Músicos querem ir buscar receitas às rádios (EUA)

«Another group has formed to represent the rights of artists in the digital music rights fight to get music royalties compensation from radio. A partnership of artists and music industry organizations launched musicFIRST, for “Fairness in Radio Starting Today.” This coalition is asking that performers - aspiring and local artists, background singers and stars - be compensated when their music is broadcast over the air. Some 100 recording artists, including Martha Reeves, Jimmy Buffett, Celine Dion, The Doors, Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti LaBelle and Mary Wilson, have signed on as founding members. Radio does pay royalties to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, groups that distribute compensation to artists, but music labels have been fighting for higher rates from radio. The RIAA and SoundExchange are among 11 music industry organizations that belong to the new coalition. “Of all the ways we listen to music, ‘Corporate Radio’ is the only medium that refuses to pay performers even a fraction of a penny for their voice and creativity,” stated Mark Kadesh, executive director of musicFIRST. “This campaign is about making sure everyone, from up-and-coming artists to our favorites from years-ago, is guaranteed fair treatment when their music is played.” The new group is lobbying Congress, along with the RIAA, to support legislation to levy digital performance rights royalties on radio. NAB calls it a performance tax. NAB, CEA, other interested parties and the RIAA have been in talks to try to develop a non-legislated solution. In hearings on the digital performance rights issue, lawmakers have said they prefer that industry solve the issue without government intervention»

fonte. «New Group Formed by Artists, Labels; Bashes ‘Corporate Radio’ », 15/06/07, RWOnline

A industria já respondeu:

«In response to the formation of the advocacy group musicFIRST Coalition, NAB said it will continue to aggressively fight the RIAA’s proposed performance “tax” on local radio stations. “Congress has long recognized that radio airplay of music generates millions of dollars in revenue for record labels and artists,” said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton in a statement. “Were it not for radio’s free promotional airplay of music on stations all over America, most successful recording artists would still be playing in a garage.” Additionally, NAB referenced a radio commercial that aired in 2005 as part of an NAB campaign promoting radio. In it, John Legend, then an up-and-coming new artist, praised and thanked a radio station in Chicago for giving him his big break.»

fonte: «NAB to musicFirst: ‘If It Weren’t for Radio, You’d Still Be in the Garage.’ RWOnline, 15/06/07 

a opinião de Mark Ramsey: «As I have long argued, it is inevitable that the music biz would come knocking on radio's door for a bigger piece of their pie - because in an age when its consumers would rather steal than buy, the only thing a suffering industry can do is hold out their palm to the legitimate industries which license their content and can't hide in the P2P jungles of the Internet. And, for one, that means radio. Now I'm not saying we shouldn't necessarily pay more for the privilege of creating immensely profitable hits for an industry which couldn't possibly create them without us. Maybe we should pay more for that service. Then again, this is an age when a hit is more important than ever but even scarcer than it used to be. And when something is both more important and more scarce its value goes up. That makes radio's promotion MORE valuable to the labels now, not less. And that, my friends, means our industry may be paying too much.» (It's Time to Reduce Radio's Music Rights Fees, 14/06/07)