I really don't know which side I am on (I am a performer and composer). Perhaps I support the performers, but it is a tossup as to who performed on what when and where. Composer is *always* listed.


Composers are getting royalties. Performers are getting paid for their performances.



When someone produces an album, let's take a 50's fake band, hired musician album. The producers pick musicians, hire them for money. They pick songs and get them released for play by the composers (if it is the first time they are being released by mechanical means(recording)). The producers take the risk of paying for all of these things and then create the album and sell it. They, hopefully, make their money back and for every sale the mechanical rights go to the composer, same with the broadcasting rights.


So in my case, the performers already got paid. They left the studio with cash in hand. The producers took the risk, the composers also. So who deserves the profits? Sure, I feel for these performers that were exploited, but they were adults and able to make their own decisions, they chose money up front!




Another case (better example):

Frank Zappa wants the London Philharmonic to play his music. He pays for practices, he pays for the performances, he pays for everything (recording ,etc) costing him millions. Frank produces the recording, pays for it to be duplicated, and takes all of the risk. During the negotiation process the orchestra demanded royalties and Zappa was enraged, and I can see why. (from memory of his autobiography)


Why the fuck should these asshats in the London Symphony get royalties from this album?

I don't want to sound like a supporter of big radio or anything.  I am a fan of the medium, but the big-wigs who have ran the show have really run it into the ground the last couple of years.

However, what I don't like about this is the assumption that the personalities on radio are not considered performers as well.  Just like musicians, some radio performers are talented and some are not.  I think it's ridiculous and a bit prejudiced to assume that radio performers (DJ's, hosts, etc.) are not "artists" in their own right.  It's a matter of taste, really.  If something like this was going to go through it will ultimately make the radio talent suffer.

"Louie Louie" was written by Richard Berry in 1955, and covered by Jack Ely and the Kingsman.

Oops, got it.. did not read the last line of the first paragraph. 

I gave up on commercial radio many, many years ago. Somehow they have found a way to make it worse. I contribute to public radio station, really enjoy internet radio and love Pandora Radio for it is a great  way to hear the music you like and be introduced to music you have never heard. No commercials and the bands get a small royalty per play.

Swan, You are right that Pandora pays the performers, but this was a very recent court decision.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/pandora-now-pushing-radio-to-pay-for-music-too.ars

Swan, so should the London Symphony get royalties for Frank Zappa's record of his music?

payola.

Maybe zra is saying that they should go back to a payola system.

stroke me stroke me