Cohen

We recently announced that the webcasting industry's foremost expert on legal and royalty issues David Oxenford would moderate the RAIN Summit West panel "The Song Plays On" (in RAIN here). Oxenford and his panel will discuss current issues regarding Internet radio royalties -- from the viewpoints of services, copyright owners, and creators alike.

Joining David will be Ted Cohen (top right), Managing Partner, TAG Strategic, a digital consulting firm for the entertainment, technology, and mobile industries whose clients include the UK's Amazing Radio and Canadian Music Week. Cohen helped craft the licensing agreements that made the Rhapsody subscription service and the iTunes Music Store possible. He formerly served as SVP/Digital Development & Distribution for EMI Music and EVP of Digital Music Network Inc.

Like Ted, SomaFM GM & Program Director Rusty Hodge (left) is familiar to many RAIN readers and RAIN Summit attendees. Rusty first worked in radio in the Los Angeles area, but was soon developing software for broadcasters, multimedia, and founding Hodge Interactive to put radio and TV stations on the web. He first experimented with online radio in 1995, then officially launched SomaFM.com in February, 2000. The listener-supported service boasts over 20 expertly-curated channels of music, and streams over 5.8 million listener-hours a month. SomaFM also offers podcasts -- one recent podcast that may be of industry interest is a discussion on the new financial realities of the digital streaming music business and how to improve indie artists' situation (in two segments, here and here).

Also joining the discussion will be Brad Prendergast (bottom right), who is Senior Counsel for Licensing & Enforcement with SoundExchange. SoundExchange is the recording industry body that collects and distributes most royalties webcasters (and others that make digital performances of copyright sound recordings) pay. Prendergast works to ensure licensees are in compliance with the terms of their licenses. He's a gradutate of the University of Virginia School of Law and Notre Dame.

RAIN Summit West is Sunday, April 7 in Las Vegas. The annual full-day Internet radio conference is a co-located education program of the NAB Show. Now in its 12th year, the Summit focuses on the intersection of radio and the Internet. Keynoting the even will be RAB president and CEO Erica Farber (more in RAIN here) and Rhapsody International president Jon Irwin (more here). Register today, while flights and hotels are still readily available, via the RAIN Summit West page.

Amazing Media runs Amazingtunes.com, where independent musicians can upload and sell their music and keep 70% of the retail price. To promote the music, Amazing founder Paul Campbell (left) started Amazing Radio, a digital (DAB) and online radio station, in 2009. From that project came Amazing Instore, Campbell's service that customizes background music for more than a thousand shops and restaurants in the U.K.

Here's something else unique about Amazing in this space: it's profitable. Campbell's company is on track to clear $3 million in profits this year.

Now, not only is Campbell reportedly meeting with retail and restaurant chains here in the U.S., CNet reveals he's working towards acquiring a terrestrial radio outlet in this country in the coming months. ("He won't share details about his plans for a U.S. radio station, other than saying it will launch either in Boston, New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles.")

Campbell spoke at RAIN Summit West in Las Vegas in April. The panel on which Campbell spoke was moderated by industry veteran Ted Cohen (right), who Campbell has brought on to forge deals for Amazing with U.S. companies like AOL, Yahoo, and others. Campbell and company are looking for $30 million to fund the expansion, and are reportedly talking with VC firms like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Mayfield Partners.

Read more in CNet here and Hypebot here.