Nifty new "tip jar"...

[JBJ]

In relation to the ASCAP etc...

in the end they're just enforcing and making sure copyrited material getting played (wether live or recorded) is accounted for and relevant royalties paid.

It's fair IMO.

Here the PRS (performing rights society) deal with the performance of music in public ie a band playing, the radio in a workplace, jukeboxes etc... It might sound {censored} but at the end of the day. If you're making money playing someone elses song or have a nightclub full of paying customers listening to other peoples copyrited works then why shouldn't the artists get the royalties they rightfully deserve?

what happens here is all places wishing to have music playing pay the fee 9it's basically like your TV licence expect for music) i mean absolutely everywhere. A girl i know was moanign the other wee because the hairdressers she works is being made to pay this fee for the 1st time because theyve been caught. theirony is her boyfriends a musician.

anyways all this money comes in and then selected radio stations, big venues, large pubs etc.... all have to keep a track and record of what they're playing or what's been played. radio is by far the most scrutinised here.

anyways these records come in, the relevant companies do their work and the fees paid get split between the artists with royalties. obviously it isnt foolproof and alot of bands lose out but its about the best way of going about it.

sadly not enough gets done at both ends. i've only been asked to fill in a PRS performance form once in my entire gigging career when i know just about every venue i've ever played except the small ones will be on the PRS record list.

[Smilin' Bob]

My pro musician frinds from back in the day were all union members and couldn't play anywhere for less than union scale. They would bitch and moan about having to pay dues and dealing with union corruption and indeiference, but they made a living wage playing music and got other bennies too.

[RupertB]

Last year I had two places, where I played once a month, get popped for non-payment of ASCAP dues. Cut my gigs in half. Both places have recently paid up and started bringing back live music.

My rule for tip jars is: If patrons paid a cover charge to get in, no tip jar.

I once caught a drunk dude sitting down front with my tip jar in his lap, stuffing bills in his shirt. He seriously thought I couldn't see him. I confronted him, not sure whether to be pissed or laugh my ass off. One of the regulars, a 6'6" ex-marine, picked him up in a choke-hold and shook him until he rained bills. Never saw him again.

[Timezarrow]

So it sounds like they should be having to pay the fee for Dj's, as well - unless the DJ is playing all original music? If so, then there is no incentive to stop live music in favor of dj's. And shouldn't the jukebox be subject to the fees? Even karaoke uses popular recordings don't they (have never subjected myself to it) - though they are doctored up?

If the fees are collected even-handedly based on use of copyrighted material in a commercial setting, I don't see why it is working against live music.

Seems like the only choice to avoid fees should be either original music or none at all.