm Metal radio...a healthy reminder of how FUCKED you are. Classic Christian Rock Radio mrbill@classicchristianrock.net www.classicchristianrock.net Features Rock music from artists who proclaim themselves to be Christians and who have demonstrated Christian attributes in their lives. Who Mistook this Crap for Genius? - KJHK 1301 Jayhawk Blvd. Kansas Union, Rm 427, Lawrence, KS 66045 PH: 785-864-5483 kjhkmusic@ku.edu www.myspace.com/thegirlwithnolegs KJHK's very first Anti-Folk/Freak Folk show. Moozikoo Radio PO Box 50322, Nashville, TN 37205-0322 Anthony Bates anthony@moozikoo.com www.moozikooradio.com Our goal is to bring you the best music from today's independent artists. We focus on music in the Americana, Alt. Rock, Bluegrass, Blues, and Alt. Country genres. eoRadio PO Box 441234, Aurora, CO 80014-1234 PH: 303-808-8140 Ryan Smith webmaster@eoradio.com http://www.eoradio.com The best free music from unsigned artists from around the globe.
PSM Management, Independent Distribution Collective 1693 Polk St. #202, San Francisco, CA 94109 PH: 415-292-7007 FX: 415-292-5007 Brad Belknap papagorgiou@hotmail.com www.independentdistro.com We have revolutionized the independent music distribution business as a whole. Using the "Strength in Numbers" concept, and employing grassroots and industry tested practices, IDC has created a whole new avenue for current and next generation artists who are trying to bring their music to the public. Jerome Promotions & Marketing 2535 Winthrope Way, Lawrenceville, GA 30044 PH: 770-982-7055 FX: 770-982-1882 Bill Jerome hitcd@bellsouth.net http://www.jeromepromotions.com We call the music directors and program directors of over 250 stations several times a week in order to help our artists get airplay and the recognition that they deserve with the goal of helping them make a deal with a major label. Boosweet Records PO Box 451594, Los Angeles, CA 90045 PH: 310-613-3535 FX: 909-877-9199 Vernon Neilly VNeillyI@aol.com www.boosweet.com Specializing in the recording and distribution of major acts as well as up and coming artists. We will promote and sell your products worldwide via the Internet. We can get any artist's material into the major digital download stores as well. Bryan Farrish Radio Promotion 1828 Broadway, 2nd Fl, Santa Monica, CA 90404 PH: 310-998-8305 FX: 310-998-8323 Bryan Farrish airplay@radio-media.com http://www.radio-media.com Indie airplay promotion to commercial, commercial specialty, and college radio stations in the U.S. and Canada. ALLALOM Music 1604 S. Hwy 97, Ste 2, #154, Redmond, OR 97756 PH: 541-350-1607 Samuel Aaron allalom@gmail.com www.allalom.com An independent music collective (record label / webzine / promotions and CD duplication) for the serious music lover. Threshold Sound + Vision 2114 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 PH: 310-571-0500 FX: 310-571-0505 Peter A. Barker Peter@thresholdsound.com http://www.thresholdsound.com We are a full service audio and video company. We provide mastering, recording, production, and video services for major and independent labels. We know how to cater to major labels but we also work with a wide variety of independents. DART Recordings 5150 Palm Vally Rd. Ponte Vedra, FL 32082 PH: 904-280-3278 Jared Worley info@dartrecordings.com www.myspace.com/dartrecordings Independent label/management company, music school etc. Our main focus is nurturing and developing artists with a foundation built on education. Crew Rascal Records PO Box 8669, Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland KA21 6WX PH: 01294-462999 FX: 01294-462999 Laura Barr info@rascalrecords.co.uk www.rascalrecords.co.uk Independent Hip Hop/Urban record label. We're currently expanding our artist roster. BrendoMan Productions 3416 W. Orange Ave. #221, Anaheim, CA 92804 PH: 562-528-6329 Brendan Creecy brendoman@brendomanproductions.com www.brendomanproductions.com We offer personal, affordable and dedicated online promotion. We're here to help! Planet Meridian Public Relations 5039 Old Waynesboro Rd. Hephzibah, GA 30815 PH: 201-521-9742 Lisa "Chase" Patterson & Hard Hittin Harry planetmeridian@aol.com www.planetmeridian.com A national publicity, internet marketing/cyber promotions, event coordination, artist developement company. Morphius Records 100 E. 23rd St., Baltimore MD 21218 PH: 410-662-0112 FX: 410-662-0116 