[grc] Reporting requirements for streaming stations

[Will Floyd]

I agree Leo.

For SoundExchange, I recommend paying the extra $100 to them to avoid the
reporting requirement. SoundExchange requires a very specific format for
their reporting which takes a great deal of time to achieve unless you run
everything on automation and have detailed and clean meta data associated
with your audio files. If you have many volunteer DJs it can become
cumbersome to collect and format song data. Even good play logging software
won't necessarily save you.

BMI says they only require artist, title and play count, and they don't
specify format so that may be a little easier. When I talked to a BMI rep
about the reporting requirements for web licensing they seemed at least
somewhat flexible. I would recommend pushing them to see what they will do
to accommodate you.

"BMI does not waive reporting requirements for smaller webcasters. Music
Usage Reporting is how BMI is able to appropriately pay royalties to our
affiliates based on their actual plays. Without music usage reports we
cannot correctly allocate your licensing fees. If you have no way
whatsoever to report, please follow up with me and we can work out a
solution for your service. We only require artist, title, and number of
plays for our music usage reporting, so not too many metrics."





On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 5:22 PM, Leo Babeu <lepat at lakenet.com> wrote:

> Otis: I'd love to get on board your program, but folks need to comprehend
> that without  paid staff and a good metadata logging system, you can't
> easily provide either real time playlists to listeners or report metadata
> to PRO's 24/7, without an enormous burden on our micro station's already
> overworked and stressed staff. I dig paying artists, and I'm starting to
> think that if BMI's dictatorial oversight  is the best way of getting them
> paid, we all have a serious problem. In our micro-station world, we appear
> to have few options. Remember this is our stream use BMI's overreaching on,
> where we often have 0,1,2,on a big day- 6, concurrent listeners.
> Leo
> KTWH-LP
> On 10/13/2015 10:06 AM, Otis Maclay wrote:
>
>> just a point:
>>
>> music listeners want playlists. if you do playlists (like using the
>> confessor) you can report anyway.
>> and a point about reporting: artists actually get a check. when you
>> report, your giving the artists money. different from PRO's which give the
>> writer money, not the performer (unless the performer is the writer).
>>
>> reporting: gives money to deserving individual and provides playlist for
>> listener.
>>
>> O.
>>
>> --------------------------
>> Why not give veterans a monthly stipend when they walk in the door,..
>> THEN figure out how much they're supposed to get?
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 9:16 AM, Donna Dibianco <
>> communityradiogoddess at yahoo.com <mailto:communityradiogoddess at yahoo.com>>
>> wrote:
>>
>>     Hi Leo,      Usually ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and Sound Exchange take a
>>     "snapshot" of your broadcast year. They will send a notice asking
>>     your to report for a week's worth of broadcast. It's not as
>>     ominous as most think, especially if you are using an automation
>>     system that logs the details like Artist Name, Song title, Album
>>     and Record label.
>>      Donna DiBiancoStation Start-up Specialist
>>     503-960-1068 <tel:503-960-1068>
>>     http://grc2015.net/
>>
>>     www.linkedin.com/pub/donna-dibianco
>>     <http://www.linkedin.com/pub/donna-dibianco>
>>     www.facebook.com/communityradiogoddess
>>     <http://www.facebook.com/communityradiogoddess>
>>
>>
>>
>>          On Monday, October 12, 2015 10:22 PM, Leo Babeu
>>     <lepat at lakenet.com <mailto:lepat at lakenet.com>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>      We at KTWH-LP would like to know if other LPFM's and very small
>>     noncommercial webcasting radio stations have avoided the
>>     requirement to
>>     report music used to Sound Exchange by paying the $100 waiver of
>>     reporting, only to have BMI's digital licensing arm insist on
>>     reports of
>>     music use for every minute of the broadcast year? If there is a method
>>     to avoid this onerous reporting requirement (they are demanding
>>     it, and
>>     are insisting we sign an 11 page agreement that doesn't look quite
>>     right
>>     for a streaming LPFM), we at Two Harbors Community Radio (THCR) would
>>     love to hear how it's done.
>>     Thanks,
>>     Leo Babeu
>>     THCR
>>     KTWH-LP
>>
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-- 
Will Floyd
Technical Director | Prometheus Radio Project
will at prometheusradio.org | 215.727.9620 x524