SomaFM

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SomaFM is a listener-supported non-commercial Internet-only streaming music station, broadcast out of Rusty Hodge's garage in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California. SomaFM is one of the largest internet-only radios, with 1 million "listener hours" per month. SomaFM plays mainly alternative electronic genres, including, glitch, ambient, chill out and downtempo.

[edit] History

SomaFM began as a pirate radio station broadcast at the Burning Man festival in 1999. The response to the project was sufficiently positive that Rusty Hodge launched it as a full-time internet radio station in February of 2000. Taking its name from the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco and Soma, "perfect pleasure drug" from Brave New World, and marketed entirely by word of mouth, SomaFM's twelve channels reached a peak listenership of 10,000 by 2002.

[edit] Conflict with the RIAA

In May 2002, the DMCA CARP ruling came into effect, which enabled RIAA representatives to subject online broadcasters to royalty fees, designed – in the opinion of many online broadcasters – to drive those broadcasters out of business. SomaFM was asked to pay 14/100 of a cent for each recording broadcast retroactively through October 1998 which could have potentially shut down the station. Hodge initially estimated that the station could have been forced to pay fees to the RIAA of over $1,000 USD per day to continue operations. In June 2002, SomaFM was forced to stop streaming due to a potential bill of $15,000 USD per month to continue broadcasting.

Hodge organized a letter-writing campaign, and finally testified before the U.S. Congress in 2002. As a consequence of this grass-roots action, Congress passed the Small Broadcasters Amendment Act, which enabled SomaFM to negotiate a more reasonable rate with the RIAA. SomaFM eventually negotiated a royalty rate of 11.8%, which enabled them to go back on the air in December 2002 for $2000-$5000 USD per year.

[edit] Programming

As of January 2007, SomaFM's channel lineup consists of:

Chillout, Ambient: Groove Salad - "A nicely chilled plate of ambient beats and grooves." SomaFM's second station, and its most popular streaming offering. Available in MP3, aacPlus, 3GPP, and WMA formats.
Downtempo, Acid jazz: Secret Agent - "The soundtrack for your stylish, mysterious, dangerous life. For Spies and PIs too!" Downtempo and jazz with James Bond audio clips to set the mood. In MP3, aacPlus, 3GPP, and WMA.
Deep house, Downtempo: BeatBlender - "A late night blend of deep house and downtempo chill." In MP3 and WMA.
Dronology: Drone Zone - "Served best chilled, safe with most medications. Atmospheric textures with minimal beats." SomaFM's first channel. In MP3 and WMA.
Glitch: cliqhop idm - "Blips'n'beeps backed mostly w/beats. Intelligent dance music." In MP3 and WMA.
Indie pop: Indie Pop Rocks - "New and your favorite classic indie pop tracks." In MP3, aacPlus, 3GPP, and WMA.
Progressive house, Trance: Tag's Trance Trip - "Progressive house / trance. Tip top tunes." Programmed by Nullsoft developer Tag Loomis. In MP3 and aacPlus, although the two streams are independent of one another.
Exotica, Nu jazz: Illinois Street Lounge - "Classic bachelor pad, playful exotica and vintage music of tomorrow." As the name indicates, a stream with a heavy emphasis on lounge music. In MP3, aacPlus, 3GPP, and WMA.
Ambient, Space music: Space Station Soma - "Tune in, turn on, space out. Spaced-out ambient and mid-tempo electronica." In MP3, aacPlus, 3GPP, and WMA.
Industrial: Doomed - "Dark industrial-inspired music for tortured souls." SomaFM's newest offering as of May 2006. Currently only in MP3.
Xmas in Frisko - Irreverent holiday tunes, offered only during the Christmas season.
Americana, Country: Boot Liquor - "Americana roots music for Cowhands, Cowpokes and Cowtippers"