this is a machine that delivers content to many cafes and venue spaces around the Netherlands. What makes this system more evil than the regular content that comes via Buma/stemra is that if i go into the space that has this system, they are not able to play my cd. Although they have cd player the player only plays content that is coded for that system. The reality of this system seems that the venue pays a lower license fee to play content only out of this streaming network. The system is linked to a central provider.
This system is a loose loose system for Europe. On one hand the large publishers and labels are not getting revenues that previously was available when more recordings and cd’s and dvd’s were pressed. The result is that prices for use of content for public performance has increased. A good example form Australia is a local bondi gym. The gym used to pay a license fee of 1500 dollars per year. APRA the rights organization in Australia put the price of content upto 5 dollars per member per year. This represented an increase in cost of 35000 dollars. So what does this all this mean. Well as the price of content goes up for use of all content, spaces are going to turn to these black boxs that shall pay 100 percent popular content. Imagine that if an artist brings a cd into this venue that venue is not able to play it as it does not have a license to do so. Scary future.
