Kbluz Internet Radio is Off the Air.
Effective 6-20-2010, Kbluz Internet Radio has ceased broadcasting.
The inordinately high royalty rates imposed by SoundExchange on Internet radio broadcasters make the operation of an independent commercial internet radio station impractical if not economically unfeasible. Terrestrial radio stations and satellite radio are not subject to the SoundExchange royalties.
From the beginning, I’ve stayed current with the royalty requirements for Kbluz, but this has become an expense that I can no longer afford to bear.
Licenses vary, but typically, internet radio stations like Kbluz are required to pay rates of approximately $2,000 per month for 100 full time listeners. 1,000 listeners = $20,000 per month. This rate far exceeds the revenue available from advertisers who are interested in the internet radio market place and are substantially higher than the royalty rates paid by conventional (terrestrial) radio and satellite radio.
Additional, newly proposed legislation, taxes and royalties coupled with the already approved and schedule rate increases by SoundExchange promise to provide even more obstacles to the development of Internet radio over the next few months and years. I expect many more stations to cease broadcasting. This will be detrimental to artists and listeners alike.
Below are a couple of links for those of you who would like to learn more about the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act), SoundExchange and how this will impact Internet radio in the future. Much more information is available by searching on the above terms.
What does it cost to run an Internet radio station?
I want to thank all of the artist and listeners who have been a part of the Kbluz experience for the last year and a half. There are some truly wonderful new blues artists out there and they deserve the opportunity to be heard by blues fans everywhere. I hope that in some form, Internet radio can survive and be and avenue for the world to hear this music.
Welcome to Kbluz Internet Radio!
If you’re serious about blues music, we think you’ll love Kbluz Internet Radio! So plug in your best set of speakers, crank up the volume and kick off your shoes. We promise we’ll have you boogying around your home or office in no time.
The Kbluz playlist consists primarily of classic and contemporary electric blues. You’ll hear blues music of all kinds including Chicago, Texas, Memphis and West Coast styles. We’ll also throw in a little modern blues-rock, classic British blues-rock, blues influenced soul, swamp pop and zydeco, along with a touch of traditional rural acoustic blues just so we can pay homage to the folks who planted the seeds that started this great American art form.
In any given hour you’re likely to hear past and present hit songs from great artists such as Pine Top Perkins, Howlin’ Wolf, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Slim Harpo, Lou Ann Barton, Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, Marcia Ball, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Lee Hooker, Memphis Minnie, Tab Benoit, Jan James, Alvin Lee, Pete Mayes, Elmore James, Debbie Davies, T-Bone Walker, Sue Foley, Jimmie Reed, Jimmy Rogers, Smokin’ Joe Kubeck and B’nois King, Susan Tedeshi, Delbert McClinton, Jimmie Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Cream, and Gary Moore. The list goes on and on.
Listening is free. You can start our stream player by clicking on the picture of the radio in the upper left side of the page. Enjoy the music and thanks for being part of our community.
Shop Our Kbluz Amazon e-Store
Now you can find all the great songs that we play on Kbluz right here in our very own Amazon e-Store! We’ve hand selected the items in our store and organized them into convenient categories so you don’t have to search everywhere for that special CD you just heard on Kbluz. When you shop our Kbluz e-Store, you help support Kbluz Internet radio and the great artists that sing the blues for you. Plus, you get the same great Amazon pricing, shipping and security that you know and trust from Amazon.com.