2013/06/27

Pink Floyd: Pandora's Internet radio royalty ripoff



Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason
June 23, 2013




Great music can inspire deep emotions, and businesses have long sought to harness this power in order to make money. Nothing wrong with that – everyone deserves to make a living – but too often it leads to less than scrupulous behavior. The latest example is how Pandora is pushing for a special law in Congress to slash musicians' royalties – and the tactics they are using to trick artists into supporting this unfair cut in pay.

It's a matter of principle for us. We hope that many online and mobile music services can give fans and artists the music they want, when they want it, at price points that work. But those same services should fairly pay the artists and creators who make the music at the core of their businesses. For almost all working musicians, it's also a question of economic survival. Nearly 90% of the artists who get a check for digital play receive less than $5,000 a year. They cannot afford the 85% pay cut Pandora asked Congress to impose on the music community.

Last year, we joined over 130 other bands and artists to oppose Pandora's campaign to cut the royalties paid for digital radio spins. Widespread artist opposition stopped them last year, so this year Pandora is trying to enlist artists support for their next attempt at passing this unfair legislation.

Musicians around the country are getting emails from Pandora – even directly from the company's charismatic founder Tim Westergren – asking them to "be part of a conversation" about the music business and sign a simple "letter of support" for Internet radio.

Sounds good. Who wouldn't want to be "part of a conversation"? Who doesn't support Internet radio? What scrooge would refuse to sign such a positive, pro-music statement?

Of course, this letter doesn't say anything about an 85% artist pay cut. That would probably turn off most musicians who might consider signing on. All it says about royalties is "We are all fervent advocates for the fair treatment of artists." And the only hint of Pandora's real agenda is the innocent sounding line "We are also fervent supporters of internet radio and want more than anything for it to grow." The petition doesn't mention that Pandora is pushing the growth of its business directly at the expense of artists' paychecks.

Fine print is one thing. But a musician could read this "letter of support" a dozen times and hold it up to a funhouse mirror for good measure without realizing she was signing a call to cut her own royalties to pad Pandora's bottom line.

We've heard Pandora complain it pays too much in royalties to make a profit. (Of course, we also watched Pandora raise $235 million in its IPO and double its listeners in the last two years.) But a business that exists to deliver music can't really complain that its biggest cost is music. You don't hear grocery stores complain they have to pay for the food they sell. Netflix pays more for movies than Pandora pays for music, but they aren't running to Congress for a bailout. Everyone deserves the right to be paid a fair market rate for their work, regardless of what their work entails.

We're not saying that the music business is perfect or that there is no room to compromise. Artists would gladly work with Pandora to end AM/FM's radio exemption from paying any musician royalties – a loophole that hurts artists and digital radio alike.

Other changes and compromises may be possible as well. The open letter to Pandora that we signed last year said, "Lets work this out as partners" and that's what we should do. But tricking artists into signing a confusing petition without explaining what they are really being asked to support only poisons the well.


Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason are members of Pink Floyd which recently released the 40th anniversary edition of Dark Side of the Moon.

In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors.

 From usatoday.com

Roger Waters to quit touring?






Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Roger Waters may quit touring after his The Wall Live shows are finished.

The former Pink Floyd bass player and songwriter has been touring the band's 1979 album across the world, but thinks time may be running out for him as a rock performer.

He told Classic Rock magazine: ''It might just be [my last tour]. I'm not a great singer or entertainer, so the concept is very important. I've no trick that I can perform until my 90th [Birthday]. On the other hand, the ambition to make new music is growing.''

Roger also revealed the tour can be technically challenging, because it requires having lights, music and stage direction all in synch with each other.

He added: ''It's a piece of theatre, so it has to be controlled ...The lighting and visual content has to be in sync with the music we're making.

''I'm happy to sacrifice the freedom of guitar players flailing about doing anything they want, on the altar of creating a show that moves people and that's political and so on.''

The musician also said he feels the show and its message has become less personal over time, with the way he stages it now having more universal appeal.

He explained: ''There are still thousands of children in the world waiting for their fathers they'll never see. I lost my dad in the second war. I was only five months old but the wounds are still there.

''In this new version of 'The Wall' the show focused less on my personal loss. I'm older now, I can take more distance and so the songs have gotten a more universal meaning.''

The Wall Live is set to appear at various venues across Europe until September 21 this year.

From tv3.ie

2013/06/24

Roger Waters - 5.06 (Every Stranger´s Eyes)

Roger Waters - 5.06 (Every Stranger´s Eyes) - Official Video with lyrics




Roger Waters In Every Strangers Eyes/Moment of Clarity

2013/06/09

Roger Waters: To All My Friends in Turkey


Posted: 06/05/20

To all my friends in Turkey

I am with you! We are with you! You are so right to resist the forces of autocracy and repression. It doesn't matter who they are.

If I read the internet right, in your case, you are resisting autocratic religious zealots.

Turkey is your country and we support you and yearn for your freedom, but also, you and your struggle are so important to the rest of the world.

Every time a man or woman or child takes to the streets, and stands up for human rights, for self determination, for democracy, for Mistress Liberty, the rest of the world is in debt.

We are not physically with you in the water cannon's fire, in the tear gas clouds, but we are with you in spirit.

We applaud your stand for we know it is not easy.

Your great country stands at the gateway between east and west. Istanbul is legend in the history of civilization. Your resistance today may well be a turning point between all of us and a return to the dark ages.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY:

With love, and tears, and huge respect,

Roger Waters



Roger Waters Tour Dates 2013

July 18th - GELREDOME, ARNHEM, THE NETHERLANDS
July 20th - FESTIVALWEIDE, WERCHTER, BELGIUM
July 23rd - GRADSKI STADION U POLJUDU, SPLIT, CROATIA
July 26th - STADIO EUGANEO, PADOVA, ITALY
July 28th - STADIO OLIMPICO, ROME, ITALY
July 31st - OAKA OLYMPIC STADIUM, ATHENS, GREECE
August 4th - ITU STADYUMU, ISTANBUL, TURKEY
August 7th - O2 ARENA, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
August 9th - COMMERZBANK-ARENA, FRANKFURT, GERMANY
August 11th - PARKEN, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
August 14th - TELENOR ARENA, OSLO, NORWAY
August 15th - TELENOR ARENA, OSLO, NORWAY
August 17th - ULLEVI STADION, GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN
August 20th - STADION NARODOWY, WARSAW, POLAND
August 23rd - ERNST-HAPPEL-STADION, VIENNA, AUSTRIA
August 25th - PUSKAS FERENC STADION, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
August 28th - PIATA CONSTITUTIEI, BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
August 30th - VASIL LEVSKI NATIONAL STADIUM, SOFIA, BULGARIA
September 1st - KOMBANK ARENA, BELGRADE, SERBIA
September 4th - OLYMPIASTADION, BERLIN, GERMANY
September 6th - ESPRIT ARENA, DUSSELDORF, GERMANY
September 8th - AMSTERDAM ARENA, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
September 11th - STADION LETZIGRUND, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
September 14th - WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON, ENGLAND
September 16th - MANCHESTER ARENA, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
September 18th - AVIVA STADIUM, DUBLIN, IRELAND
September 21st - STADE DE FRANCE, PARIS, FRANCE.


Unlock a free mp3 of Money (Roger Waters Demo) with your copy of The Dark Side Of The Moon #DarkSide40


If you have purchased any version of The Dark Side Of The Moon on CD or if you purchased the 2011 remaster at iTunes or on vinyl, you can now unlock a free download of Money (Roger Waters Demo) – previously only available in the Immersion Box Set!

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