Live365 (and Radio Dupree) shuts down!

Live365 has closed down. That means around 5 000 online stations - including Radio Dupree - has gone silent.

To be perfectly honest we haven't stayed on top of the news and we've seen no information in our mail from the company (*), but what's happened is basically this:

The licensing royalties set by the U.S. government’s Copyright Royalty Board announced new rates in mid December with streaming rates being raised by 20%.

Just before New Year's the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009 expired and there was no word from SoundExchange which collects royalties on behalf of record labels, about a renewal or new negotiations. So the law that had protected low-revenue stations with a special way of calculating below-market rates was no more.

All of the above made live365's business modeluntenable.

Live365 laid off most of its staff and lost its investors at the end of last year. And January 31, 2016 was the last day the webcaster station platform was online.

Now there's this short message and links to alternatives for all listeners and broadcasters that used live365:

"Seventeen sweet years ago, it was something of a revolution to let
anyone launch their own station. Anyone with something to say or play.
Live365 provided the tools. Their talent brought the audience.

We were one of the first. Happy we are not the last.

The spirit of 300+ employees over the years, our hundred thousand
webcasters, and their hundred million dedicated listeners lives on.

THANK YOU for being here."

So what about Radio Dupree? We're pondering the situation. An update will follow in a few days.

-- Neb & Siggy

(*) Apparently some broadcasters got mail information from live365 a couple of weeks ago, but Radio Dupree's mailbox did not.  Here's a quote from the mail that live365 sent to broadcasters:

“We are sad that we are closing our doors at the end of this month. There are always possibilities that we can come back in one form or another, but at this point in time, January 31, 2016 is the last day that Live365’s streaming servers and website will be maintained and supported.”

More on this over on RAIN News.