Deutsche Welle asks in light of the new GVL fee schedules: Goodbye, web radio? I certainly see the need for compensating artists. But what service is the GVL doing for artists when it destroys part of their market by raising fees? Especially the small web radios are known for often playing rarely heard artists.
What also bothers me about this: the fee increase comes without any form of improvement or expansion - quite the opposite, conditions are being restricted, the price raised. Paying more for less service.
So the GVL shouldn't be surprised at negative criticism, because that's normally what you call cartel abuse, price gouging, or rip-off.