RIAA petitions for lower artist royalties
IGN reports that innovative marketing solutions like Apple's iTunes store and stores that sell digital ringtones are putting too much money into the pockets of the artists who actually create and perform music. The RIAA has petitioned the federal US Copyright Royalty Judgets to lower the rates paid to songwriters for the digital use of their creations. Apparently things have changed a great deal since 1981, the last time the US government set the royalty rates.
The petition brief apparently read in part, "Mechanical royalties currently are out of whack with historical and international rates...We hope the judges will restore the proper balance by reducing the rate and moving to a more flexible percentage rate structure so that record companies can continue to create the sound recordings that drive revenues for music publishers."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Leonard Nimrod said 10:20AM on 12-08-2006
Seriously, f@#k the RIAA!!!
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Metryq said 11:20AM on 12-08-2006
Hey, Leonard, "with a chainsaw"? I'm with you. I also agree with the need to update things -- let's eliminate the middleman altogether. Anyone with access to the Web can "publish" these days.
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Keith Sheehan said 4:13PM on 12-09-2006
Heaven forbid that the artists actually come out ahead for works that THEY create.
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Bill I said 10:32AM on 12-08-2006
Does their greed know no bounds? These people are monsters. MONSTERS I tell you!
At what point is the Anti-RIAA revolt going to come from artists? I mean, the RIAA couldn't possibly make it any clearer that they don't have their clients' best interest in mind.
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Aron T said 10:35AM on 12-08-2006
Oh no! The labels are going to get less money because the artists are getting paid! Quick, get the whips and put those musicians back in their cages! Let's see what a week without their habit will do to 'em!
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Andy said 10:34AM on 12-08-2006
#1 agreed #2 agreed. Any creative person (i.e. anyone alive) should feel insulted at this proposal. Not susprising, though. How can they not see the tide is turning? Their end is near.
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BlogTheBuilder said 10:40AM on 12-08-2006
Okay, I think Apple is setting the music industry (mainly the RIAA) up for a revolution they won't even see coming. Here's how it will play out:
1. Apple offers innovative music player that reenergizes the interest in music.
2. Apple offers innovative way to find and purchase music at a good price.
3. Apple offers innovative music business model for the next century.
4. At the same time, the music industry becomes even more greedy and starts going after grandmothers and 6 year olds for stealing music they really didn't.
5. The music industry raises prices in order to hold onto old business model.
6. The music industry decreases what they pay to the artists that actually provide the stuff they are selling.
And here's the important part:
7. Apple offers an opportunity to the artists to come directly to them and cut out the old music industry.
8. Apple offers artists and huge percentage of the fees collected on downloads and STILL makes more money from downloads then thay do now because the greedy music industry doesn't horde the money.
9. Apple offers the world wonderful music only available on iTunes, the artists are happy because they are making lots more money, and you and I are happy because we can get good qualioty music at affordable prices.
The music industry and its archaic, greedy business model goes away.
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James Whited said 10:47AM on 12-08-2006
I couldn't agree more…
…with all the comments here, it's simple, the RIAA is effing greedy. RIAA, Really Insensitvie About Artists
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ubi dubi scooby dubi banubi said 10:50AM on 12-08-2006
This is one of the most stupid things I've ever seen.
That is like a car dealer wanting more than the maker.
Since when do the publishers make music or write?
I can understand the producers wanting a bigger piece.
They should wise-up and compete to sell online, or
make the labels charge less for their copyrights...
Book publishers don't sue libraries for PIRATING books
The average music artists don't make enough as it is.
The "superstars" are made rich by AD ENDORSEMENTS.
This is the reason many bands start their own labels.
Corporations mostly control commodities and materials.
Talented artists usually have the sense not to sell out.
Metallica sued Napster because Metallica lost profits.
They didn't once think to themselves people didn't like it?
You can't sell out, cut your hair, and play pop,
then blame the industry for flopping like a patty.
