Confused Over Sound Exchange Payments

[shemp_howard]

We are getting all different mixed signals regarding yearly payments to Sound Exchange. We're not an educational station, but a public 501c3 non profit LPFM. We have not way of keeping track of who's playing what songs on our station. Prometheus Radio's website says it's $500/year plus an extra $100/yr for not keeping track of songs being played. Is this true?

 

[TheBigA]

Unless you're streaming your signal, you shouldn't have to pay SoundExchange.

You only pay PROs: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR.

There are software programs that will keep track of what you play.

 

[Harvey_Dogg]

The $100 waiver only applies to schools that stream. Everyone else must do reporting. To do this, I put all music on hard drive so that the meta data can be exported to Broadcast Using This Tool (BUTT). BUTT then streams to a Live365 server.
Listeners to the stream see a picture of the album played and can buy the song.

 

[shemp_howard]

Harvey_Dogg - you use Live365 for your streaming. Doesn't their monthly fee include paying your music royalty costs?

 

[R.D.P.]

From what my engineer told me, Live365 will only pay for the streaming side. You must pay for the broadcasting side yourself.

Dan <><

P.S. Fixing to sign on with Live365. Hope to do it, by the end of this month.

 

[shemp_howard]

We're already paying BMI, ASCAP and SESAC. How much would it cost us monthly to use Live365 for streaming AND for paying our streaming royalty costs?

 

[R.D.P.]

For all the details visit: Live365 - Broadcast and Listen to Internet Radio Everything you need to know about them will be provided.

Dan <><

 

[ZebraRadio]

Looking at the two main PROs, ASCAP and BMI, it seems they have a streaming license for LPFM stations in addition to a broadcast license. So, unless I'm missing some info, it would seem an easy matter and more cost effective to purchase broadcast and streaming rights licenses directly from these two PROs (as opposed to using SoundEx for streaming rights). Of the thousands of songs I have in my library, none are SESAC, so I probably won't be purchasing any licenses from them.

 

[TheBigA]

So, unless I'm missing some info, it would seem an easy matter and more cost effective to purchase broadcast and streaming rights licenses directly from these two PROs (as opposed to using SoundEx for streaming rights).

You have to do both for streaming. Because the PROs only handle publishing rights. SoundExchange handles artist, label, and musician royalties, which are required by the DMCA.