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Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#11

Post by jamesbritt »

tptacek wrote: post #9

I remain confused by why people believe that "the community" should be able to set price caps on artwork owned by corporations. If Warner Music wants to charge $5 a play for Mylie Cyrus, I'm certainly not going to pay it, but how is it "wrong"? I'm surprised and happy that Pandora and Last.fm can exist at all, but I don't understand what entitles them to exist. We don't have a "right" to consume major label music.

"...should be able to set price caps on artwork owned by corporations"

Because copyright protection is not a right, but a limited privilege granted by the United States Constitution and intended to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts", not to make a sure $ for some corporation.

Hence the idea of compulsory licensing, for example. If the cost of the license, though, is prohibitive, it has the same effect of refusing a license, which (one could argue) would interfere with the progress of science and useful arts.

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#12

Post by mynameishere »

Traditional radio pays nothing in performance royalties

??? Like hell they don't.

http://www.bmi.com/career/entry/C1519

By the way, BMI employs a regular gestapo who go around hitting venues of all sizes for licenses. I'm being facetious, but it does suck when a little coffeeshop has to stop having open mic night because of it...

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#13

Post by vaksel »

ashu wrote: post #2

That makes me really really sad :( Pandora is one of the rare services which just scream quality. The service itself is great, the web interface is slick, the ads are slick, the iPhone app is amazing.

yeah I have OpenPandora running all the time(its the program to run Pandora w/o going to the site), it made me stop listening to my mp3s since with the pandora after you fine tune your preferences almost all the songs you hear are the ones you like.

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#14

Post by fallentimes »

ashu wrote: post #2

That makes me really really sad :( Pandora is one of the rare services which just scream quality. The service itself is great, the web interface is slick, the ads are slick, the iPhone app is amazing.

"Our artists and copyright owners deserve to be fairly compensated for the blood and sweat that forms the core product of these businesses," said Mike Huppe, general counsel for SoundExchange."

Keeping in mind that traditional radio does not pay any fees for playing music, Mike Huppe is in for a treat if Pandora is shut down. Tons of infuriated, tech savvy users will have his name and an axe to grind. I don't think SoundExchange aka the _RIAA_ (nice try Suit factory) fully understands what they're getting in to.

Also related: This is not about the artists; the majority of those fees go to the labels - not the talent. Besides what does Mike Huppe know about blood and sweat? He shuffles papers around all day.

http://pview.findlaw.com/view/1570397_1?noconfirm=1

Edit: I've been reading traditional radio still pays fees. Regardless, they are a fraction of what Pandora may have to pay.

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#16

Post by tdavis »

fallentimes wrote: post #14
ashu wrote: post #2

That makes me really really sad :( Pandora is one of the rare services which just scream quality. The service itself is great, the web interface is slick, the ads are slick, the iPhone app is amazing.

"Our artists and copyright owners deserve to be fairly compensated for the blood and sweat that forms the core product of these businesses," said Mike Huppe, general counsel for SoundExchange." Keeping in mind that traditional radio does not pay any fees for playing music, Mike Huppe is in for a treat if Pandora is shut down. Tons of infuriated, tech savvy users will have his name and an axe to grind. I don't think S…

I wonder how many times a person's identity can be stolen.

I want to help find out.

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#17

Post by stcredzero »

netcan wrote: post #8
gigawatt wrote: post #6

I can't for the life of me understand why SoundExchange thinks that charging exorbitant rates that force all web streaming music sites out of business will help its artists make more money. 8/100 of a cent x millions of songs played is infinitely better than 19/100 of a cent x ZERO songs played. Are they stupid or stubborn?

I think it comes back to not really wanting the internet to happen. And not necessarily irrationally. The recording industry world has been in a pretty sweat spot. The current (& past) world creates a substantial income built on 1. selling albums, 2. strict adherance to a 90/10 rule (revenue/artists), 3. Periphery industries that support 1 & 2 (eg: movie soundtracks, radio). Almost any step is a step away from that c…

sweet spot

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#18

Post by stcredzero »

culley wrote: post #3

Among other things Pandora is good at is getting good PR when needed to help in it's Washington Lobbying. This is at least the second time they've threatened to pull the plug to get positive legislation passed. I agree they are a great service. It's nice to see even small tech companies take the fight to Washington (instead of ignoring them ala Intel, Microsoft and Google)

I know for a fact that Microsoft does quite a bit of lobbying. I would be surprised if Intel and Google weren't also in that game.

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#19

Post by [deleted] »

fallentimes wrote: post #14
ashu wrote: post #2

That makes me really really sad :( Pandora is one of the rare services which just scream quality. The service itself is great, the web interface is slick, the ads are slick, the iPhone app is amazing.

"Our artists and copyright owners deserve to be fairly compensated for the blood and sweat that forms the core product of these businesses," said Mike Huppe, general counsel for SoundExchange." Keeping in mind that traditional radio does not pay any fees for playing music, Mike Huppe is in for a treat if Pandora is shut down. Tons of infuriated, tech savvy users will have his name and an axe to grind. I don't think S…

[deleted]

Re: Pandora: Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

#20

Post by tweety »

Although I can't access Pandora anymore (wrong continent!) it sucks to see how the greedy bastards are managing to squeeze out of existence yet another genuinely innovative service. I'm also afraid of the other US-based indie web radios going under, sort of bizarre as they're NOT even playing any major label content, yet the same deals through SoundExchange / Copyright board apply :-o

Though keep in mind, US != world, and webcasters elsewhere can have fairer licensing deals so perhaps this will give a chance for innovation to flourish elsewhere (damn well hope so!)

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