These guys need to get a life and sell their Ferraris.
That goes for the sell-outs, publishers, and corporations.
I don't think Drew Bledsoe can sue Tomy Romo for playing
better, or he could sue the coach for not starting him,
where the hell do these music industry asses get off?
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Michael said 10:52AM on 12-08-2006
The RIAA is really starting to look desperate. Now they're going after their own artists. The recording industry as we know is dying, and these guys are grasping for their money in any way they can get it. In 10 years the RIAA, in it's current form anyway, won't even exist, and artists will be selling direct to their fans....this is just another nail in the coffin.
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Even Stephen said 10:58AM on 12-08-2006
The next step in this RIAA revolt is for the artists
to put their own music for free on their own website.
People will come and see them play live and order shirts.
They can sell stickers and CDs and vinyl records too.
If it's not copyrighted, IT'S NOT COPYRIGHTED.
I say F*&k them til their brown eye is BLUE!!!
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SteveK said 11:34AM on 12-08-2006
Yep, it's time to cut out the record companies and the "RIAA" entirely. Have the artists buy their own home studios (cheap and easy these days), or go to Apple to record directly to digital, and sell off the iTunes store. Get rid of the middle man.
Of course, they'll try all their nasty tactics like blackballing certain bands and trying to keep their CD's out of the stores, but these days, everything is cheaper and easier. I'm sure someone like Amazon would love to get the stuff direct, not deal with the RIAA and record companies, and get their stuff cheaper and sell cheaper.
Eliminate the dinosaur record companies entirely. They're no longer wanted or needed.
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Brian Rhodes said 12:48PM on 12-08-2006
Yes, all good points. The best, though: Apple has its own recording studio, rented out to any 'name' artists. Charge: 2 cents a download. Something like that, anyway.
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static said 2:05PM on 12-08-2006
I completly agree with you Brian Rhodes, charging as little as 2 or 3 cents for the "recording service" would be killer!!!
In 5 to 10 years discographic companies will be extinct if they don't change their current business model
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christine said 12:22PM on 12-08-2006
I cannot believe this. Evil knows no bounds.
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BlogTheBuilder said 12:22PM on 12-08-2006
If the music industry starts blackballing bands that break ranks, I predict those bands will become even MORE popular as the angry backlash from consumers shows their sympathy and support.
RIAA to bands: "We'll show you who you're messing with...!"
Consumers to RIAA: "We'll show you who holds the power/money..."
Artists to RIAA: "Thanks for creating all this free publicity that we didn't even have to pay you for."
Artists to the consumers: "Thank you for your support. We will work even harder to bring you quality music to make your lives more enjoyable."
Consumer: "Finally, someone gets it..."
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The Jeremy said 12:16PM on 12-08-2006
Why can't we get Apple, Google, and Yahoo to buy up the big music companies and get them to withdraw from the RIAA? Without the waste that is the RIAA, that would cut out $0.25 in cost out of the standard $0.99 price per song championed by iTunes. Thus we would either see a price reduction, or those companies could increase their profits and/or share some extra of the monies to the artists themselves. Yes, I know...shocking!
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Wheels said 12:34PM on 12-08-2006
This can all be summed up in one statement: The RIAA is scum.
All this does is show the true colors of the RIAA. Maybe more people will become wise to them.
I wonder if Metallica will go after the RIAA as fervently for wanting to take away their royalties as they did those handful of Metallica fans who downloaded their music through Napster. I somehow doubt it. Who's the master? Who's the puppet?
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south said 12:55PM on 12-08-2006
die, RIAA, and die soon.
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Dmitry said 1:12PM on 12-08-2006
F--cking bastards!
Well, screw them, and screw the labels. We're just going to distribute our music ourselves. Everyone downloads MP3s nowadays, there is no need for a label to distribute CDs anymore, so that's out of the way. All we need is a website, or an online store like iTunes. Thank God for Internet.
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