Even though Radio Calico is a free service, it is important to us that everyone is fairly compensated for the music we play.

Every time we play a song, we keep track of how many people are listening at that moment, and we report that data to all of the performance rights organizations (PRO’s) that represent the labels, performers, and songwriters. We then pay royalties to all of these organizations to make sure every song we play results in someone getting a little bit of cash for the work they did to entertain us and our listeners.

In the United States, it’s a complicated process – we have to deal individually with ASCAP, BMI, SoundExchange, Global Music Rights, and Alltrack, and it involves a lot of complex data analysis and reporting. That’s why although there are a lot of Internet radio stations out there, there aren’t a lot of US-based stations playing popular music. It’s hard to do, at least legally.

But that’s the point; rest assured everything here is above-board. We’re complying with all the relevant laws (we hired a lawyer to make sure) and are paying everyone the royalties they deserve. Listening to Radio Calico isn’t just free, it’s also guilt-free!