Did you realize that Pandora is again trying to get your music for free. So is YouTube and other media giants. The rates they pay right now are ridiculously low because they take PROs to rate court and win low rates. The Recording Academy and ASCAP have both introduced measure to congress and have successfully lobbied and fought in the halls of congress to prevent passage of bills that would devastate the music industry.
You can say no to Pandora. You do not have to license your music to Pandora for use of your songs. If you do not issue a license and you own the song, they are in violation of copyright laws. Now lets get into some recent news about some major broadcasters paying performance royalties to artists. I applaud this measure, because it is a step in the right direction. But, it does not protect or compensate the songwriter. Paying an artist for a performance only works if you perform your own songs. What about that magical phrase "I got a cut with ..."? You got a cut which gives you credibility as a writer, but what money do you get. Well, if they sell you CD at concerts, and are legitimate business people that properly track sales, you get your writer's portion of the CD sales and iTunes downloads at 9.1 cents. What about when they go get 10,000 CDs pressed and give them away to promote attending their concert where they get paid and you don't? What about free downloads to fans they post on their website and radio plays? What do you get?
I see paying the artist for the performance and not paying the writer as tantamount to the state sending child support payments for your children to somebody that rents property from you. Yes, that sounds harsh, but think about it. They have paid a license to use your song, but they can use your song to produce millions of dollars a year in revenue from concerts and merch sales, but the writer gets nothing. Didn't you sit down and create the idea and sweat over creating scratch recording then pay for studio time or sit and make your own top bin recording? Don't you deserve to get some of the pie?
Saying no to Pandora is just a start. Get involved with a PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SEASAC. Joing Grammy 365 is a good step. Send letters to you representatives in Washington, but most of all, get involved. These slick executives are taking advantage of songwriters, especially independent songwriters. It is like herding cats. Songwriters like to concentrate on the creative, but normally get cut out on the business side of the industry. Hey, it is your business, but now you know where I stand.
I testified for congress on a video interview at the ASCAP Expo, and I stood up for my rights. I made things a little personal to Washington by making this case. If I built a website and allowed people to read Barack Obama's book free of charge, all I would do is get banner ad money to support the site. In a very short period of time, I would be arrested, put in jail, face criminal and civil penalties, and my website would be shut down. Why is this so? The publishers of his book have lobbyist and lawyers to look after their interests and are quick to use all of the remedies of copyright law. Record companies and large music publishers also do the same thing looking out for their catalog. Don't expect them to look out for your interests also, after all, you are competing with their artists for share of fans wallet.
I challenge each person that reads this blog to get involved, understand the copyright laws, and look at legislation that pertains to music. Again, it is your business!
Roger
You can say no to Pandora. You do not have to license your music to Pandora for use of your songs. If you do not issue a license and you own the song, they are in violation of copyright laws. Now lets get into some recent news about some major broadcasters paying performance royalties to artists. I applaud this measure, because it is a step in the right direction. But, it does not protect or compensate the songwriter. Paying an artist for a performance only works if you perform your own songs. What about that magical phrase "I got a cut with ..."? You got a cut which gives you credibility as a writer, but what money do you get. Well, if they sell you CD at concerts, and are legitimate business people that properly track sales, you get your writer's portion of the CD sales and iTunes downloads at 9.1 cents. What about when they go get 10,000 CDs pressed and give them away to promote attending their concert where they get paid and you don't? What about free downloads to fans they post on their website and radio plays? What do you get?
I see paying the artist for the performance and not paying the writer as tantamount to the state sending child support payments for your children to somebody that rents property from you. Yes, that sounds harsh, but think about it. They have paid a license to use your song, but they can use your song to produce millions of dollars a year in revenue from concerts and merch sales, but the writer gets nothing. Didn't you sit down and create the idea and sweat over creating scratch recording then pay for studio time or sit and make your own top bin recording? Don't you deserve to get some of the pie?
Saying no to Pandora is just a start. Get involved with a PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SEASAC. Joing Grammy 365 is a good step. Send letters to you representatives in Washington, but most of all, get involved. These slick executives are taking advantage of songwriters, especially independent songwriters. It is like herding cats. Songwriters like to concentrate on the creative, but normally get cut out on the business side of the industry. Hey, it is your business, but now you know where I stand.
I testified for congress on a video interview at the ASCAP Expo, and I stood up for my rights. I made things a little personal to Washington by making this case. If I built a website and allowed people to read Barack Obama's book free of charge, all I would do is get banner ad money to support the site. In a very short period of time, I would be arrested, put in jail, face criminal and civil penalties, and my website would be shut down. Why is this so? The publishers of his book have lobbyist and lawyers to look after their interests and are quick to use all of the remedies of copyright law. Record companies and large music publishers also do the same thing looking out for their catalog. Don't expect them to look out for your interests also, after all, you are competing with their artists for share of fans wallet.
I challenge each person that reads this blog to get involved, understand the copyright laws, and look at legislation that pertains to music. Again, it is your business!
Roger
