As some of you may have read here, I've practically gone berserk trying to obtain a proper music license for ASCAP recordings. Over the past two years I've emailed, wriiten letters, send registerd letters, phoned and finally sent them a check with a BMI license with ASCAP scratched over BMI to insist them accept my money and give me a license (and although I never heard back from them they did deposit my check, so I consider myself licensed). I hadn't checked back to their website for a while, but this morning I discovered a Low Power license form page! Now, they don't seem to specifically mention a Part 15 station but the rate is determined by watts, and it starts at 1. So for $154 a year you're covered for broadcasting. It's $245 for BMI. So for a total of $399 a year you have 99% of the music that exists in this country legally at your disposal for broadcasting. That's $33 a month gang.
I know no one wants to pay for music, and blah blah blah. And if that's the case I suggest you work on changing the laws. Not being licensed is one way a competitor, torqued off big station, or local complaining neighbor can get you shut down and in trouble.
The BMI license (mentioned in another post) is specifically made for Part 15, and even spells out the Part 15 rules in the contract!
Tim in Bovey
You could have a Donation button on your station's page. This way you could try and get the $400 for the year. You could let the lesteners know its for the music you play and to keep that music growing. Hey its not a lie? Its just that its easier than trying to explain about Royalties. Well we'll look into it that is all I'll say. It may be something to consider too if streaming royalties get too high and the Internet keeps acting up and forces me to only go part 15 or most of the time part 15. Befoe I had donations I did pay $31/Mo for streaming. So its kinda cheaper than streaming in fact for some a lot cheaper. You still have to pay for a server and AutoDj for streaming. Most Radio directories require you to be 24/7 so its something for some of you to think about if you only want to be part 15 local and have the listeners to boot. You may want to put the links for the applications for part 15 on ASCAP and BMI and that way if someone wants to look into it they can. Its nice you don't have to record every track you play either like streaming. This means you can have shows and the like. All you do is pay once and have a ball. Yup get the donations that is what I say.
For decades networks and local stations had full-time on-staff orchestras, large and small, for their musical production needs. It was more straight-forward and less expensive than everything involved with royalty management.
Jeez, today with MIDI and all the do-it-yourself electronic music gear a part 15 station could easily do its own music. You can of course compose your own songs.
If the commercial music world wants to be on your station they should pay for the opportunity.
There are computer applications that generate original music and play it back like a small orchestra. That's the way to go.