[Fmpro] The role of managers re: royalties?

[Mark Northam]

Thanks, Lynne! I look forward to your decision.

While some may see these questions as "antagonistic," they are perfectly
valid questions that a composer or their manager would have every reason to
ask about their royalties. They are no more antagonistic than asking your
bank about all the terms of a mortgage or auto loan.

That being said, the last time I taught my "Breaking Into the Business"
class in Boston, most of the students in the class (we had a total of 55
students) were from Berklee, and 90% of the Berklee students didn't know
(and hadn't been informed by their instructors at Berklee) that a minute of
score is paid only 20% of what a minute of song is paid by ASCAP.  I was
shocked, but not surprised.

My suggestion to the good folks at Berklee: don't shy away from the
financial realities of the film scoring business. Your students deserve to
know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth if they are to
successfully pursue careers in this industry... And if the Berklee folks
need some education about the realities of the PROs and instrumental music
these days, just ask here on the FMPRO list and there are many well-informed
people who would be willing to share some hard-earned knowledge.

Best,

Mark Northam


On 5/8/07 12:49 PM, "Lynne T. Conte" <profwoman4u2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Mark,
> 
> I am discussing this with my instructor at Berklee College of Music and he
> has referred me to someone.  I am now sending him a copy of your last e-mail
> to here his opinion of matter at hand.  I will get back to you shortly on
> all your questions.
> 
> Musically yours,
> 
> Lynne T. Conte/Talent Manager
> Conte's Networking Communications
> 
> On 5/8/07, Mark Northam <mnortham at gmdgroup.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Lynne -
>> 
>> I like your initiative - contact ASCAP directly and see what you can
>> learn!
>> 
>> So here's your challenge: see how many of the following politely worded
>> questions "Greg" will provide direct answers to before he "has to go" or
>> suddenly discontinues the call somehow:
>> 
>> 1. "Can you tell me why a minute of score music on TV is only paid 20% of
>> what a minute of song on the same program is paid by ASCAP?"
>> 
>> 2. "Can you tell my why a minute of original music for advertising is paid
>> by ASCAP only 3% of what a minute of song is paid on the same TV program?"
>> 
>> 3. "Can you tell me why ASCAP hasn't implemented MediaGuide on television
>> and added watermarking so music under dialogue and sound effects can be
>> tracked and paid, not just songs performed in the clear?"
>> 
>> 4. "When an overseas PRO sends you money for one of my clients, why
>> doesn't
>> ASCAP disclose the actual amount of money received, before any ASCAP
>> deductions, for the member on the members' statement? "
>> 
>> 5. "How do ASCAP members benefit when ASCAP refuses to release election
>> vote
>> counts, has effectively eliminated independent candidates, and in the case
>> of board vacancies, secretly chooses whomever they want to fill the spot
>> rather than respecting the vote counts of the remaining candidates?
>> 
>> 
>> And if "Greg" makes it through those questions without choking on his
>> lunch,
>> here are a few more...
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 6. "How do ASCAP members benefit when ASCAP prevents me from speaking
>> directly with a foreign PRO if I have a question about how much that
>> foreign
>> PRO paid my client?"
>> 
>> 7. "Please tell me about ASCAP's advance program and how my client can
>> qualify for and advance.... No, Greg, not the "referral out to a bank
>> loan"
>> program on the website, I'm talking about the "other" type of direct
>> advances that ASCAP has provided to members without going through a bank,
>> etc... You know, the kind negotiated by LA's top film and TV music agents
>> for their "star clients".
>> 
>> 8. "Speaking of MediaGuide, Greg, how does ASCAP justify sinking tens of
>> millions of member dollars into a system that only benefits music on the
>> radio, which is primarily song?"
>> 
>> 9. "Oh, and one more on MediaGuide... MediaGuide now tracks tons of
>> advertisements on radio and TV. When will ASCAP start paying all the
>> writers
>> and publishers performance royalties for music in those ads, not just
>> tracking the ads for outside companies who want to see when and where they
>> are broadcast?"
>> 
>> 10. "Thanks very much for those answers, Greg. Do you mind if I share them
>> with some friends on the Film Music Pro email discussion list?"
>> 
>> 
>> On 5/8/07 11:33 AM, "Lynne T. Conte" <profwoman4u2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> I spoke with a Greg over at ASCAP.
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
>