[Fmpro] CPA music?

[Mark Northam]

On 11/27/07 8:02 PM, "James Ryan" <jeryan at optonline.net> wrote:

> Mark-
> What are the exact facts you're looking for?  The number of earning
> composers versus the number of earning songwriters?  I'm sure Doug
> Wood could answer that one.

He could, but he won't. I've asked him about that, number of voting members,
etc. Not one piece of data from Doug on those topics. Not one. He's a loyal
ASCAP company man when it comes to keeping a lid on ASCAP data.

> Do you honestly think the numbers are
> even close?  With all the jingle houses, staff writers, library
> writers, etc.  I would have to believe that the number of score
> composers is vastly larger than the number of actual, royalty earning
> songwriters.  Songwriters have a much narrower venue in which to
> display their work, so the number of successful songwriters, i.e.
> one's actually getting their work on the air with hit records, etc.
> would surely seem minute compared to news music composers, CPA
> composers, film score composers, sitcom composers, drama/romance
> composers, etc.  Sure, there are millions of bands and singer
> songwriters out there, but how many of them are actually getting
> enough broadcast exposure with all the tight radio playlists to earn
> PRO royalties?

We're all just guessing and theorizing here. We need facts. ASCAP has them.
Doug Wood has them. Neither will disclose them to members despite promises
to the membership of "transparency" - that says it all.
> 
> Think of the Billboard Top 100 or 200.  Unless you are in the top ten,
> and in the top ten fairly often, your royalties rapidly and
> substantially decrease as you move up to the higher numbers.  This
> much I do I know.  I was both a hit artist when I was younger, and a
> staff writer for a major song publishing company.  I've made a lot
> more money as an instrumental composer than I ever did as a
> songwriter, even with hits!
> 

Good for you! But the ASCAP per-minute rates (whatever a one minute song is
paid, a one minute score cue is paid only 20% of) are self-evident.

> Anyway, it is with the above logic that what I was told seemed
> reasonable.  I don't think my source at ASCAP is very talkative, so If
> anyone would like to pose the question to Mr. Wood who would probably
> be a very reliable authority on the matter.....

I don't blame your ASCAP source - disclosing data to members isn't exactly
company policy at ASCAP - the opposite is true actually as we've discussed
here. When you promulgate policies that are indefensible by any fair
measure, the more questions they answer, they more they get themselves into
trouble. Why do you think ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento hasn't dared do a public
Q&A out here in LA for years now (other than to "invited" audiences where
people who ask too many questions are shut out), since we busted him trying
to say that "large chunks" of the ASCAP Local Cable Settlement weren't paid
to radio writers when ASCAP documents prove exactly the opposite. Same
reason why the public Q&A at ASCAP Annual Meetings were eliminated. These
people simply don't want to hear uncensored, unmoderated, unfiltered
questions in anything close to a public forum.

Maybe others will have more luck with Doug Wood than I have. Don't get me
wrong - I respect him and consider him a friend. But as far as providing
data about anything involving the numbers of members, he's declined to do so
on more than one occasion.

The only info we've been able to locate about ASCAP member breakdowns is
from the PLAYBACK Magazine 2007 rate card:

=======================

" Published four times a year, Playback has a controlled circulation of
67,000, including the most successful of ASCAP's nearly
300,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members as well as their
radio and TV station customers, selected press, artist managers, lawyers,
music retailers, libraries schools and others in the music industry.

ASCAP members are: Songwriters 67%
Composers 59% 
Producers 44% 
Lyricists 40% 
Publishers 37% 

100% of Playback readers earn or supplement their income from ASCAP.
=======================

So I think it's safe to guess that there are no more than 67,000 voting
ASCAP members (members who receive money from ASCAP). How many are
publishers vs. songwriters vs. composers is another question, though. And
the percentage numbers are total members, not the members who receive the
magazine. And if you subtract all the radio and TV stations, press,
managers, lawyers, etc I wonder how many actual ASCAP voting members are
left...?? ASCAP has repeatedly refused to disclose the number of voting
members, a critical number when it comes to the election policy. I wonder
why.


Best,

Mark N.



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

http://www.RoyaltyWeek.com - The Business of Music Royalties Worldwide

1-800-774-3700 ext. 702 / 310-645-9000 ext. 702
http://www.gmdgroup.com
Yahoo/Skype: marknortham  /  AIM: mnortham