Disappearance of SomaFM streams

[Ellen Cordeaux]

Soma FM LUSH was my background station at my little club for years so finding it unavailable was really disappointing, especially since I donate to them regularly, at least every quarter and usually when they were doing the donation pleads.  Seems counterintuitive to me to cut off the very users who are most likely to give support but I dunno.  Whatever.  

Anyone know of a similar stream, or a good adult alternative one?  Currently using Radio Paradise but...meh.

[Coffee Pancake]

I've been a SomaFM listener in SL for about as long as I've been in SL. In many ways Soma have provided the sound track to my Second Life and for years I had a poster board showing the current station and linking to their site.

I have no interest in going via their website or playing via an app.

They could have just made a "radio" prim that set the parcel stream, set it for sale on the SLM for a couple of bucks and then expired it and the links it would set in about land every 6 months or so and made you buy an new one.

I would have purchased this happily.

So long Secret Agent, Drone Zone and Space Station Soma.

[Aishagain]

So many folks wax lyrical about  how much Somafm streams meant in their Second Lives..The CEO of Somafm vouchsafed this to me:

"People buy and sell parcels and virtual goods in SL all the time, so if someone could come up with a way for use to successfully monetize the use of our streams in SL, we'd be open to that. But as it stands now, no one wants to pay and instead say "think of all the exposure you get". But you can die from exposure too.

And when you take away something people have considered as free (or start charging for it), they get very upset.

We actually tried creating a subscription music service specifically for Second Life many years ago, but there was no interest in it and we canned the project."

Oh and he said to me that I was the only one who had donated from SL who had contacted him.

Makes ya fink, dunnit.

Might I suggest  that if you are even remotely serious that you email dj@somafm.com

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Aishagain

[MBeatrix]

9 hours ago, Aishagain said:

[...] Oh and he said to me that I was the only one who had donated from SL who had contacted him.

Makes ya fink, dunnit.

Might I suggest  that if you are even remotely serious that you email dj@somafm.com

 

Weird indeed.

Now, why don't some of the SomaFM people join SL and come up with a solution? It's true that one may die from exposure but it's also true that no exposure may kill too — maybe even faster. So, they want/need money but all they seem willing to do is play music to a small audience.

There may be many ideas on how to pay them but is any of them realistic? Something that can be done without LL intervention? I think that even for LL would be difficult to implement a solution just for SomaFM. What about other radio stations?

@Coffee Pancake suggested something that might work, somehow...

Edited September 22, 2021 by MBeatrix
typo corrections & more

[Serenity Mercier]

Following Aishagain's advice, I sent an email to SomaFM asking them to consider working with LL to make it possible for Soma subscribers to continue streaming to their parcels. I also submitted a ticket to LL asking them to do the same.

There is a win/win opportunity for SomaFM and LL here, but those of us who subscribe to SomaFM need to make our voices heard (in a kind, respectful way) if we hope to make it so!

[Qie Niangao]

Apparently I have SomaFM stations set as "land radio" on some of my parcels, which doesn't have much impact becaus I almost never have sound turned on myself, and my parcels don't generate a lot of traffic.

It makes me wonder, though, how small this streaming world really is, if little ol' SL ever contributes noticeably to SomaFM's demand. Perhaps a busy event might draw a hundred avatars (or more, across several regions) and maybe most have streaming audio enabled, so if a stream usually gets just a few hundred listeners, SL could be a signficant factor, I guess.

In contrast, if a stream got a few hundred thousand listeners, nobody would care what SL demand may come or go. So evidently the scale is smaller than that.

Imagine we had to come up with a technical solution. I think Coffee is headed in a promising direction with:

18 hours ago, Coffee Pancake said:

They could have just made a "radio" prim that set the parcel stream, set it for sale on the SLM for a couple of bucks and then expired it and the links it would set in about land every 6 months or so and made you buy an new one.

Six months may be a bit generous because any listener could retain the stream URL until it quit working, and use it anywhere on (or off) the grid. Suppose they "sold" a land radio script that took payment in daily increments (like, a year's worth in advance, say), where paid-up units automatically get a new working stream URL every 24 hours. Might that be viable?

In theory, listeners on unpaid parcels could snoop those URLs (llGetParcelMusicURL() would need the landowner to be complicit to mechanically leak the new URLs, but anybody can get them inside the viewer), but I think a lot of folks would happily pay-up instead. Certainly more than donate now, right?

