[Fmpro] CPA music?

[Mark Northam]

On 11/27/07 10:51 AM, "James Ryan" <jeryan at optonline.net> wrote:

>  Remember it's a 
> pie, and any increase to one group means a decrease to another.
> According to an ASCAP rep who prefers not to be quoted on this list,
> when ASCAP raised the score rate to 20% from 16% it wasn't enough to
> make the underscore gang happy, and it was a big whack to the
> songwriters.  The earning songwriters are fewer in number than the
> composers, so they had to shoulder a fairly hefty royalty cut to
> compensate for the upgrade to the much larger number of score
> composers.  Ultimately, very few on either side of the fence were happy.

Interesting perspective. But frankly, I have little sympathy for the
songwriters as long as they are the recipients of the rigged windfall money
generated from the "automatic feature performance for all background songs"
policy. It's an offensive and prejudicial stereotype that has cost composers
a great deal of money for years. It's a vivid example of ASCAP's prime
directive that songs are to be paid the most, and other types of music are
of lower quality and importance and should be paid at a much lower rate.

But this is the result when you ignore market forces and marketshare and
start arbitrarily deciding that some people's music is "worth" much, much
more than others.  

CPA writers have the largest portion of music on the air, and their music is
paid at the lowest rate. Score writers have the next largest portion of
music on the air and their music is paid at a small fraction (for a one
minute cue) of what a song is paid. So what is this? Some kind of Robin Hood
system where the most popular and highly used types of music are PENALIZED
for having a large marketshare?

Sure doesn't work that way in Radio at ASCAP where the more something it
played, it can qualify for a higher rate (qualified/recognized works, etc).
And there is no difference In the rates for music with and without lyrics.

Something is seriously wrong on TV when the most prevalent music (CPA) is
paid the least, and the least prevalent music (songs) is paid the most in
terms of the rate for a one minute cue.

Best,

Mark Northam

---------------------------------
Mark Northam, CEO
Global Media Development Group

http://www.DemoCheck.com - Get Your Music Heard By The Pros

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