SoundExchange Reporting Blog

Wow – it seems like we just finished up gathering data for the Q4 2009 SoundExchange reports. But don’t look now, because just five weeks from this Friday – that’s Friday, April 9, 2010 – is the deadline to get Public Interactive your Q1 2010 SoundExchange reporting data!

Here, again, are the basics, which hopefully folks are getting familiar with:

1. All reporting data must come from within Q1 2010, that is between the dates of January 1 – March 31, 2010.

2. Playlist log files that meet our formatting requirements are required from all stations that are not PI Composer Pro clients. Also, streaming log files are required from all stations that do not host their streams through Public Interactive.

3. Any data files that need to be provided to PI should be uploaded to us using Composer Pro or Basic. To do that, go to Upload Playlists/Streaming Logs under SoundExchange Dashboard in the global navigation.

4. Every station that doesn’t report on the full quarter must specify the start dates of their two chosen reporting weeks using the SoundExchange Dashboard in Composer Pro/Basic. To do that go to View Reports under SoundExchange Dashboard in the global navigation then click on Edit Report Dates for Q1 for each of your streams. Then uncheck the Disregard dates and use full quarter instead check box and use the date drop downs to specify the two starting dates of your chosen reporting weeks.

5. If your station streams Classical 24 you must enter or update the guide information in Composer Pro/Basic for each stream to properly reflect when you streamed C24 during your reporting period, so that we can integrate those playlists into your reports. To do that go to Create/Edit Program Guide under Program Guide Composer in the global navigation. NOTE: When adding the Classical 24 program in your guide, be sure to set the Program Format to Classical: C24.

If you have already uploaded files to us and have not yet confirmed with me that we got them and they are in the correct format LET ME KNOW! Call or email me and I will verify whether we received your files and if the formatting is correct.

If you are not a Composer Pro client of ours and do not yet have your Composer Basic login, let me know and I will give that to you.

Finally, not many folks have weighed in on what they might like to learn from all this data that we’re collecting for SoundExchange reporting. We’d like to be able to give back and share information with the system, but we need your input! Take a look at this post and add your ideas as a comment.

Onward!

After several weeks of drowning in data files, crunching untold numbers and consuming enough coffee to raise the GNP of Colombia a few points, we have officially generated and delivered reports to SoundExchange for Q4 2009! Thanks to all who got us data – or at least tried to. Thanks to your efforts we were able to report on 227 stations covering 300 streams, a roughly 30% percent increase in both over the Q3 SX reports!

If you didn’t deliver your Q4 data to us, but do have it – hold on to it! We currently don’t have a procedure for submitting reports after the delivery date. We may at some point be able to accept it and generate reports after the fact, but for now just keep it in a safe place in case PI – or SoundExchange – asks for it.

As good as the response was for Q4, there are still lots of you stations that haven’t reported. Please please please plan to start doing so for Q1 2010. If you don’t start complying, bad things will happen. I’m not sure what those things are or when they will commence but yes, indeed, they will, sooner or later.

On our end, we’re already planning on starting work for the next round of reports by making the SoundExchange Dashboard component of Composer Basic/Pro more user friendly, and by finally starting to collect data from syndicated shows, starting with the biggies (NPR, PRI, APM music shows). Be sure to keep checking back here for information on that end of things.

On a different note, next week I will be attending the PRIMA conference in New Orleans (Who Dat?), and will be leading a session on – what else? – SoundExchange reporting. That session will be at 9:00am on Friday, and will include Mike Riksen, NPR’s VP of Policy and Representation. If you’re attending, be sure to load up on coffee and beignets beforehand and bring your SX reporting questions!

Finally, for those wondering, the deadline to get us your reporting data for Q1 2010 (covering January 1 – March 31) will be Friday, April 9, 2010. Of course, you don’t need to wait until the last minute to give us your data. I encourage everyone to get us your data as soon as your reporting weeks are over!!! The sooner you get it to us, the sooner we can validate that you gave us what we need, fix any problems and generally get it out of the way.

As a reminder, data should now be submitted to us using either Composer Pro or Composer Basic (well, vendors can still submit data to us on your behalf via FTP). If you are not a Public Interactive Composer Pro client and have not received a login to Composer Basic for data submission, please contact me and I will give your station’s login.

Many of you already know this – or should know this – but the deadline to submit your station’s Q4 2009 SoundExchange reporting data to Public Interactive is two days away – Friday, January 15, 2010!

We’re up to our eyes, ears, noses and throats here already in Q4 data from stations (thanks to everyone who has already submitted their data!) but there are still a lot of you from whom we haven’t heard – so let’s get that data to us!

Here one more time, for the record, are the reporting particulars:

1. All reporting data must come from within Q4 2009, that is between the dates of October 1 – December 31, 2009.

2. Playlist log files that meet our formatting requirements are required from all stations that are not PI Composer Pro clients. Also, streaming log files are required from all stations that do not host their streams through Public Interactive.

3. Composer Basic users must accept the Terms of Service before we can officially accept your data and generate reports.

4. Every station (both Composer Pro and Basic users) must specify the start dates of their two chosen reporting weeks using the SoundExchange Dashboard in Composer Pro or Basic.

5. All stations that stream Classical 24 must enter or update the guide information in Composer Pro/Basic for each stream to properly reflect when you streamed C24 during your reporting period, so that we can integrate those playlists into your reports.