Maybe this is trying too hard.

[Ineffable Mote]

2 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

 

Maybe this is trying too hard.

imo it would be far easier for residents to run their own stations, the licensing part of it would be the main pain in the derriere for the effort. Not to suggest just anyone could do it, but there's no shortage of people in SL who could do so reliably. I know some are already.

Not to slag Soma radio but it was overused, store owners and events as well as homes. SL could use less easy reach cookie cutters and more variety, really.

[MBeatrix]

The whole thing is tricky. Personally, I don't give a single bit about SomaFM just because they are not looking for a solution. Should SL users try to find one? Would SomaFM pay someone who has a viable solution?

I have a more serious question, though, supposing SomaFM gets money from SL parcel owners: is it fair that a parcel with very little traffic pays the same a club that is crowded most of the time does? If not, how do you control that? Traffic keeps changing, and it may change in a matter of minutes. Sorry, people, but the whole thing is nuts.
It's true that we pay LL the same for a low traffic parcel than we do for a crowded one but we always get something valuable in return — space to do whatever and prims.

[Jaylinbridges]

21 hours ago, MBeatrix said:

Personally, I don't give a single bit about SomaFM just because they are not looking for a solution.

Soma knows their income, which is entirely by voluntary donations.  Streaming into SL the normal way, by the parcel audio stream, was costing them money in royalties with no return.  SL listeners are cheap - if they can get it free, they are not going to pay for it.

The Performance royalties payed to the CRB (created by the recording studios, not the artists) doubled this year, with a minimum of $1000 USD/yr per channel.  And if they have too many listeners, they also must pay for every Performance.  A Performance is any listener (eg a new IP#) that listens to just one song for about 5 seconds.  A single region with 20 listeners could cost them thousands of performance fees/day.  The Performance fee also increased this year.  The $1000 minimum annual fee must be paid up front, usually by the end of January.  Performances that exceed the $1000 annual fee are added on a monthly basis. The cap on fees they must pay to the CRB is $100,000 USD/year per channel! That was also doubled for 2021-2025.

The new doubled fees are due for 2021 today Sept. 24.  Next year they must be paid again by January 31.

It is not surprising that internet music stations are trying to survive with the new fees by cutting their costs, and reducing their non paying listening audience.  This will kill many of the marginal and smaller broadcasters entirely.  Nothing new here - there are thousands of pages of testimony warning the increased costs would damage the marginal stations. And most of them are marginal.  Only the majors like Spotify and Apple will be left - and yes they negotiated better fees than the small independent broadcasters.   All in secret - 1/2 the public testimony is redacted.

The whole situation of RIAA greed sucks.

Further Details:

https://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2021/06/articles/webcasting-royalties-going-up-copyright-royalty-board-releases-rates-and-terms-for-2021-2025/#more-7737

https://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2021/09/articles/2021-regulatory-fee-deadline-of-september-24-dont-delay/

 

 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Jaylinbridges

[Zeta Vandyke]

On 9/22/2021 at 3:13 AM, Ellen Cordeaux said:

Soma FM LUSH was my background station at my little club for years so finding it unavailable was really disappointing, especially since I donate to them regularly, at least every quarter and usually when they were doing the donation pleads.  Seems counterintuitive to me to cut off the very users who are most likely to give support but I dunno.  Whatever.  

Anyone know of a similar stream, or a good adult alternative one?  Currently using Radio Paradise but...meh.

Did you find anything like Lush? It was my stream as well and cant find anything like it really.

[Ellen Cordeaux]

11 hours ago, Zeta Vandyke said:

Did you find anything like Lush? It was my stream as well and cant find anything like it really.

I'm currently using this nice progressive "jazz" station (much of it  is not jazz).  It's a nice one for now.

http://sc1c-sjc.1.fm:8010/

[Frankie Antonioni]

A few days ago, I sent an email to SomaFM. It was about having a SL stream, that would have commercials. These commercials could come from business located in SL. I got a reply from Rusty a couple of days ago. Here is the reply.

=====================================================================================================

Thank you for your feedback but we have no interest in being in the advertiser-supported radio business.

--rusty

================================================================================================

Now there is away for you to listen to Secret Agent. Click on my profile, then click on my webtab, then click load. You may need to adjust the volume. You could even copy the link, and put it in your webtab.

