FACEBOOK EXCHANGE INCLUDING A RANT FROM YOURS TRULY.

My fond hope is that no one minds my using their names.  If they do I will expunge immediately!  Now read.

Fran Bernfeld

I've never been a user, but apparently the appropriate attitude is "Fuck Spotify". Now, can someone tell me what Spotify actually is?

• Charlie Messing wiki: 20 million users. Streaming service, free trial period, 20 million songs on it. Yike. I've never been there.

  
  

  Shelli Milks They do, but not very much. None of the current services ( including iTunes & Pandora) pay musicians fairly. It's the worst time in human history to be a young musician.

  
  
• Mary Peterson Do musicians get more money from CDs than iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, etc.? I'm genuinely interested.
  

  
  Also, I remember reading y-e-a-r-s ago that the people who design the record sleeves/CD inlays get paid more than the people who write the songs that the records/CDs are in, which has always seemed insane to me. Although it does, at least, explain why anyone with a remotely artistic vein designs their own record sleeves (Michael Stipe of R.E.M.; Nick Seymour of Crowded House, etc.)

  
  
• 

  Charlie Messing Well, the folks who design the thing get paid right away. It's piecework. Same with the manufacturers. Those who write the songs make more than the folks who play the songs - that is why you have not seen any albums with COVER TUNES for 30 years now. The "record company" makes far more off their percentage of the writer's rights who they just signed (who is in the band) - and they don't have to pay any other publishing company for rights. When is the last time you saw an album with cover tunes??? Think about it. Now - if the artist has clout, and has renegotiated a better deal, he may get paid well. But it's all in the fine print. Who makes the money for the copies that sell overseas? The promotional copies? Little things like that. And if it's used in a movie? Etc. Sure, you get some money for designing your package, and you get paid Now. The band, if they ever recoup the expenses in recording, manufacturing and promoting the album (and touring), will Then start to see money. See? That's why very few object to "giving away" songs on large distribution networks (Itunes, Spotify, etc.), because it will draw people to their shows, and assist in sales of their album. I have a friend who did a download album, made a few inquiries after, and found that only 60 copies had sold, but thousands of kids had listened to the tunes! Doesn't seem fair, does it? The people who have "made their mark" and can put out their own albums make the money. Roger McGuinn of the Byrds sells CDs from his website, and has said that it's the first time he's made any money from any of his albums! Yep. When you see a band and they are selling their CDs - buy them then. They paid the wholesale price, you'll pay a retail price, and they'll keep the profit. And get a t-shirt while you're at it. Things were bad in the Old days too - Little Richard got paid 1/2 cent for each single sold, but when he toured, money poured in and he got to KEEP that. To get into it, read Donald Passman. Pardon me for going on and on.