Bar & Club Hearing more about BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, etc..?

[ahoustondj]

After reading about the RIAA extortion ring, I think I just might start looking more into open-source music. This is getting ridiculous.

Why do you call it extortion? They have every right to demand compliance with the Law. I wish they would start offering cash rewards to those who turn in the offenders. That will thin out the herd real fast! Music is as cheap now than it ever was. It used to be you had to buy a whole album/Vinyl or CD just to get one song that was popular. You even had to get in your vehicle and go find a store that had it. Now from the comfort of your home or wherever you are, with the aid of a Computer or Smartphone in less than a minute you can purchase only the song you want.

 

[steve149]

After reading about the RIAA extortion ring, I think I just might start looking more into open-source music. This is getting ridiculous.

Unfortunately, you won't get too much sympathy here for that .. most spend a lot of money on making sure they have legal music libraries. Music pools are pretty reasonable for what you get each month, and it's a potential write-off on the taxes.

The BMIs/ASCAPs/SESACs generally don't care how you get your music (RIAA does) .. they care whether someone paid to play it commercially.

 

[dj gus]

i've contacted ASCAP on two different occasions and asked how to join and was told unless i'm doing remixes myself or am a song writer it's the venues responsibility to pay the fees......my venue does pay the the alphabet fees.....but it's just legal extortion. They say they're just trying to get the artist their due, but I just wonder what percentage they get for collecting??

 

[DJ Bobcat]

i've contacted ASCAP on two different occasions and asked how to join and was told unless i'm doing remixes myself or am a song writer it's the venues responsibility to pay the fees......my venue does pay the the alphabet fees.....but it's just legal extortion. They say they're just trying to get the artist their due, but I just wonder what percentage they get for collecting??

Before I started DJ'ing, about two years ago, I did the same thing. I wanted to be COMPLETELY legit, so I thought I needed to join ASCAP. However, I could find no option for a DJ like myself to join, so I contacted a representative and was told pretty much the same thing they told you. If you play private events, you need no ASCAP membership. If you are playing public events, it is the responsibility of the venue (or radio station or whatever).

 

[steve149]

i've contacted ASCAP on two different occasions and asked how to join and was told unless i'm doing remixes myself or am a song writer it's the venues responsibility to pay the fees......my venue does pay the the alphabet fees.....but it's just legal extortion. They say they're just trying to get the artist their due, but I just wonder what percentage they get for collecting??

Yes .. you can't join as an individual. Licensing is done by the entity who gains most from the music and in most cases that is deemed the venue owner. If you rent a venue and do your own promotion, then, yes, you will need to pay for that .. and I believe there are short-term "event" type licensing from the BMI/ASCAP/SESAC trio.

Venues pay based on the amount of music played (and they pay for background music as well and in some cases TV playing). Typically it's around $500 a year (for each) for a small venue.

 

[Jas]

One of the restaurant owners in my area made a deal with these 3 that they will only have music 3 months out of the year. The 3 went for the deal so she gets a discount reflecting that. But they call every now and then to do some spying. 1). Do they hear music playing in the background when someone answers the phone? 2) They ask questions to the person that answers the phone about music being played. If a new employee answers the phone that is unaware of what's going on, they might give away evidence.

The televisions if on have the volume turned all the way down! Musicians are only hired during the 3 months (summer). The owner has joined a coalition that ts working on getting laws changed, (but the US government is in on it - according to this restaurateur).