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'''SomaFM''' is an independent Internet-only [[Streaming media|streaming]] group of radio channels, supported entirely with donations from listeners. SomaFM originally started broadcasting out of founder Rusty Hodge's basement garage in the [[Bernal Heights]] neighborhood of [[San Francisco]], as a [[micropower radio]] station broadcast at the [[Burning Man]] festival in 1999.<ref name=sfgate.article>{{cite web| url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Move-over-pirate-radio-from-a-Bernal-Heights-2710458.php|title=Move over, pirate radio from a Bernal Heights garage|date=2004-06-30|accessdate=2019-06-20}}</ref><ref name="radio2.0">{{cite book |last1=Lasar |first1=Matthew |title=Radio 2.0: Uploading the First Broadcast Medium |date=2016-03-14 |publisher=Praeger |isbn=1440832439 |page=44}}</ref><ref name="fclj.2013">{{cite journal |last1=Myers |first1=Kellen |title=The RIAA, the DMCA, and the Forgotten Few Webcasters: A Call for Change in Digital Copyright Royalties |journal=Federal Communications Law Journal |date=2013-01-12 |volume=61 |issue=2|url=http://www.fclj.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/12-MYERSFINAL.pdf}}</ref> The response to the project was sufficiently positive that Rusty Hodge launched it as a full-time internet radio station in February 2000.
'''SomaFM''' is an independent Internet-only [[Streaming media|streaming]] multi-channel radio station, supported entirely with donations from listeners. SomaFM originally started broadcasting out of founder Rusty Hodge's basement garage in the [[Bernal Heights]] neighborhood of [[San Francisco]], as a [[micropower radio]] station broadcast at the [[Burning Man]] festival in 1999.<ref name=sfgate.article>{{cite web| url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Move-over-pirate-radio-from-a-Bernal-Heights-2710458.php|title=Move over, pirate radio from a Bernal Heights garage|date=2004-06-30|accessdate=2019-06-20}}</ref><ref name="radio2.0">{{cite book |last1=Lasar |first1=Matthew |title=Radio 2.0: Uploading the First Broadcast Medium |date=2016-03-14 |publisher=Praeger |isbn=1440832439 |page=44}}</ref><ref name="fclj.2013">{{cite journal |last1=Myers |first1=Kellen |title=The RIAA, the DMCA, and the Forgotten Few Webcasters: A Call for Change in Digital Copyright Royalties |journal=Federal Communications Law Journal |date=2013-01-12 |volume=61 |issue=2|url=http://www.fclj.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/12-MYERSFINAL.pdf}}</ref> The response to the project was sufficiently positive that Rusty Hodge launched it as a full-time internet radio station in February 2000.


SomaFM takes its name from Soma, the "perfect pleasure drug" from [[Aldous Huxley]]'s 1932 novel ''[[Brave New World]]'', and the [[South of Market]] neighborhood of San Francisco, known colloquially as SoMa<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://somafm.com/about/|title=SomaFM: About Us|website=somafm.com|access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref>.
SomaFM takes its name from Soma, the "perfect pleasure drug" from [[Aldous Huxley]]'s 1932 novel ''[[Brave New World]]'', and the [[South of Market]] neighborhood of San Francisco, known colloquially as SoMa<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://somafm.com/about/|title=SomaFM: About Us|website=somafm.com|access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref>.

Revision as of 03:54, 2 January 2020

SomaFM
IndustryInternet radio
FoundedFebruary 2000
HeadquartersSan Francisco, CA
Key people
Rusty Hodge, Founder
WebsiteSomaFM.com

SomaFM is an independent Internet-only streaming multi-channel radio station, supported entirely with donations from listeners. SomaFM originally started broadcasting out of founder Rusty Hodge's basement garage in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, as a micropower radio station broadcast at the Burning Man festival in 1999.[1][2][3] The response to the project was sufficiently positive that Rusty Hodge launched it as a full-time internet radio station in February 2000.

SomaFM takes its name from Soma, the "perfect pleasure drug" from Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel Brave New World, and the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, known colloquially as SoMa[4].

History

In May 2002, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel rate ruling came into effect, requiring internet broadcasters to pay a per song per listener royalty to SoundExchange for the performance of the sound recording, retroactively through October 1998[3]. Hodge estimated that the channel could have been forced to pay over $1,000 USD per day to continue operations. The royalty was later reduced by half, but that rate still would require payments by SomaFM that exceeded their revenues.[5]

In June 2002, SomaFM ceased broadcasting. Hodge was one of several webcasters who testified before the U.S. Congress in 2002 in the hopes of reducing the royalty rate.[6][7][1] Subsequently, Congress passed the Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002 (SWSA) on November 15, 2002,[8] which enabled small webcasters to negotiate a lower rate with SoundExchange.[9] SomaFM resumed broadcasting in late November 2002 under this new royalty structure.

