Tuesday, September 30, 2008

AFM AWOL AT ONLINE MUSIC DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

An agreement between the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Music Publishers Association, the Digital Media Association, the Songwriters Guild of America and the Nashville Songwriters Association on ways to get paid for music that is digitally distributed (but not necessarily downloaded) has been reached. The agreement covers interactive streaming, downloads, and ad-supported services.

It should also come as no surprise to anyone that the AFM, which has been spending wads of cash touting radio royalties, (a virtually dead income stream) was AWOL and nowhere to be found in this deal, an agreement which could have had major positive economic consequences for all AFM musicians and the AFM itself. I placed calls to my RIAA sources and was informed that the AFM was contacted and never bothered to return any calls, even those where the message clearly explained the significance of for musicians. My source said "they blew us off". 

Once again, the AFM has it's head in the sand, throwing away millions of potential dollars of income, pissing off a major player in the entertainment industry, and bringing the Federation another step closer to insolvency.

Read the article in Variety from Sept 23, 2008 about the agreement. Click on the link in my links section at the top of the blog.



2 comments:

Hart Golding said...

Beyond astounding, but unfortunately this is the way the AFM has been operating for years. Heaven forbid they should do anything that might generate those "rich pricks" 'even' more money! Far better to go after those making a living in recording under AFM contracts, and let those fine folks up in Seattle off the hook, scot free.

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