Update: Soundexchange, under immense pressure from Internet broadcasters and listeners, backed down and announced in a Congressional hearing yesterday that it would not enforce the astronomically high royalty rates and would work on negotiating new rates for now. This doesn’t mean the Internet Radio Equality Act is not necessary, just that Internet radio has been granted a last-minute reprieve. Here is more information about the temporary arrangement. (Thanks to Metadish for the tip.)

---

On Sunday new royalty rates will go into effect for Internet Radio that are so high that almost no radio stations or online music applications will be able to afford them. This means that Internet Radio, with all the variety, convenience, and opportunities for new bands and artists, will all but disappear.

This is outrageous, and unless something is done immediately Internet Radio will shut down. (If you would like to learn more about this, please visit SaveNetRadio.)

There is a new bill called the Internet Radio Equality Act that will make royalty rates more reasonable for Internet Radio stations and allow them to operate. Unless this bill is brought to the floor for a vote today, Internet Radio will shut down.

Call your senators and representatives about this right now. It’s very easy. Just go to the form and put in your zip code. There are talking points next to each congress member that will tell you exactly what to say, and again it’s really easy to do. The staff members are usually very nice and this is a simple process. Even if you have never done this before I cannot urge you enough to do it for the sake of music lovers, artists, and free speech.

Here are some of my favorite Internet Radio sites and applications, and thanks to some commentors for pointing some of them out:
Di.fm
Last.fm
Pandora
Shoutcast
SomaFM

Again, visit SaveNetRadio and find out how to contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to bring the bill to the floor today, or we can say goodbye to most music online.

(No one from SaveNetRadio has ever contacted Celebitchy and asked for help, and all the links for them on this site were added by me.)

Header image from user ninino on Photocase.