[swedishfox Ghost]

liked their music, was considering paying if it meant having a url just at my house or something but it sounds like they gave us the bird and don't care about a solution

[Frankie Antonioni]

On 10/19/2021 at 7:07 PM, swedishfox Ghost said:

liked their music, was considering paying if it meant having a url just at my house or something but it sounds like they gave us the bird and don't care about a solution

I have the url in my web tab, and it works. You can put it in your web tab, and it will work from there. I don't think others will be able to hear it, unless they click on your profile, and then click on your web tab.  After clicking on the web tab, click on load. It will then play. If you close your profile, then it will stop playing. If you minimize your profile, then it will keep on playing.

[Sylvia Wasp]

On 9/17/2021 at 8:39 AM, MBeatrix said:

Whirly? Do you know any music player that doesn't display "now playing information"? Anyone?
With that, SOMA sounds like a bunch of amateurs trying to make some money.

All your posts are so mean.  SomaFM is a non-profit, ad-free radio station run by basically one person.  It's not like it's some corporation.  Get a grip and try to be a human being maybe? 

[Sylvia Wasp]

On 9/19/2021 at 8:56 AM, Frankie Antonioni said:

Does anybody know of a streaming service that plays spy music? Like Secret Agent by Johnny Rivers, or music by Tape Five, Fantastic Plastic Machine, and many others? Also theme music from movies, and TV shows?

SomaFM has a station devoted to that.

As an aside ... I can't understand all the hate and vitriol on this thread.  SomaFM is a small one-person operation basically and has done everyone a HUGE favour for many years simply by existing.  I've personally been streaming them in SL since I first joined in 2004. 

Maybe we could give SomaFM a break? 

Stop pretending they are some kind of big nefarious company? 

Stop criticizing them for simply trying to exist?

Understand that they don't have a microscopic sliver of the resources that SL has? 

I mean SomaFM could almost be described as SL's default sound experience. 

[Sylvia Wasp]

On 9/23/2021 at 2:21 AM, MBeatrix said:

The whole thing is tricky. Personally, I don't give a single bit about SomaFM just because they are not looking for a solution. Should SL users try to find one? Would SomaFM pay someone who has a viable solution?

I have a more serious question, though, supposing SomaFM gets money from SL parcel owners: is it fair that a parcel with very little traffic pays the same a club that is crowded most of the time does? If not, how do you control that? Traffic keeps changing, and it may change in a matter of minutes. Sorry, people, but the whole thing is nuts.
It's true that we pay LL the same for a low traffic parcel than we do for a crowded one but we always get something valuable in return — space to do whatever and prims.

More ill-informed, inaccurate mean-ness from you.  Not sure how a person like you lives with themselves.  Do you get up in the morning and think ... "I'm gonna make some random hater comments on a bunch of stuff I don't really know about but I sure have an opinion on!" 

[Theresa Tennyson]

2 minutes ago, Sylvia Wasp said:

More ill-informed, inaccurate mean-ness from you.  Not sure how a person like you lives with themselves.  Do you get up in the morning and think ... "I'm gonna make some random hater comments on a bunch of stuff I don't really know about but I sure have an opinion on!" 

Theresa Tennyson presses the fingertips of both hands together and holds her hands in front of her face as she cocks her head to the side and raises her eyebrows.

[Rockridge Constantine]

I realize that those who were using the SOMA streams are disappointed, but It really makes no sense for us to grip and vent here.  There many many other streaming alternatives.  Unless you want to vent to them directly, then let's try to move on.  

[Mollymews]

about what else can be had for free

 

i changed to audacy.com

like any free-to-air radio it comes with adverts which  I don't mind when is free listening

what i really like about audacy is that it has some playlist stations for free (with adverts) which play music centred on a nominated artist. Like I have these 3 in my player

https://www.audacy.com/paramoreradio/listen#schedule

 https://www.audacy.com/linkinparkradio/listen#schedule

https://www.audacy.com/ohbabybaby/listen#schedule

ohbabybaby is centred on Britney Spears. Get artists in the same general style. Like Jordin Sparks and Pussycat Dolls

paramore and linkinpark centered on those bands

they have quite a few other playlist stations in different styles

another one is

https://www.audacy.com/amyleesbitterinspirado/listen#schedule

Amy Lee curated this station herself.  Amy and the other artists she put into her playlist get a piece of the advert revenue. Which is pretty cool

 

[Frankie Antonioni]

6 hours ago, Rockridge Constantine said:

I realize that those who were using the SOMA streams are disappointed, but It really makes no sense for us to grip and vent here.  There many many other streaming alternatives.  Unless you want to vent to them directly, then let's try to move on.  

