Tag Archives: BMI

How ASCAP cheats everyone but the top 200 acts

ASCAP pays out performing royalties only to the 200 top-grossing concerts while collecting fees from all artists – fair or not?

Zoe Keating How ASCAP cheats everyone but the top 200 acts photo

Zoë Keating, Cellist (photo Assaf Vestin)

By Zoë Keating – As a DIY artist it’s up to me to educate myself about the music business.

I do my best, but some elements of it seem exceedingly opaque, in particular, performance royalties as handled by the performing rights societies such as ASCAP and BMI.

The royalty “system” for radio and television is confusing enough, but I didn’t really know anything about live performance royalties.

Here’s what I’ve recently learned.

A little over a year ago I got a booking agent, Mark Lourie of Skyline. He and the entire agency are wonderful and they’ve made a huge difference to my career. Not only does my agent get me great gigs, but he also makes sure I get the best possible deal and have a contract. Continue reading →

Shop Amazon - Save 40 or More Off Thousands of Items in Our Musical Instruments Store

Software is your personal coach in losing weight

Skip the classes and use software like DietPower to manage weight loss, nutrition and exercise

DP food log 640x439 Software is your personal coach in losing weight photo

DietPower Food Log screen (click for larger image)

We’re finally at the part of the series on losing weight for people with disabilities where we get to the software that becomes your personal coach to more energy, a better life and maybe a few extra happy years to your life.

Most of these articles apply to everyone so even if you don’t have a disability keep reading.

In the process we all learn more about ourselves and the levers we can manipulate with food and exercise to maintain a better lifestyle despite disability.

So far we discussed -

1. It’s easier to get through every day without that “30-lb-turkey” of extra weight when you are living with a disability.  Continue reading →

Shop Amazon - Save 40 or More Off Thousands of Items in Our Musical Instruments Store

ASCAP BMI and SESAC screw over songwriters

Write A Hit Song If You Want Money

By Mike Masnick, TechDirt

We keep hearing from folks how the collections societies in the US for songwriters and composers, ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, are supposedly the “good guys” in that they actually give money to the actual musicians, and they aren’t like the RIAA at all.

But the evidence continues to be lacking on that front. In fact, it increasingly looks like they’re doing a lot more harm to most musicians. Earlier this year, we noted that their aggressiveness in getting just about any small venue to pay up fees was killing off open mic nights and other sorts of venues that allowed musicians to play live. Mike points us to the news that many venues are simply giving up on live music.

Continue reading →

Shop Amazon - Save 40 or More Off Thousands of Items in Our Musical Instruments Store