Grammy 2009 Town Hall

While I don't attend the Grammy Awards in person (can't afford it) I do attend the yearly Grammy Town Hall meeting. Advocacy has become a cornerstone of The Grammy's current administration. This year we had 3 Senators on the panel ( Marsha Blackburn R-TN, John Conyers Jr. D-MI & Darrell Issa R-CA), a Supreme (Mary Wilson), and artist manager Simon Renshaw.

The topic of this town hall meeting?  Legislation that will require radio to pay recording artists a royalty when they play their songs..........Waitaminnute! Don't all artists get a royalty every time a song is played on the radio?

Most people think so.  But the real truth of the matter is "no they don't".

Songwriters receive a royalty (and thank goodness since they don't get much per sale). But artists receive zero royalties from radio when their songs are played on the radio.  Every other developed nation on earth pays a royalty to its artists for radio play.  The United States is the only developed nation that does not.

But gee whiz, those artists are all rich, they don't need more money, and radio provides them with free promotion....right?

Artist provide radio station with free content that the radio industry make billions with. It is the content that drives listeners, which drives advertising, which drive their business. Without the content they have no business.....And the vast majority of artists whose songs are on the radio are not rich.

Radio station argue that they are providing free advertising then they play an artists song that turns into record sales, but during the evening it was Mary Wilson who said it best when she pointed out that for many older and now retired artists , that this is now the only income stream they have. Being a recording artist does not come with a retirement plan and many are physically unable to make a living performing anymore.  Dave Navarro of Lowen and Navarro hammered the point home even further, when he mention that his first couple of albums where released and owned by a record label  that will not re-release them and for this reason the radio play will not equal sales. He then added that his musical partner is suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease and that royalties from radio airplay is needed since his sickness will make them unable to perform.