File-Swapping and Copyrights

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 6 Feb 2003 11:10 am

chas wrote:

Unless I'm mistaken, digital radio is MP3 quality, which is a lower quality then CD. Even though they pay a lower royalty than terrestrial radio, at least they pay something.

Lower than zero? Radio doesn't pay royalties to the record companies or performers, just to the songwriters.

Why would the songwriting royalty be different depending on the sound quality? That makes no sense to me. The songwriting royalty should depend on the size of the listening audience, not the quality of the performance.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 06 February 2003 at 11:22 AM.]

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 6 Feb 2003 11:44 am

Now that I reread it, it doesn't make any sense to me either....

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 6 Feb 2003 12:14 pm

Do you have to pay the writer if you play the song so badly that no one recognizes it?

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 6 Feb 2003 8:28 pm

Only if you're dumb enough to tell everybody what song it's supposed to be

Tom Olson · Post by **Tom Olson** » 6 Feb 2003 8:38 pm

Bobby Lee -- is it true that radio never is obligated to pay royalties to the copyright owner of the sound recording and only to the author? If that were true, then it would follow that anyone could broadcast recordings of traditional songs all day long without paying any royalty. I don't know much about it -- I'm just curious. It would seem to me that the owner of the sound recording copyright (even if it's not the author or performer) would have a right to charge royalties for broadcast of the sound recording (and public performance as well). Like I said, I don't know for sure, I'm just curious.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 9 Feb 2003 6:42 pm

When a song gets airplay, the radio station pays the affiliated performance rights organization, (ASCAP, BMI etc.) They in turn, pay the songwriter and the publisher.

A song we had on KLOS (LA) paid the songwriter, and me (Willowgate Music) as the publisher. We both recieved seperate checks from BMI.

Ken Lang
Willowgate Music

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 9 Feb 2003 7:38 pm

The fact that more blank cd's were sold last year than recorded cd's says something.

Well, from my point of view, it says two things. First, we are supposed to feel sorry for all the poor multi-million dollar recording companies (they don't give a damn about the "little guys" you're defending...and never will). Secondly, that statistic is really meaningless...since all recorded CD's start with a "blank" CD! (Didn't think we'd catch that one, did you, Mr. Recording Co. executive)!

Statistics, well...you can make them say anything you want, and here's one...

The "hottest" CD last year...was the same as the year before. More copies of this CD were made and distributed than all of Shania's, The Dixie Chicks, and Tim McGraw...combined!

That's right.

And...all of these CD's weren't sold...they were given away!

Yep...AOL wins the "Most CD's Produced" award...again. I get one a week in my mailbox, and the local discount stores have barrels of them at every entrance. But, I've never heard of one being "pirated"...I wonder why?