6. You should upload your data to Public Interactive using the SoundExchange Dashboard screens in Composer Pro or Basic. If you are not a Composer Pro client of PI and have not yet received a login to Composer Basic contact me and I’ll send you your login.

If you have already uploaded files to us and have not yet confirmed with me that we got them and they are in the correct format LET ME KNOW ASAP! Call or email me and I will verify whether we received your files and if the formatting is correct.

That is all for now.

A new year has begun which, aside from meaning that we’re all little bit older (as my kids enjoy reminding me of frequently), also means that anther calendar quarter has ended for which SoundExchange reporting data are soon due.

What better way to begin a new year than by meeting legal requirements? I don’t know about you but nothing better comes to mind for me.

As you should know by now, the mechanics of reporting to SoundExchange through PI changed a bit from Q3 to Q4, mainly with the release of Composer Basic (and the renamed and revamped Composer Pro for our previous Composer clients). Here are the main points to keep in mind:

1. All reporting data from Q4 2009 (that is data from between the dates of October 1 – December 31, 2009) must be in the required format and submitted to Public Interactive  by COB Friday January 15, 2010, in order for us to guarantee that we can generate and submit reports to SoundExchange on your station’s behalf.

2. Playlist log files that meet our formatting requirements are required from all stations that are not PI Composer Pro clients. Also, streaming log files are required from all stations that do not host their streams through Public Interactive.

3. Composer Basic users must accept the Terms of Service before we can officially accept your data and generate reports.

4. Every station (both Composer Pro and Basic users) must specify their chosen reporting dates using the SoundExchange Dashboard in Composer Pro or Basic.

5. Stations that stream Classical 24 – again whether you are a Composer Pro or Basic user – must  update the guide information for each of your streams in Composer to properly reflect when you streamed C24 during your reporting period, so that we can integrate those playlists into your reports. IMPORTANT NOTE: When adding the Classical 24 program in your guide, be sure to set the Program Format to Classical: C24.

All stations that have registered with Public Interactive for SoundExchange reporting should now have a login to either Composer Pro or Composer Basic. If you do not, contact me and I’ll send you your login.

If you have already uploaded files to us, whether via FTP or Composer Pro/Basic and have not yet confirmed with me that we got them and they are in the correct format LET ME KNOW ASAP! We’re still working out the kinks in the new tools and don’t want anybody to fall through the cracks.

OK, let’s all start the year by being fully compliant! Thanks as always for your efforts.

I trust that everybody had a great Thanksgiving. I sure did! The last of the turkey leftovers was eaten last night. Always a sad moment when the bird is gone for good.

Speaking of turkeys, SoundExchange Q4 reporting data, as many of you know, is due to us here at Public Interactive by Friday January 15, 2010.

Here, again, are the relevant points to keep in mind:

1. Unless I have already told you otherwise, choose two 7-day consecutive periods within the quarter (October 1 – December 31, 2009) to report on. To repeat, your reporting data must must must be completely contained within Q4 or we cannot include it!

2. For each song streamed, the following information is required (yes, it is all required): song title, featured artist(s), album title, marketing label, start date and time, and EITHER end date and time OR duration of play.

3. Stations that are not Public Interactive Composer clients must submit a playlist log that matches our playlist file formatting requirements. Playlist files that do not match this format cannot be processed by us and will be rejected.

4. Stations that do not have their streams hosted by Public Interactive must submit streaming access logs that cover the chosen reporting period. Playlist logs alone are not sufficient; without streaming access logs (not aggregate usage statistics) we cannot generate reports on your station’s behalf.

This information should be old hat to many of you by now. Now, on to some new and exciting information!

This week we have begun rolling out changes to our Composer product to make data transfer, and managing of SoundExchange reporting information, easier. This involves two things:

1. Existing Public Interactive Composer clients were all upgraded earlier this week to Composer Pro! What is Pro? It’s the same Composer Program Guide and Playlist tools (with a new look), plus the new SoundExchange Dashboard. The Dashboard allows you to manage your contact and stream information with us for SX reporting, upload streaming log files (if your streams are not hosted with us), specify your quarterly reporting periods and access completed reports that we generate and submit to SX on your behalf.

If you haven’t already, please check out the Dashboard, review your contact and stream information and generally get familiar with it. An updated Composer Pro User Guide is also now available, detailing the changes.

2. A beta version of Composer Basic is now being shared with a handful of stations that are not PI clients. What is Basic? It includes the Composer Program Guide tool, for fletting us know what syndicated programming you stream, plus the new SoundExchange Dashboard. The Dashboard allows you to manage your contact and stream information with us for SX reporting, upload playlist and streaming log files, specify your quarterly reporting periods and access completed reports that we generate and submit to SX on your behalf.

This is the tool that the rest of you will use going forward which has a guide input tool to manage your weekly schedules, for the purpose of letting us know what syndicated programming you stream, as well as the SoundExchange Dashboard, which you will use to manage your contact and stream information with us for SX reporting, upload playlist and streaming log files, specify your quarterly reporting periods and access completed reports that we generate and submit to SX on your behalf.

If you’ve been lucky (or unlucky, depending on your point of view) enough to have been picked for beta testing, we appreciate your feedback and help!

We hope to make Composer Basic available to all stations who have registered with the CPB and PI for SoundExchange reporting in the next two weeks, so be on the lookout for an email from us with your login and connection instructions.

Thanks to those early bird stations that have already submitted their Q4 data, and to everyone for being patient with us as we build out these tools.