My home studio for music editing and recording our radio show
Principles
A brief claim to fame, and a lesson learned. I co-wrote the song with my friend Joe Saulter and produced the master, but never got paid by Columbia. The song was a minor "hit" in NYC.
#1. Let's Get Everyone Paid
ASCAP members have a right to be paid for the performances of their music, regardless of the type of music they create or the platform where the performance takes place. Every ASCAP member is valuable to the organization.
#2. You Should Be an Actual Writer to Get Royalties
Writer royalties should be reserved for the people who actually write the music, not the singer who demands co-credit, the film editor who wants a cut for putting your song in the movie or the business manager who think's he's cool by getting a piece of your royalties. I'm not a fan of those folks.
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.”
Hunter S. Thompson
1937 - 2005
#3. Let's Get the Data Right
ASCAP members do NOT have a right to expect PROs around the world to identify and pay for their music if the metadata on the digital file is corrupt or just plain wrong. Make sure your data is clean, correct and up to date. Then you can complain if you don't get paid :-)
#4. ASCAP is Your Safe Place in the Music Business
In the crazy world of music where everybody wants a piece of your success and trouble lurks in every contract, ASCAP is your refuge – a place where royalties are collected and distributed with transparency and equity. It's far from perfect, but the non-profit management of performance royalties is something to value and protect.
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