In 2005, SomaFM partnered with Orban to begin streaming to 3GPP-compatible mobile devices,[10] becoming one of the first internet broadcasters to support mobile streaming on 3G/EDGE networks.[11] In June 2007, SomaFM participated in the "Internet Radio Day of Silence" in protest of the Copyright Royalty Board's decision at the time to raise royalty fees for internet radio stations.[12] [13]

In January 2013, SomaFM partnered with Aha by Harman International to makes its content available via Aha apps in supported automobile dashboards.[14] In 2014, SomaFM partnered with Qualcomm to include Allplay (part of the AllJoyn open source software framework) for wireless speakers in their mobile apps.[15]

List of channels

Channel Genre/theme Year added
Drone Zone Drone 2000
Groove Salad Downtempo/chillout 2000
Secret Agent Lounge/jazz with a 1960s spy theme 2000
Indie Pop Rocks! Indie pop/indie rock.
cliqhop idm Intelligent dance music 2002
Beat Blender House/downtempo/chillout 2002
Boot Liquor Americana 2003
The Trip Classic trance/progressive trance. Formerly known as Tag's Trip. 2004
Xmas in Frisko Eclectic Christmas-themed music 2005[a]
Space Station Soma Ambient space music 2006
Illinois Street Lounge Vintage Lounge[16] 2006
Doomed Industrial/dark ambient 2006[a]
Sonic Universe Avant-garde jazz 2008
Lush Female-driven vocal downtempo 2008
Digitalis Self-produced indie rock and electronic music 2008
Suburbs of Goa Desi/Arabic-influenced worldbeat 2008
Underground 80s Early 80s British synthpop and new wave. Formerly known as Nu Musik. 2008
Christmas Lounge Christmas-themed lounge music 2008[a]
Mission Control Ambient music mixed with the sounds of NASA's mission broadcasts and live shuttle coverage 2009
PopTron Electropop/dance-rock 2009
Covers Cover songs 2009
Black Rock FM The broadcast for 102.3FM in Black Rock City for the Burning Man Festival 2010[a]
BAGeL Radio Alternative rock/post-punk/indie rock/noise pop. Formerly known as 480 Minutes. 2011
South by Soma Music by artists from the SXSW Festival 2012[a]
SF 10–33 Ambient music mixed with the sounds of San Francisco public safety radio traffic 2012
Dub Step Beyond Dubstep and other bass-driven electronic music 2012
Folk Forward Indie folk, alternate folk 2012
Christmas Rocks! Christmas themed indie/alternative rock 2012[a]
DEF CON Radio Music from DEF CON's chill room, provided by SomaFM 2013
Iceland Airwaves Music by artists from the Iceland Airwaves festival 2013[a]
Deep Space One Deep ambient electronic, experimental, and space music 2013
Seven Inch Soul Classic soul music 2014
Left Coast 70s Mellow album-oriented rock from the 1970s 2015
Fluid Instrumental hip hop/future soul/liquid trap 2015
ThistleRadio Celtic music, was previously broadcast as The Thistle & Shamrock on NPR 2015
Metal Detector Heavy metal 2015
Jolly Ol' Soul Christmas-themed soul music 2015[a]
SomaFM Live Live music[b][17] 2015[18]
Groove Salad Classic Early 2000s downtempo/chillout 2019[19]
Department Store Christmas Christmas-themed beautiful music 2019[a]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Only available seasonally.
  2. ^ Broadcasts live or previously live content from events. Started in 2015, and mainly rebroadcasts SomaFM's live content, including from San Francisco's How Weird Street Faire.

References

  1. ^ a b "Move over, pirate radio from a Bernal Heights garage". June 30, 2004. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  2. ^ Lasar, Matthew (March 14, 2016). Radio 2.0: Uploading the First Broadcast Medium. Praeger. p. 44. ISBN 1440832439.
  3. ^ a b Myers, Kellen (January 12, 2013). "The RIAA, the DMCA, and the Forgotten Few Webcasters: A Call for Change in Digital Copyright Royalties" (PDF). Federal Communications Law Journal. 61 (2).
  4. ^ "SomaFM: About Us". somafm.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  5. ^ "Web radio's last stand". Salon. March 26, 2002. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  6. ^ "- COPYRIGHT ROYALTIES: WHERE IS THE RIGHT SPOT ON THE DIAL FOR WEBCASTING?". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "Testimony of Mr. Don Henley". United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. May 15, 2002. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  8. ^ "Senate, House Pass Bill To End Webcasting Crisis". Archived from the original on February 3, 2010. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  9. ^ "Notification of Agreement Under the Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002". United States Copyright Office. December 24, 2002. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  10. ^ "NET RADIO BROADCASTING TO CELL PHONES INCREASING". Hypebot. June 23, 2005. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  11. ^ "StreamGuys in Affiliation with Coding Technologies and Orban are now Supplying High-Quality MPEG aacPlus Streaming Services for Listeners Using Winamp and Real Player". www.businesswire.com. September 13, 2004. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  12. ^ Jake Ward (June 25, 2007). "The Sounds of Silence Will be Heard By Millions" (PDF). SaveNetRadio. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  13. ^ "The Sounds of Silence Will Be Heard by Millions". PR Newswire. June 25, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  14. ^ Murphy, Hillary (January 7, 2013). "Aha by HARMANTM Becomes Even More Musical with Addition of AccuRadio, Deezer, Rdio and SomaFM". New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  15. ^ Hollister, Sean (January 6, 2014). "Qualcomm's AllPlay music streaming attracts Panasonic, iHeartRadio, and Altec Lansing". The Verge. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  16. ^ "SomaFM: Illinois Street Lounge: Classic bachelor pad, playful exotica and vintage music of tomorrow". March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  17. ^ "SomaFM: SomaFM Live". March 2, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  18. ^ "SomaFM: SomaFM Live". September 12, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  19. ^ "SomaFM: Groove Salad Classic". March 3, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
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