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

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 →