In a recent NewMusicBox post composer Alex Shapiro reminds us why net neutrality is such a vital issue, and why it is of particular importance to musicians who share and sell self-created content - scores, recordings, video - online as a means of making a living and advancing careers. Here's the crux of it.
[O]ur ability to share our creations around the world lies in our access to the necessary portal. This is why net neutrality - the term for an open internet that is not owned,controlled, or censored by any corporation - is crucial to artists.
She continues.
With access to affordable, high-speed web service, music artists are able to compete on a more or less equal technological playing field with the biggest content providers on the planet . . . The more pervasive a web presence we create to display our talent, and the more broadly linked that presence becomes due to the power of viral networking, the greater the chance for our success.
So, if you're a self-publishing composer who offers streaming audio of your music on your website as a means of self-promotion, you need potential customers to be able to access those clips in a timely manner. If they take forever to load because your ISP gives Boosey & Hawkes tons more bandwidth, charging them more money than you make in a year for the privilege, then you have a problem. Same goes for a conductor who posts video clips online as part of a virtual portfolio, or couple of dudes trying to change the musical world with a TypePad blog.
You can learn more about recent net neutrality legislation here, including voting records. If your legislator has voted against net neutrality make sure and voice your displeasure. Apathy is not an option for those of us who depend on equal access to the internet.
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