"Harry Krause" wrote in message
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Doug Kanter wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
Doug Kanter wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
RCE wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
What the music industry needs is a copyright pricing structure that
fairly compensates the actual producers of music AND doesn't rip off
consumers of that product...and they don't have it yet.
One of the reasons midi sequencers like myself stopped sharing some
files on the 'net is because of the threat of lawsuits. Actually,
not threats, but real litigation in some cases that shut down most
sites that featured midi files. Midi files are not music recordings
like mp3s or .wav files. They are a series of instructions to a sound
board, card or instrument that can receive midi instructions. The
sound card or instrument then plays the sequence using it's own, on
board voices.

Royalty collectors like ASCAP and BMI quickly (and perhaps correctly,
depending on your personal feelings on the subject) started to
threaten web site owners that had midi files of popular music
considered to be subject to copyright protection. Even though it was
not technically a recording or performance by a musician, the fact
that someone sequenced a series of instructions for a midi compatible
instrument to reproduce, they claimed copyright infringement.
Original, copyright free compositions are encouraged of course and
often stolen as a basis for new music by songwriters in the industry.

RCE



Sheesh.

Well, most of the music I like was written by guys who have been dead
for more than 100 years, so I assume any MIDI sequencers who code it
are beyond the reach of the ASCAP liars, er, lawyers.

My understanding, based on really limited info, is that iTunes forks
over 70 cents of each 99 cents collected, to the "owner" of the tune.
That's waaaaay too high. A dime is more like it, with a nickel on top
of that for administration, and a nickel on top of that for Apple's
profit...twenty to twenty-five cents a tune is sufficient.

What a silly thing to say. How do you know what's "way too high"? Based
on what?

IF a CD has 12 tunes on it, and the royalty is 70 cents a tune, that's
what, $8.40 in royalties for a CD download? Any bets that on a CD
selling for $12.00 at a store, the artist is getting 75% of that? If the
typical hardcover novel is selling for $25 these days, how much of that
do you think the typical author receives? And I know it costs more to
physically produce a book than a CD, but even so, a typical author's
deal might work out to a buck or two a book, maybe a bit more for a
proven best-seller type author, and even more for a major leaguer. But
nothing approaching 70% of gross selling price.




I have absolutely no idea about any of these numbers, and how they filter
down to the artists (writer, performer, band members, etc). Neither do
you. So, I choose not to engage in any conjecture.


Apple states it forks over 70 cents of the 99 cents collected to the
"owner" of the tune.

Yes, but who really is the owner? The song writer? The publishing company
who represents the song writer? The artist who performs it? What cut does
the band get, if any? What about the agent?