28 March 2008
ASCAP demands $1000 from a small non-profit art gallery in Baltimore. Actually, it wasn't really a concert; it was more of a performance-art piece by Lee Connah involving "old recycled objects" and the playing of vintage vinyl records. ASCAP demands big money from a mostly world music non-ASCAP club. But the club gets caught playing a Madonna record one night and ... pays up. And as usual, all the money that ASCAP takes in it gives to artists that show ... more...
6 February 2008
"Songfile" can be used by musicians who plan to make and distribute 2,500 copies or less of their recordings to obtain the necessary licenses for cover versions of songs. Licenses can be obtained for CDs, cassettes, LPs, or permanent digital downloads (DPDs). Customers can create an account with the Songfile service, search HFA’s catalog of almost 1.9 million songs, and complete their mechanical licensing transaction in minutes. Royalties are calculated at the statutory mechanical rate (currently 9.1¢ per copy for ... more...
4 August 2007
CD sales have collapsed. Live shows, touring and merchandise income are robust. Prices for concerts are way up. Elton John charged a record $690 for top seats in Las Vegas. Gerd Leonhard, a music business consultant, predicts that by 2010, recorded music sales will make up only 30 per cent of a successful label's revenues. The rest will be generated by artists' extra-musical brand extensions. Like those $20 T-shirts. "Record sales as we know them are in long-term decline," says ... more...
3 July 2007
"Everyone always focuses on the grand slam, but that's not a sustainable way to build an industry," Klein said. "There's a focus on licensing a tiny percentage of the catalog in a very complex way with prices in the stratosphere that have no basis in reality to a small number of people ... We want to simplify the process." I thought Pump looked pretty good. Good enough for Getty to buy them. The big music players are desperately trying to ... more...
21 January 2007
The world's independent music sector, which has produced such artists as the Arctic Monkeys, has grouped together to launch an agency to secure licensing deals with emerging media such as MySpace and YouTube. This in regards to those special licensing deals eg. with MySpace and YouTube. ASCAP/BMI doesn't apply to them, film/TV style sync rights don't apply to them — its a new form of media, and the major labels have struck up direct deals these large companies (trying to ... more...
20 September 2006
This small article notes that licensing is a complicated and annoying process and how completely inappropriate it is for the kind of mass internet media events we are entering into. As she notes, the computer technology to bill anything is trivial, but the laws and business practices are a mess. There is money being made through advertising and yet the music licensing is not being paid simply because the procedure for payment is obsolete and ill-defined. And so the artists ... more...
18 August 2006
Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (Society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights) http://www.gema.de/ This is the German [[Royalty Organization|RoyaltyOrganizations]], collecting performance royalties for radio,TV, bar, club and online performances. The GEMA makes no profit: all earnings minus administrative costs are payed to domestic and international authors whose works were performed. Monitoring of the German airwaves is excellent (for [[Performance Royalties]], and non-German authors can expect to actually see money sent via GEMA to their own organization (BMI ... more...
8 July 2006
In Scotland for the T in the Park festival, Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith lashes out at U2 and Black Eyed Peas for licensing their music to iPod commercials. Smith, 44, admitted that the decline of traditional radio stations has forced bands to consider new ways to promote their music, but that commercials shouldn't be the way to do it. "A lot of rock radio stations are gone so you have to find new avenues to get your music ... more...
23 June 2006
Licensing music for use in TV shows is a major new avenue for artists. ...even a middlebrow soap such as “One Tree Hill” has a far more varied playlist than the vast majority of FM radio stations. “TV is now driving radio,” Though television soundtracks don’t offer the massive payouts that top bands can get from ad campaigns, TV shows don’t carry the “sellout” baggage that ads sometimes do. More importantly, the best programs offer the kind of emotional engagement ... more...
9 June 2006
The music industry has a desperately slow and difficult licensing system. Its getting harder too, as copyright holders try to get as much money as they can to protect themselves against the loss of income from piracy. The mobile industry is clearly ready for digital music. It remains to be seen whether the music industry is. The music licensing regime arguably isn't. One song comes with a multitude of licenses for performance rights, broadcast, reproduction, etc, and the rights can ... more...
11 August 2005
When a song (in any recorded form) is licensed for TV, film, games, ringtones. Even a small 10 second usage in a major TV show will result in a lot more money than you can make just selling the record. There are two rights ("sides") that need to be licensed: Master-use licenseThe right to use the recording.Synchronization RightsThe right to use the song (in any recorded form). If you are the song writer and self-published (which you are by default) ... more...
5 December 2004
http://www.nmpa.org/hfa/faq_synch.html (harry fox agency) A written authorization to use recorded music in combination with visual images (" synchronization") such as music in films, TV, videos, computer programs, web sites, etc. This can be really big money ! A commercial or even 10 little seconds in a movie can generate more money than selling 3000 copies of the damn record. Synchronization rights are often specified in the((Recording Contracts%. The Film Music Store and Film Music magazine are pleased to offer free ... more...
