The board, which Congress created in 2004 to replace a widely criticized predecessor, has tackled a number of challenges faced by the music industry in its short tenure. That includes one crucial rate-setting, which kicked off on Monday [read more in Technology Daily's PM Edition].

Judges James Sledge, William Roberts and Stanley Wisniewski have navigated a number of proceedings involving digital distribution services, music labels, publishers and songwriters, with an astonishingly small administrative and legal staff and, until recently, a temporary hearing room.

The CRB's new digs aren't too bad -- with bright lights, modern tables and chairs and fresh, white paint on the walls. One problem, however, is that the acoustics in the space couldn’t be worse. "This room is designed to have a sound system," Sledge said at the outset of Monday's hearing. "Let me know if you find it."