RIAA moves to reduce artist royalty payments

[Sanctums]

RIAA moves to reduce artist royalty payments - The Digital Music Weblog
RIAA moves to reduce artist royalty payments

Posted Dec 6th 2006 6:07PM by Grant Robertson
Filed under: News, RIAA
Sometimes you just have to ask yourself if the RIAA could display more greed or avarice without actually hiring Satan as its general counsel. The Hypebot points to an article in Radio and Records which reads, "During the period when piracy was devastating the record industry, the RIAA argues, profits for publishers rose as revenue generated from ringtones and other innovative services grew. Record industry executives said there was nothing strange about seeking a rate change that would pay less to the people who write the music."

So, let's see if we get this straight. The RIAA alienates its fans and customers by overcharging, failing to embrace new technology and suing anyone who tries to give music fans what they want. At the same time, the publishers work hand in hand with innovators (such as ringtone publishers) and find great success. Now, as a thank you for all the hard work and deft thinking, the RIAA asks the feds to lower the amount of money they pay artists under statutory deals?

I'm reminded of the Simpsons spin off episode when they launched "The Critic." Jay Sherman asks the Arnold Schartzeneger-alike, "How do you sleep at night?", to which he replies, "On top of a big pile of money, with many beautiful women." I'm left to wonder, exactly how does the RIAA sleep at night?

What the fuck. They just can't seem to get it right.

 

[flying_whale]

RIAA should die in a fire!

 

[Dead Winter]

I think this is good news...why? Because more and more bands are giving the big and even independent labels the finger and doing everything themselves. many bands completely go around the system and do everything by themselves, although I'm sure they use a distributor for distributing their cds. Why do we need the blessed hand of the record label to make music when we can just save our own money, buy our own equipment and record our own album by ourselves? Most people do that NOW anyway. Touring is another story, but we're talking selling albums, here.

Enter the RIAA. With technology doubling itself every year, soon we will be able to create our own enterprises and instead of making 35 cents every cd sold, we make about 15 dollars for every cd sold. That is, if we still even use cds. We could just have an agreement with Itunes or each artist could have their own internet mp3 store instead of cds. Download the songs, artwork, etc just like Itunes does but in a much broader sense. The RIAA doesn't realize that artists don't really need them anymore and every year more and more bands are doing the DIY way.

Let them give the artists less money, that will only encourage said artists to find another route to circumvent the suits and lawyers.

 

[Söy]

the RIAA still exists/

 

[Anvil]

This doesn't really mean much... Nowadays, bands seem to make their money in touring, not in record sales.

 

[mReEtTaIlRsEkD]

That's not necessarily true. It might be correct for the metal genre, but I doubt it's the same for some other genres.

 

[darcy]

Monney you make from publishing, though, that's usually a lot more consistent... sales royalties are peanuts but publishing/licensing royalties are usually decent. This story is simply ridiculous... I don't get it. Why?

Music publishers have been doing a fantastic job lately, I give big ups to those companies for not being total retards like the labels & RIAA have been.