In 2010, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that the Internet must be accessible to all, something since dubbed “Net Neutrality.” It is the principle that Internet Service Providers (ISPs), like Comcast and Verizon, should not filter or block what gets shown on the Internet, and implicitly that they should not be able to charge users to have their information, websites, or products online. These rulings paved the way to keep internet going the way of cable television where only the major players with the biggest wallets can get quality air time.
This January, those rules were overturned in a court ruling , and there’s a big fight currently underway from lobbyists to keep it that way and from over 780,000 people who have petitioned the FCC to keep the internet a level playing field. The FCC is receiving feedback from the public in regards to this issue, and has fortunately extended the deadline to this Friday at midnight.
There are some major consequences for the music industry for Net Neutrality, and reasons you should care about this issue:
1. You might get paid less from music services
Music subscription services already don’t pay much to stream musicians’ music. With net neutrality going to the wayside, these services would likely have to pay ISPs to keep their presence online. It’s not beyond reason to assume that those extra costs would be taken out of artists’ profits at least in part.
2. Your online music could lose sound quality
Streaming radio and video services require more bandwidth to deliver their content. It’s possible that rather than paying a surcharge to continue streaming at the same quality, such services might opt to stream at lower quality to save money. The larger the bandwidth, the better quality music and video are available. By charging more for bandwidth, it places economic limitations on streaming quality.
3. You could lose your online presence, unless you’ve got a big label
Like cable television, only the biggest companies can afford access to viewers. If the Verizon, AT&T and Comcast lobbyists win , it’s could happen that only the biggest labels will be able to pay to promote their artists. Indie artists might not be able to compete. The implications of such are obvious: if you can’t afford to get a presence on the Internet, you lose your audience.
Go to the FCC website here to post your concerns for Proceeding Number 14-28, “Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet " and fill out the form to submit your concerns. You’ve got until Friday at midnight and spread the word.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
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4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, social channels, and portfolio for as long as you remain a member.
- Get first access to all future SAU course curriculums to continually build and refine your mixing and mastering skills as the industry evolves.
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5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
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6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 58 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
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