Simeon Walunas simeon@morphius.com www.morphius.com Over 13 years of great Pop, Rock, Punk & Hip Hop releases. Sell your CDs and MP3s! Country Music Store GPO Box 3000, Brisbane, QLD 4001 Australia PH: 07-3221-3000 FX: 07-3221-3983 cmstore@countrymusic.com.au http://www.countrymusic.com.au Online resource for all your Australian Country music. No Equal Promotions 14584 Baseline Ave. #300/412, Fontana, CA 92336 PH: 909-466-1636 FX: 909-466-1636 wemakestars@noequalpromotions.com www.noequalpromotions.com So you want to be a star? We have promotion marketing strategies that can help you get your career to the next level. OurBand.net Studio 2, Keystone House, Exeter Rd. Bournemouth, BH2 5AR UK PH: 01202-298882 FX: 01202-298883 Bob bob@ourband.net www.ourband.net Promotional service for UK bands. B&R Records 744 Boyd St., Santa Rosa, CA 95407 Cory Thrall bandrrecords@yahoo.com www.brrecords.com A net label with many different genres represented. TON 4 Music Group PH: +44 (0)20-81-33-63-33 Erwin Pitsch p@ton.cc www.ton4music.com We're an European label/publisher and have specialized in world-wide digital distribution and radio promotion. Contact us for our mailing address. Katcall Creative Studio Kat rockmusicpr@gmail.com www.katcall.com Vancouver based Rock music publicist providing fanbase management, online promotions, media relations, tour publicity, press material development and photography. Evil Music Industry Records 929 S. Peoria #2-219, Aurora, CO 80012 PH: 720-690-4562 Jim Huddleston emi_ceo@yahoo.com evillabel.musicdot.com We help with all your recording, mastering & distirbution, promos ... everything! Strictly Heavy Management 132 S. Harrison St., Easton, MD 21601 PH: 410-822-5074 Bryan Hilyard bryanshm@aim.com www.strictlyheavymanagement.com We work with Metal bands. We will be an advisor, confidant, counselor, organizer, industry ‘buffer’, cheerleader, protector, and ‘honorary’ member of the band. BETA Records Box 48, Hollywood, CA 90028 PH: 877-232-2382 Christian office@betarecords.com www.BetaRecords.com An online record company that offers a free web page with song hosting, photos and e-mail, plus a free ringtone widget.
5. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3s OR VIDEOS Espionage Music Simon admin@espionageworld.com www.espionagemusic.com Musicians can upload and sell their original music instantly without any contracts. Textango.com 530 W. 6th St. #903, Los Angeles, CA 90014 PH: 951-719-0098 FX: 360-294-3777 Thomas Scriven thomas@textango.com www.textango.com Allows anyone, anywhere in the United States to purchase music simply by sending a premium text message with their cell phone. The purchase is billed to the customer's cell phone bill and the music is downloaded off of the Textango.com website. Sign up for an account and start selling your CDs, MP3s, videos, ringtones, wallpapers etc today. XYZMP3.com 3800 S. Congress Ste. C, Austin, TX 78704 PH: 512-535-6459 FX: 801-729-5122 Roland De Leon info@xyzmp3.com www.xyzmp3.com Sell your music from your website, our website and any of the social networking sites. You make 70% of the net wholesale for songs sold. Sign up now - it's free for all musicians to use! Urban-City 1423 Ridge Pl. SE Washington DC 20020-5640 PH: 202-889-2270 K. Blake bmc20020@yahoo.com www.urban-city.net An online incubator for new artists, writers and producers that are looking to break into the music industry. Members can post blogs, music and pictures. Members will soon be able to have their music videos featured on Urban-City TV. The Music Hall van Marumstraat 10b1, 3112XV Schiedam, The Netherlands PH: +31-6-46406340 Feri Ascencion feri_ascencion@hotmail.com www.themusichall.nl 3000+ music video clips. Watch or submit old & new music streaming clips. Future Wheel PH: 425-260-3463 Craig Forss craig@FutureWheel.com www.FutureWheel.com A new easy way to publish and promote your music. Upload your music, videos and pics. iJamr / iJamr Magazine 6297 Ball Rd. Cypress, CA 90630 support@ijamr.com www.ijamrmagazine.com A totally free multi-destination community of Musicians and their Fans and Friends combined with an ever-growing network of website owners who can make money by carrying the iJamr music grids on their sites. The mission of IJamr Magazine is to get all iJamr musicians featured at one point or another and help them to become known.
6. HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR BAND Indieshows Billy Wilcosky indiesho@indieshows.net www.indieshows.com We make it easy for bands/artists to post their shows, making it easy for fans to find them! Toronto City Roots Festival Assocation 8-601 Magnetic Dr. Toronto, ON M3J 3J2 office@torontocityroots.com www.torontocityroots.com Folk/Roots festival at Toronto's historic Distillery District. Features monthly shows at local venues. Feed the Band Music Charities, Inc. 227 17th St., Seal Beach, CA 90740 Andrew Johnson info@feedtheband.org www.feedtheband.org Founded on a simple premise: get bands to new audiences and get them fed along the way. Disc Makers 7905 N. Rte 130, Pennsauken, NJ 08110-1402 PH: 856-663-9030 FX: 856-661-3458 www.discmakers.com The nation's leading CD / DVD duplicator, replicator and printer. When you're ready to make CDs, we're ready to make it happen. We're musicians too, so we know what you need to make it in this business: The best-looking product, the hottest-sounding audio and the most valuable (and free) promotional tools, including free distribution, a free UPC bar code and much more! Brooklyn Rock City 2060 East 19th St. #1C, Brooklyn, NY 11229 PH: 347-424-8263 Roger Cormier yaysarcasm@gmail.com brooklynrockcity.blogspot.com A blog dedicated to personal experience absorbing and listening to music, with the occasional mixtape. Friction Farm Stands 29 Gallivan St., Greenville, SC 29609 PH: 561-301-5050 Christine Stay frictionfarm@hotmail.com www.frictionfarm.com We make CD display stands. Made of wood, compact, beautiful and sturdy. Triple J's Music Cafe 4121A 4th Ave. Whitehorse, YT Y1A 1J1 PH: 867-456-7555 FX: 867-456-7558 Jordi Mikeli-Jones jjjmusiccafe@klondiker.com www.jjjmusiccafe.ca We are a small Mom & Pop music store that supports local indie artists. Radio Fashion Booking/Lighting 1707 Staunton St., Lakeland, FL 33803 PH: 863-688-2021 Tim Serdynski radiofashion@hotmail.com www.myspace.com/radiofashion Will list concerts for bands touring Central Florida. Will post flyers for upcoming shows. Intellectual Property Law Firms 100 W. Cypress Creek Rd. #1050, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 PH: 800-631-5158 x225 Joe Butch webmaster@intellectualpropertylawfirms.com www.intellectualpropertylawfirms.com Find intellectual property attorneys or law firms specializing in intellectual property litigation. Bizzy Connections PH: 718-501-4191 info@bizzyconnections.com www.bizzyconnections.com A community that shares experiences and promotes working together. If you are a new entrepreneur looking to get ahead in the game or more established, if you are looking for new talent, a recording studio, beats, hooks, clothes, books, poetry or whatever you need to take you to the next level. Pick Guy PO Box 70, Westfield, IN 46074 PH: 317-698-5141 Marty Camire pickguy@verizon.net www.PickGuy.com Offers custom printed guitar picks and personalized guitar straps. We provide quality products at affordable prices. Rock Star Promotions PO Box 5867, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33310 PH: 954-739-9205 FX: 801-740-6554 Aaron Schimmel servicedesk@rockstarpromos.com www.rockstarpromos.com Dedicated to helping everyone live like a rock star, even if you can't play a note! CD MASTERCOPY 800 Summer St. 2nd Fl. Stamford , CT 06901 PH: 888-443-3855 Renee Lunchana rlt@2000te.com www.cdmastercopy.com CD duplication services that cares about your project. Fast, easy, professional and 100% satisfaction!
