AGTR Magazine Debut Issue Vol.1 feat. Man Of FAITH | Page 14

It only seems fitting to begin my first article with music industry basics; remember that our Father is A God of decency and order and it is imperative that we as believers have our business affairs in order. It is important that we know who the major players in the recording industry are, what they do, and how money is dispersed. The major players are:

• Songwriter - The songwriter is the person (or people) who write the lyrics and melody for songs.

• Publisher - The publisher is the person (or company) who works with the songwriters to promote their songs. Publishers usually get either partial or total ownership of the song copyright, known as "assignment" or "transfer" of the copyright. They pitch the songs to record labels, television or movie producers, or anyone else who may be interested in it. They then license the rights to use the song and charge fees. Those fees are typically split 50/50 with the songwriter.

• Performer - Anyone who licenses the song in order to publicly perform it is the performer, or performing artist. The performer doesn't have control of the song (it's controlled by the songwriter or publisher) or the recording (it's controlled by the record company).

• Recording company (record label) - The recording company creates, markets and distributes the recordings.

• Performing rights organization (PRO) - A performing rights organization is an association, corporation, or other entity that licenses the public performance of nondramatic musical works on behalf of the copyright owners. The major performing rights societies are The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), SESAC, Inc. (formerly the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers) and Sound Exchange.

Who Gets What?

•The first thing we need to do is distinguish between recording-artist royalties and songwriter/publisher royalties.

• Recording artists don't earn royalties on public performances (when their music is played on the radio, on TV, or in bars and restaurants). This is a long-standing practice that's based on copyright law and the fact that when radio stations play the songs, more CDs and tapes are sold. Songwriters and publishers, however, do earn royalties in these instances -- as well as a small portion of the recording sales.

The only current instance in which artists earn royalties for "public performances" is when the song is played in a digital arena (like in a Webcast or on satellite radio), is non-interactive (meaning the listener doesn't pick and choose songs to hear), and the listener is a subscriber to the service. This came about with the Digital Performance Rights in Sound Recordings Act of 1995. Artists please take the time out print out this check list and familiarize yourself with the industry knowledge that you will need to become successful.

Rahru is the Creative Director and Founder of Haute Choc’lat Multimedia Group. She primarily serves as an Entertainment Publicist, Journalist, and the Executive Director of The Gospel Songwriters Association. Haute Choc'lat Multimedia Group is a boutique PR/Social Media & Marketing Firm based in Atlanta Georgia; that seeks to establish strategic relationships in the Christian Market Place in the areas of Music, Entertainment, Ministry, and Non-profit arenas.

PG. 13