Recently, a friend and I were discussing “the business of music”,…a topic he and I are very much interested in as both he and my son are in the business of making music - not just any music, but great music! I would like to invite you to listen to his and my son’s contributions to the “music world“ if you have not heard them before. (They are awesome writers, singers, producers and players of music - you won‘t be disappointed). I know many of you have already heard some of their works… take a listen to their new stuff. He and my son have been in the business for many years, each one at a different phase within the industry. My friend has been fortunate enough to have had several “Number One” hit singles, songs sung by some very famous artists. My son has less years in the profession, but has been in the business of making music since age 9 and was recently “signed” as a singer/songwriter.
I am very proud of both of them for what they have accomplished and I look forward to what they will continue to produce in the business in the coming years as they both love their professions and want to continue to write and sing good music. It can be a lucrative business venture, especially when they have their works aired on the radio, TV, and other sites which play music.
I’m sure you have heard of the singer who has become an “overnight” singing sensation after the release of a “number one hit song” written by a songwriter. Both singer and songwriter become instant millionaires and from then on life is easy…right? Rarely, if ever, does this happen overnight; most of the time it takes years and years to hone their craft, even then they are not guaranteed success or fame. Eventually a handful of songwriters become rich and famous and are able to support their families full time in the business. However, for the vast majority of songwriters, becoming successful all too often is merely a fleeting dream. Others, the successful ones, who make it to a position from which they can support their families, do so by receiving royalties from the sale of their songs. Each time their song is played, the songwriter receives a royalty payment; at least that is how it is supposed to work. Royalty payments, in very general terms, equate to pennies per song per time played. Over the years, artists have been receiving less of the true royalties while each year music listeners are increasing in numbers. How can that be possible? To give you a hint…think about the internet.
If you are not in the music business and know little of its inner workings, let me be the first to tell you, it’s a tough business to break into and achieve success, believe me!
I have often heard it said, “for every good singer/songwriter in Nashville who makes it in the business, there are 10,000 just as good, who do not make it”. Walk around Nashville and you will meet all of them at one time or another…they are fast order cooks, waiters/waitresses, cab drivers, yard workers, clerks, on the street, in the streets, in bars, behind bars, etc. I have seen them all!
So where am I going with this…? Well, as my friend and I were talking, our discussion moved into the area of royalties and how much, or in fact how little, artists are compensated for their hard work over the years and how much things have changed when it comes to the eventual payment of royalties. The term “eventual payment” is another subject which entails all the hands that are paid prior to the songwriter receiving a share.
The term “pay for play” fits nicely now into this topic. In my time, I went to a juke box, put in a quarter and played what I wanted to hear; today, turn on the radio and listen to songs the “business” wants you to hear, pick up any music device you can buy in a store and you can upload or download any song you want to listen to whenever. When all this is done legally, the artists are compensated for their hard work and years it took them to hone their craft. When it’s done illegally, who do you think gets shafted?
People listen to music on a daily basis, and in many instances, not a single penny goes to the songwriter. Often times the listener is unaware of this, other times they do it illegally and knowingly. Illegal downloading or uploading or sharing (whatever you want to call it) is rampant in the music business. Music theft is real and not imaginary - it hurts the songwriters the most in the pocketbook. I would venture to say almost everyone has at one time or another heard pirated music over the airways. Here are just a few examples of how music is pirated:
* Making an MP3 copy of a song and playing it on the internet for others to hear.
* Downloading a copy of a song from the internet from an unauthorized web-site even if only for personal use.
* You or someone uses instant messaging to transfer music between friends.
* Playing a song on websites that friends send you and saying “take a listen to this great song”.
These few examples are illegal. Most listeners do not realize it is illegal, but they are illegal and stealing nonetheless.
Downloading just one song is not hurting anyone (you say)…well, multiply the downloads by millions upon millions daily. Can you just imagine the lost income when you consider this being done on a world-wide basis? Believe me, it is hurting the music industry, but it is decimating the songwriter primarily. Legal sales of music are down dramatically over the years, lay-offs within the industry are common and this trend is spiraling downward at light-speed. I just read a study regarding the annual harm of piracy and what harm it has caused the industry; “losses of $12.5 billion dollars to the US economy alone, losses in employment of 70,000 jobs and $2 billion in lost wages“. A staggering loss. To quote Yoggi Berra, “The future ain’t what it once was”…for many songwriters there is no future for them in the music business. They can’t make a decent living writing songs.
So, again, I invite you to listen to my friend’s and my son’s music, but please do it legally. Don’t be a pirate! Help them and all other artists make a decent living; a living which will allow them to continue their craft of writing and singing songs.
There is so much more that can be said of this subject…now, I ask you to please consider my thought and help all artists within the music business. Perhaps at this grass-roots level, each of us can make a slight impact. Here are some other suggestions for how you might help: if you know or can contact your elected officials, tell them to enforce the laws and protect “intellectual property”, have law makers consider legislation that forces organizations that play music without compensating the artist to justly compensate them, contact groups personally that are playing music to ensure that are doing so legally, and, finally, do your own part by not falling victim into buying, listening, download or uploading “pirated music”.
