Comments on: ASCAP’s Podcast Fees Nominal; Legal Licensing Still Complex

By: DJinL.A.

DJinL.A. — Wed, 02 May 2007 01:04:46 +0000

For almost 20 years I was able to pick and play music for many, many various artists, musicians and yes the major record labels and many of the independent labels too via AM and FM airways. Now I am thinking of seriously taking a shot at Podcasting and think it’s kinda sad that as some of the other guests have said this chance to play some of those great hits and expose and break new music this way can get me in some kind of financial bind with ASCAP, (most of my singer and musician friends are members btw)or RIAA which I helped to make millions. Just my two cents worth. Why is it that when ever something like this comes along where who ever, techies, jocks, ex jocks, or just hobbyist can do something like this the money issue has to become the focus? I plan to give it a try. I have a great music collection and I know how to present music in a way listeners can sit at their computers and really enjoy what I will be playing. I thin an experiment I will see how long it is before exorbitant type fees and regulations shut me down. Here’s a hint about where to find my site. Use your IQ :-)

By: Guest

Guest — Sat, 12 Mar 2005 03:38:53 +0000

We’re an artist run, non-profit label based in Melbourne, Australia. We’ve been providing podcast producers with Creative Commons Licenced music via our podcast feed for just on 6 months now. We support the use of our music within podcasts and we don’t request a licence fee, only recognition. We sustain several hundred downloads a week. It has been a tremendous way to gain exposure as well as contribute towards independent publishing efforts.

I agree that royalty collection agencies are not all that bad, however Australia’s APRA is still uncertain how to deal with Creative Commons and podcasting seems way off their radar for now. They still haven’t got their head around generative music, for instance, but do now have an ambient music claim system for those of us who do installations, etc.

If interested, Secession Records is where you’ll find our feed.

Cheers,
Andrew

By: admin

admin — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 20:14:39 +0000

I’m with you 100%, Chris. Record labels (well, especially the ‘majors’; I think there are some good guys among the independent labels) have a tendency to take away musicians’ control over their music. And you’re right — more to the point, musicians GIVE labels that control, even when that’s sometimes not the smartest thing to do.

Ironically, an organization like ASCAP is exactly what many people have suggested would help the digital music world — an agency that could collect flat fees, instead of having to negotiate rights for every piece of music separately with multiple entities.

Peter

By: Guest

Guest — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 19:46:07 +0000

I sure do get sick of seeing ASCAP dragged through the same muck that the RIAA does. I’ve been a member for 15 years, and the great majority of my income comes from my monthly ASCAP checks. They’re the one group of people that actually looks out for me, as a professional musician, rather than taking advantage of me.

Their sole purpose is to make sure that people that make money off of other people’s music turn around and compensate the creator of that music. Almost nobody understands this.

I release my records under CC licenses, and ASCAP still accepts them and safeguards the exploitation of them. Now, that said, it is _always_ up to the musician to determine what licensing and ownership is best for them. Musicians, in their hunger to get “the big deal,” frequently (almost always, in point of fact) sign away those rights to record labels, in return for the label’s active participation in the manufacturing and marketing of the musician’s product. That’s a decision the musician makes, to sign that contract. Nobody holds a gun to their heads.

Chris Randall
Positron Records, Inc.
http://www.positronrecords.com