SiriusXM out to screw over artists, musicians....

[Bennyboy]

0/27/2011 Alert to Recording Artists and Musicians:
Your Royalties are at Risk!
SiriusXM Licensing Scheme Would Divert Performer Royalties to Independent Record Labels

In a move that is blatantly anti-artist and anti-musician, SiriusXM is seeking to sign up independent labels to a "direct license" deal that reduces the money it pays for music and gives your share to the record label, instead of directly to you — the performer.

Since the inception of satellite radio, Sirius and XM have paid royalties (required by the "statutory license" established by Congress) directly to SoundExchange. SoundExchange then pays half those royalties to artists (45% to featured artists and 5% to the AFM/AFTRA Fund for distribution to session performers) and half to the record labels. Artists — whether featured royalty artists or session singers — benefit from this system because performers get their 50% share Congress allocated to them directly and without recoupment. And everyone — artists and labels alike — benefits from SoundExchange's transparent operations, low administrative costs, vigorous efforts to set fair license rates for music, and responsiveness to artist and label concerns. Moreover, SoundExchange is governed by a Board composed equally of label and artist representatives, including the unions.

SiriusXM is now seeking to undo your protections. How?

SiriusXM is approaching independent labels in an effort to get them to "direct license" for less than the established SoundExchange rate. Why would any label take that? SiriusXM is offering this deal to independents to bypass SoundExchange and pay the artists' and musicians' share to the label. Yes, that's right. SiriusXM is offering to pay the independent labels all 100% of the license fee to the label, and cut the direct payment to the performers right out of the equation.

READ A LOT MORE: http://www.aftra.com/home.htm

[GReedDiamond]

1. I just learned of this today...

...from NARAS.

Unless the artist also owns and operates the indie label they're on, this looks like a shitty deal.

[MADem]

2. Well, aren't they scuzzballs, and is anyone surprised? nt

[Bennyboy]

3. not surprised... (NT)

[MilesColtrane]

4. Think that's something?

Terrestrial radio stations have never paid a performance royalty to the musicians who record the songs they play over the air.

The U.S. is just about the only industrialized nation that operates this way.

Facts and a petition here:

http://www.musicfirstcoalition.org/

[phylny]

5. I got rid of my Sirius XM subscription last week.

There was very little on that I liked anymore. During my drive time, I didn't like what was on America Left (that Alex Bennett guy was awful, and I don't care for MIP). Dr. Laura Berman was another favorite, and she's gone. Loved Rosie, but she has a show on OWN and I can DVR that. So, I canceled. My husband still has his subscription, but any music I want to hear is on my Ipod, and I've now paid for Thom Hartmann's podcast, so I'm set.

FYI, since I canceled, I've gotten two e-mails from SiriusXM asking if I want to come back for $5/month for five months or something like that. Just thought I'd pass that on to any interested parties ;)