Get involved and listen to all great music responsibly.
Enjoy the music, respect the artists and reward them that which is due them!
I am very proud of both of them for what they have accomplished and I look forward to what they will continue to produce in the business in the coming years as they both love their professions and want to continue to write and sing good music. It can be a lucrative business venture, especially when they have their works aired on the radio, TV, and other sites which play music.
I’m sure you have heard of the singer who has become an “overnight” singing sensation after the release of a “number one hit song” written by a songwriter. Both singer and songwriter become instant millionaires and from then on life is easy…right? Rarely, if ever, does this happen overnight; most of the time it takes years and years to hone their craft, even then they are not guaranteed success or fame. Eventually a handful of songwriters become rich and famous and are able to support their families full time in the business. However, for the vast majority of songwriters, becoming successful all too often is merely a fleeting dream. Others, the successful ones, who make it to a position from which they can support their families, do so by receiving royalties from the sale of their songs. Each time their song is played, the songwriter receives a royalty payment; at least that is how it is supposed to work. Royalty payments, in very general terms, equate to pennies per song per time played. Over the years, artists have been receiving less of the true royalties while each year music listeners are increasing in numbers. How can that be possible? To give you a hint…think about the internet.
If you are not in the music business and know little of its inner workings, let me be the first to tell you, it’s a tough business to break into and achieve success, believe me!
I have often heard it said, “for every good singer/songwriter in Nashville who makes it in the business, there are 10,000 just as good, who do not make it”. Walk around Nashville and you will meet all of them at one time or another…they are fast order cooks, waiters/waitresses, cab drivers, yard workers, clerks, on the street, in the streets, in bars, behind bars, etc. I have seen them all!
So where am I going with this…? Well, as my friend and I were talking, our discussion moved into the area of royalties and how much, or in fact how little, artists are compensated for their hard work over the years and how much things have changed when it comes to the eventual payment of royalties. The term “eventual payment” is another subject which entails all the hands that are paid prior to the songwriter receiving a share.
The term “pay for play” fits nicely now into this topic. In my time, I went to a juke box, put in a quarter and played what I wanted to hear; today, turn on the radio and listen to songs the “business” wants you to hear, pick up any music device you can buy in a store and you can upload or download any song you want to listen to whenever. When all this is done legally, the artists are compensated for their hard work and years it took them to hone their craft. When it’s done illegally, who do you think gets shafted?
People listen to music on a daily basis, and in many instances, not a single penny goes to the songwriter. Often times the listener is unaware of this, other times they do it illegally and knowingly. Illegal downloading or uploading or sharing (whatever you want to call it) is rampant in the music business. Music theft is real and not imaginary - it hurts the songwriters the most in the pocketbook. I would venture to say almost everyone has at one time or another heard pirated music over the airways. Here are just a few examples of how music is pirated:
* Making an MP3 copy of a song and playing it on the internet for others to hear.
* Downloading a copy of a song from the internet from an unauthorized web-site even if only for personal use.
* You or someone uses instant messaging to transfer music between friends.
* Playing a song on websites that friends send you and saying “take a listen to this great song”.
These few examples are illegal. Most listeners do not realize it is illegal, but they are illegal and stealing nonetheless.
Downloading just one song is not hurting anyone (you say)…well, multiply the downloads by millions upon millions daily. Can you just imagine the lost income when you consider this being done on a world-wide basis? Believe me, it is hurting the music industry, but it is decimating the songwriter primarily. Legal sales of music are down dramatically over the years, lay-offs within the industry are common and this trend is spiraling downward at light-speed. I just read a study regarding the annual harm of piracy and what harm it has caused the industry; “losses of $12.5 billion dollars to the US economy alone, losses in employment of 70,000 jobs and $2 billion in lost wages“. A staggering loss. To quote Yoggi Berra, “The future ain’t what it once was”…for many songwriters there is no future for them in the music business. They can’t make a decent living writing songs.
So, again, I invite you to listen to my friend’s and my son’s music, but please do it legally. Don’t be a pirate! Help them and all other artists make a decent living; a living which will allow them to continue their craft of writing and singing songs.
There is so much more that can be said of this subject…now, I ask you to please consider my thought and help all artists within the music business. Perhaps at this grass-roots level, each of us can make a slight impact. Here are some other suggestions for how you might help: if you know or can contact your elected officials, tell them to enforce the laws and protect “intellectual property”, have law makers consider legislation that forces organizations that play music without compensating the artist to justly compensate them, contact groups personally that are playing music to ensure that are doing so legally, and, finally, do your own part by not falling victim into buying, listening, download or uploading “pirated music”.
Get involved and listen to all great music responsibly.
Enjoy the music, respect the artists and reward them that which is due them!
GREAT post!!!
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