I'm Samantha Murphy.  I sing and write songs for a living.  I want you to support me as the new Executive Director of SoundExchange.

Most artists aren't aware that SoundExchange has been given the right to collect all royalty payments from online and satellite radio sources.  Regardless of whether you've signed with them or not.  Unlike BMI and ASCAP, they have no competitor.  The government has declared SoundExchange the sole collectors of all payments owed to artists and copyright holders.

Many artists agree that, in practice, SoundExchange has been a disaster.  SoundExchange claims to not be able to find 20% of the artists they represent.  This doesn't even include the thousands of artists they don't represent, but have been collecting money for for the last 10 years.  Questions about money owed to us are buried and ignored.   Earlier this year, SoundExchange even announced a balance of $200 million in outstanding royalties.  This money belongs to us.

For too long, artists have relied on others to make sure we are paid the money we need to live. But now we are living in a new age.  It's time for artists to take control of our careers, our finances and our lives.  We need a transparent organization controlled by us, not by major record labels who have never had our best interest in mind.

If I become president of SoundExchange, here is my commitment to you.  I promise to create a transparent organization, where we are open and honest with what we are doing with your money.  I promise we will spare no effort in locating every musician that we are obligated to pay. And I promise that I will make SoundExchange finally work, so that musicians like you and me get what we are owed.

If you agree that SoundExchange needs to start working for artists like us, please sign my petition here.  I look forward to your support.