7. Web Casting Royalties and Sound Exchange by Chris Castle, Music-Technology-Policy Blog © 2007 Christian L. Castle. All Rights Reserved. A version of this article previously appeared in Music Connection Magazine. When a record is played on “terrestrial” broadcast radio in the United States (i.e., over the air), who makes money? Since a radio broadcast is a “public performance” of the song in the record under the U.S. Copyright Act, the songwriters and publishers make money through their performing rights organization, whether ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. But does the artist? Does the session drummer? Does the record company? Not in the United States. If the same record is played in Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, or any one of a host of other countries, not only do the songwriters and publishers get paid a royalty through their PRO, but the artists, session players and copyright owner of the recording also get paid through a sound recording PRO. But—due to changes in US law in the 1990s--if the same record is played in the U.S. on Yahoo! Music, the new Napster, or on DMX, XM Radio or Sirius, not only do the songwriters and publishers get their royalty, but the artists, session players and vocalists and record companies also get a royalty through a new PRO for sound recordings. Weird, you say? True. But no stranger than the tax laws. Just like the tax laws, our copyright laws are the result of deals cut in Washington between interested parties, and the deal that cut out sound recordings from a performance royalty was made a long time ago between the broadcasters and the record companies. The goal of the recording community is to bring the U.S. in line with the laws of most other countries--the broadcasters oppose that goal because it makes the music they play more costly, and they have had the clout to win the issue in Washington, just like so many other changes in the laws that have created the most severe media consolidation in the world. If you were a cynical person, you might say that’s because there is a radio station in every Congressional district, but record companies in only a few. Congress amended the Copyright Act in the 1990s to establish a limited public performance royalty for digital transmissions of sound recordings. “Digital transmissions” includes satellite radio like XM, webcasting (or “Internet radio) like Yahoo! Music, and the Internet broadcast (or “simulcast”) of terrestrial radio stations like when your favorite radio station simulcasts its broadcast signal over the Internet. Although this limited performance right is a small step forward, it is a huge victory against the broadcasters, particularly as the industry moves toward digital radio. These new laws established what is commonly called a “statutory” or “compulsory” license to stream sound recordings as long as the music being streamed complies with the restrictions on the license limiting the use to public performance, sequencing, and a few other restrictions. (This is the same license that is at issue in the XM Radio litigation.) This statutory license does not include on-demand streaming or downloads (such as the Napster subscription service). The statutory license eliminates the need to get a separate license from each copyright owner as long as you comply with the rules and pay the royalty. (We already have a compulsory license for mechanical royalties paid on songs when a digital or physical record is sold.) The statutory license only applies to streaming, not to downloading or any other interactive use of music that involves the user choosing which specific tracks they want to listen to. These amendments to the Copyright Act divided sound recording royalties among four groups: copyright owners (50%), featured artists (45%), nonfeatured musicians (2.5%) and nonfeatured vocalists (2.5%). “Copyright owners” typically means record companies, but independent artists, or any artist who owns their own recordings, qualifies as a “copyright owner.” It does not include songwriters or music publishers, although their right to public performance income requires no change in the law. The Act also established the first sound recording PRO in the U.S. called SoundExchange. Until recently, SoundExchange was a division of the Recording Industry Association of America, but was recently “spun off” to be a stand alone nonprofit organization with a board of directors divided equally between artist and sound recording copyright owner representatives. Through a rather tortured set of regulations (which have the force of law), SoundExchange collects royalties from the subscription radio providers, webcasters and radio simulcasters, and pays that money out to the four groups. The nonfeatured musicians and vocalists, also known as session players and singers, have their money paid to trust funds established by the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists. Featured artists and sound recording copyright owners are paid directly by SoundExchange. While the Congress established how the pie was to be split in 1995, they only set a rate for certain satellite radio providers (effectively 6.5% of gross revenues). They didn’t establish any other rates, though, and the interested parties could not agree among themselves on what the rate was to be. That started a long process of negotiation in a Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel that ended last year, and was supplemented by a law protecting small webcasters a few months later after the small webcasters strongly objected to the new rates. Because the CARP took so long, the rates that were set would have expired almost immediately. No one