Post by Michael Messer on Aug 17, 2010 22:33:01 GMT
Hi Bottleneck Bob,
Covers bands in pubs do pay royalties because all venues playing live or recorded music have to pay an annual fee to PRS (The Performing Rights Society), which in turn is distributed to the writers of published material.
In the case of You Shook Me being performed by you in a pub. Firstly the writers royalties will go to the owner of the publishing, which hopefully is the estate of Willie Dixon. Secondly, It doesn't work quite as you think, this type of royalty is evenly distributed to all members of PRS. So as a writer you don't get a statement stating that Michael Messer sung your song in the Dog & Duck last Wednesday, but because the D & D pay an annual PRS fee, there is a pool to draw from which is distributed evenly.
I have no worries about a distorted phone film turning up on You Tube, but I do have serious concerns about finding my work available in its complete form, an album, as a free download. That is totally different to me making a cassette copy of an album for a friend because it is on such a vast scale.
Shine On
Michael
Covers bands in pubs do pay royalties because all venues playing live or recorded music have to pay an annual fee to PRS (The Performing Rights Society), which in turn is distributed to the writers of published material.
In the case of You Shook Me being performed by you in a pub. Firstly the writers royalties will go to the owner of the publishing, which hopefully is the estate of Willie Dixon. Secondly, It doesn't work quite as you think, this type of royalty is evenly distributed to all members of PRS. So as a writer you don't get a statement stating that Michael Messer sung your song in the Dog & Duck last Wednesday, but because the D & D pay an annual PRS fee, there is a pool to draw from which is distributed evenly.
I have no worries about a distorted phone film turning up on You Tube, but I do have serious concerns about finding my work available in its complete form, an album, as a free download. That is totally different to me making a cassette copy of an album for a friend because it is on such a vast scale.
Shine On
Michael