Net Neutrality

Keeping the Internet Open to Independent Music

By Tripp Underwood

Network neutrality has been a big issue this year in Washington. If neutrality were to disappear, independent musicians would be among the most effected, according to the Future of Music Collation. In order to reach out to the musicians who stand to loose the most, the FMC formed Rock the Net, a program that specifically deals with educating the musical community about net neutrality issues. “For independent musicians, [net neutrality] is absolutely crucial,” said Casey Rae-Hunter, communications director for Rock the Net.

Without federal laws protecting net neutrality, Rock the Net says telecommunication companies will be free to charge varying rates to people who distribute material on the web, including music. In such an environment, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) could charge a higher fee for faster, prioritized versions of their services - essentially eliminating the level playing field the Internet created in the music business.

In a non-neutral net, people who can afford to pay top dollar will have the fastest and most reliable websites. Those that can’t will be left with inferior sites that are slower and in some cases unreachable, said Rae-Hunter. Indie musicians trying to compete with major label acts and corporate retail distributors would be placed at serious disadvantage.

“We saw what happened with too much corporate control and consolidation in commercial radio,” said Rae-Hunter. “It [hurt] diversity on the airwaves and indie artists are now sort of closed to that medium. We don’t want that to happen to the Internet as well,” he said.

Without neutrality on the Internet, ISP’s could also be allowed to give priority to web surfers using sites they favor. Rock the Net fears that achieving “most favored” status could only be afforded by big companies like iTunes or Amazon and not self-promoting artists or small labels.

Rae-Hunter likes to use a pizza analogy to explain the theory. “What if you called your favorite local pizza shop and an operator suddenly came over the line and put you on hold in order to prioritize the phone wires for calls to Dominos?” he asks. “That would be a horrible situation for online commerce, especially music.”

Rock the Net says that neutrality also acts as a protector of free speech online because the net - like telephone lines - are neutral (meaning anyone who pays for the service can say what they like to whomever they like while using the lines). But a non-neutral net would give the ISPs and telecommunication companies much more say over what travels through their ‘pipes’. This could hurt free speech for anyone, especially in an industry like music where artists have traditionally spoken out about controversial issues.

This theory was proven last year when telecommunication giant AT&T ‘dropped’ anti-Bush comments made by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder when broadcasting the band’s Lollapalooza performance online. The company later apologized and said the broadcast interference was a “mistake,” but the implications for how this could affect the future of free speech online are obvious.

Rock the Net encourages all musicians and fans to take action to preserve network neutrality. The organization says calling attention and educating the American people about the issue is best way to protect a free and open Internet. Rae-Hunter admits some of the technical jargon associated with Internet laws can be boring, but musicians and music fans must be vigilante in demonstrating to law makers how important the issue is. “We need to keep [network neutrality] in the minds of legislators,” he said, “and let them know that we feel it is important to preserve the basic principals of Internet equality.”