Those cool music activists at the Future of Music Coalition have launched a new initiative in support of Net Neutrality called "Rock the Net" to highlight how a free and open internet helps musicians and music fans connect. From the press release:
Net neutrality is the idea that all websites and services should be equally accessible on the Internet. Some Internet service providers have proposed charging a fee to Internet content providers to make their sites load faster. Rock the Net believes such a move could make it harder for fans to access the vibrant array of musical offerings now available online.
A diverse group of musicians have already joined the cause, including R.E.M., the Kronos Quartet, Sarah McLachlan, OK Go, Death Cab for Cutie and the Barenaked Ladies. Here's how you can participate:
- Bands: join the campaign. Create a band account, then add events that will display on the Rock the Net map.
- Search for the campaign's shows and events. 124 bands have already dedicated 24 shows to the Rock the Net campaign. Search by band name, by city, by venue, by date!
Musicians in Second Life in particular benefit from having a free and unthrottled internet so that fans can find them in-world and experience their music without lag or delay. This would be a cool way for SL musicians to show their support for Net Neutrality and raise the visibility of their music. I'll check and make sure that the Rock the Net site supports the submission of virtual music events as well as real world ones. Rock on!
Addendum: Media activist and commentator Harold Feld on Wet Machine has an excellent essay on why Net Neutrality matters to musicians.