I can play SomaFM in SL. I have it in my webtab. I can hear it play. I don't think anybody near me can hear it. But they can click on my profile, then webtab, and then click load. It will then play. You can even put it in your webtab.

 

12 hours ago, Sylvia Wasp said:

SomaFM has a station devoted to that.

As an aside ... I can't understand all the hate and vitriol on this thread.  SomaFM is a small one-person operation basically and has done everyone a HUGE favour for many years simply by existing.  I've personally been streaming them in SL since I first joined in 2004. 

Maybe we could give SomaFM a break? 

Stop pretending they are some kind of big nefarious company? 

Stop criticizing them for simply trying to exist?

Understand that they don't have a microscopic sliver of the resources that SL has? 

I mean SomaFM could almost be described as SL's default sound experience. 

SomaFM is what I used to have at my store. I had Secret Agent. I now have it in my webtab. So if anybody wants to listen to spy music, then put the SomaFM link in your webtab, or listen to it in my webtab. You will then be able to listen to it in SL.

[Rae Bluxome]

Does SomaFM really pay royalties to artists?

 

[mygoditsfullofstars]

2 hours ago, Rae Bluxome said:

Does SomaFM really pay royalties to artists?

They have to legally. They wouldn't have been able to remain operating for so many years if they didnt.

[Jaylinbridges]

22 hours ago, Rae Bluxome said:

Does SomaFM really pay royalties to artists?

I wrote here about their broadcasting  costs DOUBLING, for the next 5 years, thanks to the lobbyists for the Recording Industry paying off the politicians in Congress, which are responsible for these fees.

Those are only fees that go to the recording studios that have major artists.  If you are an independent producing your own recordings, you get nothing from these fees.  SOMA probably pays out around $50,000 USD/yr and the more listeners they have, the higher the fees are, just to the recording studios.

They also must pay BMI and ASCAP fees that go to the actual recording artists, not the studio.  

I don't know how SOMA can make any profit with all the government fees they must pay every month and year.

Their recommend donation is $50 USD/yr.  They would need 1000 generous donors to break even.  Most donations are less that $50 - they will accept $2/yr if that's all you can afford.

Broadcasting multiple music genre channels 24/7 on the internet is not free by any means.

The DJ's that make these playlists pretty much work for free, it's called love of the music.

 

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by Jaylinbridges

[Prokofy Neva]

On 9/16/2021 at 2:51 PM, Aishagain said:

It may not come as a surprise to some that SomaFM streams are no longer avaiable in Second Life.  I have been in touch with SomaFM and the reason is simple.  Soma have blocked Second Life because LL refused to pay any royalties on the music streams provided to SL by SomaFM.

What your opinion of this will almost certainly vary, and of course the streams can still be played in external radio players, so the music is not unavailable to all, but for now the shared experience of music streaming to the region from SomaFM is no more.

I do not hold out any hope of LL changing their attitude over this so we must, I guess, accept the situation.  It is something that really needs to be addressed and it is the same for virtually (sic) all streaming services.  The artists and the broadcasters need to be given due recompense for their medium.

I agree. Linden Lab may hide behind Section 30 on this one, but this situation is all the more reason why Section 30 needs to be redacted, and not because media is unfair to right-wingers (their reasoning) but because platforms refuse to take responsibility for the crimes on their platforms, which they abet, ranging from mild to severe, whether copyright theft or incitement to terrorism and murder. 

There is no reason in the world why SL, mainly an entertainment company, can't come to some agreement with various music rights holders or streaming services and obtain a proper license for the good of the public using their grid and services.

To hide behind the fact that the customer pastes in the illegal URL on his parcel while taking rent for that parcel (tier) is just hypocritical. 

The fees would surely not be any more onerous than fees LL is happy to pay for *software* from their brethren, their fellow coders. That's why you see their logos and references to licenses obtained from them. Why can providers of lighting or voice service or libraries of this or that code get to be paid because they need to run a business, but a streaming service which must pay musicians  or record companies doesn't have to be paid?