p2pnet - rss feed: BMI’s record revenues
p2p news / p2pnet:- Artists earning their money in the corporate music industry are in dire straits because of file sharing, claim the members of the Big Four record label cartel.
But it’s now a given that when the labels say black, think white and to confirm that, the BMI, Big Music’s US performing rights organization representing more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers, is reporting in excess of $728 million for fiscal 2004-2005, an increase of more than 8.3% over the previous year.
This marks the first time that any copyright organization in the world has crossed the threshold of $700 million in revenues in performing rights collections, brags Del Bryant, president and ceo.
“The increase in our revenues and royalty distribution for the 15th year in a row shows the overall health of our business and our commitment to seek new areas of income and to decrease operational expenses,” he said.
Operational expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased from 14.6% to 14.2%, the lowest in the company’s history, and, “BMI’s increased revenue performance was bolstered by significantly higher license fees secured in the new media and mobile entertainment areas.
“New media licensing revenues increased by 114%, year over year, totaling $11.4 million. Tracking the growth of the US market, fees from mobile entertainment (ringtones) accounted for the largest segment of the increase.”
During the year, more than 500 new digital music providers were licensed, BMI states, adding:
“International revenues increased by more than 9% to more than $202.9 million while the general licensing area showed an increase of more than 12.7% due to a new contract with the Muzak background music service and the strong growth in licensing eating and drinking establishments, aerobic centers and skating rinks.”
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September 18th, 2005 at 6:58 pm
At $728 million, you can tell they are being devestated. Remember, this is but one of the big 4 cartels. You can expect the others to be doing about the same. Geeze, I could stand with a little devestation like that.
September 18th, 2005 at 7:40 pm
If they are making this much, obviously, CD’s are being purchased.
Plenty of Cd’s, by JQ public.
So …
Truth ….
Money IS leaving our hands …
Going to the Labels …
True by their OWN STATEMENTS.
Who is responsible for paying the artists ??
The Labels.
So then ….
If money is getting to the “Labels”, and the artists are
going broke … who is really doing the “stealing” ??
Dreddsnik
Boycott-RIAA.com
September 19th, 2005 at 5:45 am
…this is including figures that show decreasing numbers of new releases by the music industry.
September 19th, 2005 at 1:04 pm
Does anyone know:
- what percent of the licensed songs are in the public doamain. The guess here is, very high. If true, there is fraud.
- how much of the money go to the songwriters (songwriters, not publishers) allegedly represented? The guess here is, very low. If true, there is fraud.
- who audits these people and where are the audits found by songwriters and the public? The guess here is that they audit themselves and the audits are nowhere to be found. If true, there is fraud.
- how BMI licensess such as a radio station or a bar in Alabama and in Japan know which songs they can performed under the BMI license? The guess is that they have no way because licensee do not receive a catalog of songs. If true, there is fraud.
September 19th, 2005 at 3:40 pm
dude.
do you know the difference between a “performance rights organization” and a “record label”
these are 2 different markets. they are not in anyway related to each other.
the labels are saying the truth. the labels earn nothing from a performance rights societies earnings.
these earnings go to “the music publisher” thus the writer.
In addition to these, these performance earnings are mainly for major acts and major songs who has found a way to be placed in a commercial or a tv series episode or a movie. they do not represent the starving independent artists. never.
September 19th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
1) that percentage isn’t that high. so there is no fraud.
2) usually writers get 75% of a song. this is in a copublishing deal. where a song is split up 50-50 as writer and publisher share.
the music publisher however only gets a percentage of the publisher share because the writer has a publisher as well.
in an administration deal writers may get up to 90%
so there is no fraud.
3) false. actual music auditors audit these people. you know it , i know it: there is no fraud.
September 19th, 2005 at 4:01 pm
Most songs written before 1922 are in the public domain, but recent arrangements of those songs still may be in copyright. For more information, see http://www.pdinfo.com/. BMI operates on a non-profit making basis, with about 86 cents of each dollar of revenue being paid to songwriters and publishers. Generally, ownership of songs and royalties are split 50/50 between songwriters and publishers, but many songwriters publish their own works. BMI licenses the public performance of music; this has nothing to do with CD sales or the profits of record companies. BMI pays absolutely nothing to record companies. BMI is audited by by Deloitte & Touche. All 6.5 millions songs in the BMI repertoire are posted on the BMI website under the “repertoire search” at the lower left of the home page. www.bmi.com. BMI also provides a repertoire information hotline at 1-800-800-9313 where you can request information on as many as 20 song titles per call.
September 19th, 2005 at 4:10 pm
Most performing rights royalties are paid to writers who have songs played on radio (including college and public radio,) as well as to songwriters who have music peformed on broadcast and cable television. All of these were “starving, independent artists” at one point in their lives. For example, I saved a quote from Barry Manilow which said, “BMI got me through some very lean times when I was a struggling songwriter back in New York City. They supported and encouraged me back in the early days. They have been very important to me.”
September 19th, 2005 at 11:53 pm
The Phantom Poet Graffito had to mob-up again to find the loot: Spoken X Digital Media Group in association with Literati Di Graffito X is now a made man. Yes, you heard it right and eXclusive–Literati X is now
a BMI writer/composer; the principals will be split throughout the universe! A special thanks to Al Capone who collected in an era where
no one wanted to give up the cheese. . .
September 20th, 2005 at 10:38 pm
Wonder how much is this guy and Manilow are getting paid for BMI public relations.
September 20th, 2005 at 10:44 pm
Surely the Cartel underlings are watchin sites like this one for damage control through the spread of “facts” and half truths, not realizing that the good old days when most folks were ignorant are over. We are too savvy today.
September 21st, 2005 at 1:52 pm
As an admitted cynic I say that all endorsemntes of artists to these cartel bullies and mafia type racketeers, the endorsemntes are purchased or are an exchange of favors.
May 25th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
In trying to understand all of this..are you telling me that the average garage band that plays at pool parties, weddings and such are expected to get a license? Do all bars have to get licensure or is there certain criteria?