RIAA Wants Songwriter Royalty Lowered

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Lest there be anyone left who believes the RIAA's propaganda that its litigation campaign is intended to benefit the 'creators' of the music, Hollywood Reporter reports that the RIAA is asking the Copyright Royalty Board to lower songwriter royalties on song file downloads, from the present rate of 9 cents per song — about 13% of the wholesale price — down to 8% of wholesale. Meanwhile, the big digital music companies, such as Apple, want the royalty rate lowered even more, to something like 4% of wholesale. So any representations by any of these companies that they are concerned for the 'creators' of the music must henceforth be taken with a boxcar-load of salt."

You're assuming...

[NixieBunny]

that anyone had any doubt that the RIAA were anything but money-grubbing middlemen.

Record Companies Victimized

[flaming error]

music publisher catalogs have increased in value due to steadily rising mechanical royalty rates and alternative revenue streams made possible, but not enjoyed, by record companies.

Those dastardly songwriters have too long been taking unfair advantage of the RIAA's clients. They take a whopping 8% of royalties just for creating the product!

Now the record companies, who created the internet and invented downloading music and streaming audio, have seen their take of the pie stay the same, whilst freeloading music creators are actually making more.

I shall write to Orrin Hatch about this...

Re:You're assuming...

[Anonymous Coward]

that anyone had any doubt that the RIAA were anything but money-grubbing middlemen.

Oh come one that's not fair ... they are obviously trying to lower royalties so that they can sell music to you, the customer, for less. ;)

RIAA bad, Apple...

[martinX]

Now the RIAA is a bunch of money grubbing pricks, but I can't believe Apple would have anything to do with ... HEY LOOK! OMG! New AirBooks are OUT!!!

This is right

[SpacePunk]

They should write songs because they love it, not because they get paid. SONGS WANT TO BE FREE! FREE THE SONGS!

Re:bypass the RIAA

[Nefarious Wheel]

It would be great if there was a central site where artists could register to receive donations/payments that their fans wanted to give them in exchange for getting their music from an unofficial source, or just as a sign of appreciation

There is. In Melbourne, it's called "Bourke St. Mall". Best not to set up too close to the tram tracks though.

Re:Yet another reason for artists to go it alone

[Foobar of Borg]

And yet the RIAA is still chugging along.

To use a car metaphor, it's like that car you got from your parents on your 16th birthday. It keeps getting worse and worse, but keeps chugging along and won't actually die. You're 21 years old and in college, so you can't buy your own car and your parents won't get you another one unless the one you have dies. And it's so shitty, you can leave the keys in the ignition, the door wide open, and a sign on it that says "free car", but no one will steal it. And it *just* *won't* *die*.

That's the RIAA.

That's even better

[Weaselmancer]

...this article isn't about the RIAA pissing off customers, it's about the RIAA pissing on artists.

It is - and that's actually much better. Let's hear Lars and Dre defend this.

BTW, Lars...Dre....if by some bizarre chance you happen to read this: I Told You So. Nyah Nyah Nyah.

Re:Yet another reason for artists to go it alone

[eiapoce]

To use a car metaphor

The methafor is not complete. It's a car that sues you when you consider riding another one.

Re:Why the RIAA?

[balloonhead]

You are correct. My mistake.

You must be new here.

Re:Why the RIAA?

[pgillan]

You are correct. My mistake.

Holy crap! Am I on the wrong internet?

Re:You're assuming...

[The Mighty Buzzard]

You passed up a chance to use a recursive acronym (RIAA is Against Artists) in a /. post? Are you feeling OK?

Re:You're assuming...

[CmdrGravy]

Absolutely, thats why they are only asking for a percentage reduction becuase everyone knows percentages are mathematically the fairest way of leveraging this sort of paridgm shift. Now that the cost of printing, shipping and packaging physical products can be bypassed asking the songwriters to reduce their % in order to refect the cheaper cost of on-line media is absolutely the fairest way to go.

Re:There goes the argument....

[mfnickster]

No, that'd be the Kosher Nostra!

Re:Why the RIAA?

[Anonymous Coward]

You could also pay for the masterisation and post production.

As much as I like the term you made up, the word you're looking for is mastering.

Re:You're assuming...

[bob.appleyard]

But it'll just get optimised into an iterative acronym...