wanted to go through another CARP, so the interested parties negotiated a new rate that will last until the end of 2004. The new webcasting rate is, more or less, $0.000762 per performance. The structure is a little complicated, and doesn’t cover certain groups such as simulcasting of radio stations, noncommercial webcasters, or small webcasters. You can review the rates on the SoundExchange website or on the U.S. Copyright Office website. The Role of SoundExchange Persons using the statutory license, such as Yahoo! Music, must account and pay royalties to SoundExchange. SoundExchange must then account to individual members of the four groups. Establishing the databases for Sound Exchange to track plays and pay royalties is a monumental undertaking. Because the compulsory license is unlimited in scope, SoundExchange effectively must be prepared to account for every recording in the history of recorded music, both U.S. and foreign repertoire. SoundExchange has received massive downloads of label copy and accounting data from its record company members to establish its own database for accounting. This means that whatever information that an artist’s record company has in its accounting system is likely now in the SoundExchange database, which is updated periodically. It is important to note that featured artists who are signed to record companies are paid their webcasting royalties directly—regardless of whether they are recouped in their accounts with their labels. Independent artists, however, may not have been included in the SoundExchange database. You can confirm whether you are listed in the database by signing up for an account on the “PLAYS” system at www.soundexchange.com. Remember, if you are a “featured artist”, that just means that you are the artist who is featured on the recording, not that you have to be signed to a record company, so independent artists qualify for webcasting royalties, too, and probably qualify as copyright owners as well. The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance It would be a very unusual result indeed if every piece of data in the SoundExchange system was exactly correct, and I frankly don’t think it’s fair to expect perfection under the circumstances. I will say that I believe that John Simson, its Executive Director, and his staff are committed to running a tight ship and giving people a straight count. I would strongly suggest that everyone with a stake in this royalty pool check to confirm if you are in the SoundExchange system, and if you are that your information is correct. You can do this by yourself by getting a PLAYS account and looking up your recordings. If you haven’t registered yourself with SoundExchange, you should assume that there’s something incomplete or incorrect about the data and you need to review it to make sure it’s complete and correct. If it’s incorrect, the SoundExchange staff will work with you to correct it. In my practice, the two most common problems are absence of information, or someone incorrectly claiming copyright ownership. Absence of information is often providing the missing link on data that is in the database, or inputting data for the first time. The trickier problem is the problem of the incorrect copyright owner. Most of the time I believe this to be innocuous and innocent mistakes. For example, if a major label distributes an independent label—and only distributes, i.e., takes no ownership interest—they are not entitled to the copyright owner’s share of royalties because they are not the copyright owner. Yet very often the distributor ends up being reflected in the SoundExchange database as the copyright owner. The more insidious problem—and let’s just call it a head scratcher without casting aspersions or assigning blame—is when a content aggregator is reflected as the copyright owner when the artist is not registered. This means that the SoundExchange database recognizes that independent artist Joe Smith is the artist for Joe’s Song but has no contact information for Joe Smith. However, Joe Smith has done a digital distribution agreement with one of the aggregators to represent his catalog and SoundExchange reflects the aggregator as the copyright owner and pays the copyright owner’s share to the aggregator. No aggregator agreement should ever allow an aggregator to do this, or to have anything to do with SoundExchange in my view. It’s not really SoundExchange’s fault, either, as SoundExchange has no express statutory obligation to do anything to be sure their information is accurate. At the end of the day, its up to each interested party to make sure that their business is organized and that they are correctly registered with SoundExchange, just as they would expect to be correctly registered with ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. Foreign Royalty Collection and the Future At the moment, the money that SoundExchange collects and pays is pretty small. Most royalty checks are less than $500. However, SoundExchange has begun collecting foreign public performance royalties which can be real money. The total performance royalties in the European Union alone are in excess of $500 million annually. SoundExchange currently has reciprocal agreements with its counterparts in the United Kingdom, Mexico and the Netherlands. But the real significance may arise when and if Congress passes legislation that extends these royalties to regular radio and television broadcasts. SoundExchange will very likely be the administrator of these royalties, and that will be real money. So it’s a good idea for artists to get their business straight with SoundExchange now.
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