LEO Weighs In On Performing Rights Organizations And Their Fees

This week’s LEO will be of interest to most musicians as well as club owners. Mat Herron has a long piece on the matter of performing rights fees paid by nightclub, bars, restaurants and any other public establishment that has live or recorded music in their business. Herron also talked to ASCAP (but not, BMI or SESAC, apparenly) about those fees, how they’re assessed and where the money goes, kind of. ASCAP comes under the subheadline of “The Bad Guy,” which might not be the fairest heading to use, as ASCAP is owned by the members, whereas BMI is owned by music businesses and SESAC is privately owned. What goes unmentioned is the problem of how to determine what artists get what portion of the money. Previously, the primary surveys where done on radio airplay and record sales, but given the current state of the recorded music industry, one could argue that those measures are out-of-dae. In any case, this one is sure to get some response. Be sure to read it with a handful of salt handy.

Elsewhere in LEO, Herron has a phoner with James Jackson Toth, scheduled into Skull Alley on Saturady, plus one with the Eli Young Band, which is opening for Jake Owen at the Kentucky State Fair on August 26