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04 Jul 2008, 11:54 pm / Almost Famous
This is Part I, I will post Part II tomorrow and Part III on Monday. I would really like your input if that is not asking too much.
Social Networking being what it is, where does SonicJive fit in?
It's pretty funny, actually, yesterday someone called my site a MySpace clone. I guess in the networking aspect, there are a number of similarities. But SonicJive is a niche utility - a networking site with an emphasis on indie music. The goal is to provide revenue streams for indie and unsigned bands using a non-traditional platform where bands are not required to strictly sell music to make money.
Why cater to indie and unsigned bands when more mainstream artists will bring greater traffic to your site?
Well, that's part of where we fit in. Let's face it, those artists do not need another source of promotion and marketing. I think there are enough independent musicians and fans of their music to create a significant buzz with SonicJive. I truly believe that once I efficiently promote my website many of those people will see us an alternate source to effectively market their music and manage their fan base.
How do you envision that SonicJive will create revenue for independent artists?
Personally, I think that music as a business is probably the toughest career choice one can make. When you combine increased competition, limited opportunity in a recessed economy, and a conglomerate of record labels that control 95% of radio airplay you are looking at a pretty tough haul. Bands make money by gigging and CD sales. We want to pay these artists for listens, whether through SonicJive Radio or by hits to their profile pages.
You are going to pay royalties?
That is one avenue we are exploring and some others as well. The point is that the music is being played and listened to and only those artists with a major label affiliation are seeing revenues.
Creative people of all types all come back to one legal touchstone and that is copyright law. It is often sited in all kinds of cases involving literature, film, publishing and certainly in music. Within the music industry, the ability of copyright to protect an artist’s work has come under new challenges in the last ten years. The rise of peer-to-peer file sharing, online music downloading and other internet related ways that music gets passed around has presented some real challenges to musicians to collect what is due them as owners of music under copyright.
How will you track plays?
With SonicJive Radio, we are going to affiliate with Live365. com by the end of summer so they will track that for us. It is simple to track listens on member profile pages.
Why doesn't MySpace or Facebook pay royalties?
The issue is as much one of enforcement as it is whether the rights are there or not. This is a judgment call to be made by the songwriter, the publishing house and the legal representation of all involved. Sometimes seeing your creative material used has such a positive marketing value that to start a legal battle for the monetary rights could hurt your music career as much as it might help you. This is how MySpace Music thrives and the exact reason why several copyright infringement suits have been dropped.
How do you sue MySpace when a MySpace profile is seeing more activity than an owned website?
These are decisions that musicians and owners of copyright or royalty rights are making every day in the music industry. The debate over the value of fighting for copyright versus allowing small infractions in exchange for the marketing value of your music being heard is one that is held more and more as music sharing has become more common with the spread of internet services.
When do you expect to start paying SonicJive artists?
Phase One will be when we upgrade our radio player to Live365. com - the royalties for artists are built into their fee structure. Phase Two will be when we start generating advertising revenues to pay royalties on profile hits.
You have strictly defined goals but it seems like a lot of work. Facebook was launched with 38 million dollars in venture capital funding yet you are doing this on your own. The odds are overwhelming but you don't feel over matched.
There are times when I feel I am in over my head. Certainly with 38 million dollars I could create something bigger and better than MySpace or Facebook. Instead of a nice office in Silicon Valley, I work out of my house. I lead a normal life. I date regular down-to-earth women. Outside of SonicJive people really don't know who I am and that is perfect for right now. This is a labor of love for me and it is fun and certainly beats any other career choice. Plus, I want to make a real difference.
In order to be doing something like this, you have to really, really like what you're doing, because otherwise it just doesn't make sense. The demands and the amount of work that it takes to put something like [SonicJive] into place, it's crazy. It started as a hobby and now it's a business and I am just looking for legitimacy. I will find my VC funding, but I refuse to exploit or sell out SonicJive musicians, so finding that money may be a little tougher. It absolutely has to be my way, and it absolutely has to be the right way. I am not reinventing social networking. I am simply offering an improved alternative for everyone who wants to join me.
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