When I tell my friends I went to Washington, DC to advocate for the passage of the American Music Fairness Act, which would allow musicians to get paid for playing on the radio, they all look surprised.
“Do I not get paid when my song is played on the radio?” “No, I don’t get paid anything as a performer.” “Does anyone get paid?” “The songwriter and the music publisher, but not the artist themselves.”
And we tell them that the only countries that don’t pay musicians who play on the radio are our friends: Cuba, Iran, North Korea. They are shocked and say: “That’s crazy!” China didn’t pay before, but now it does. Russia pays! Good company, right? A good example for the rest of the world!
Aretha Franklin had a worldwide hit with “Respect,” but she didn’t write the song; Otis Redding did, and it was played on American radio for decades, yet she never got paid for it. Absolutely! That’s what I’m saying.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’Connor? No way. “Under Pressure” by Karen O? No. “Always on My Mind” by Willie Nelson? No. “Ballad of a Thin Man” by Cat Power? No. “Umbrella” with Rihanna? No. Beyonce with “Irreplaceable”? No. “Get the Party Started” by Pink? No. The list goes on and on.
How did this happen? When radio first started in the US, it was positioned as a promotional tool for musicians to sell sheet music. That was how music was “sold” before recordings were available. Back then, music on the radio was often live – artists sang and played live, and we listened to it at home.
Bing Crosby discovered (and funded) a way to tape his own shows, so he didn’t have to attend every broadcast – he could perform on his favorite golf course instead. Tape recording became popular in the US thanks to the popularity of golf!
Radio broadcasts were once intended as a means of advertising.
Records in various formats became popular, and radio airplay of these records was similarly positioned as a promotional tool, and as recording artists, we were given the same reason why we weren’t being paid for radio airplay: the exposure would help sell records and promote our live shows.
There’s a kernel of truth in that, but even at the time it seemed unfair. Sure, we were making money from record sales at the time, so we went along with it to get by. But it never made sense.
Every other democratic country in the world has rectified this injustice, and it is clear to us artists that it does not have to be like this in our country either.
We love playing and recording music – it’s thrilling and fulfilling, but it’s also our livelihood, and we’ve come to realize that, like anyone else, we should be compensated for our effort, investment, creativity and inspiration.
“This is Beyonce’s album.”Beyoncé pushed the boundaries of the genre with “Cowboy Carter,” and country will be better for it.
Musicians are small business owners
Most of us are small businesses, entrepreneurs, and risk-takers. We hire other musicians and other professionals to run those businesses. Making music is great, but it’s not always easy. It takes a lot of work, and the rewards aren’t always what it’s worth.
There are also knock-on benefits to getting paid for shows aired on radio. Because the US doesn’t pay foreign artists for shows aired on radio, other countries are retaliating. They are estimated to be holding back $300 million a year that should be paid to US artists, but that money would be released if US radio started paying and the situation changed. their This trend has been going on for years, with some countries, such as France, sending the money to organizations that promote their country’s artists, rather than leaving it in a bank.
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How much do artists get from U.S. airplay? Estimates are around $500 million, so minus international performance royalties, the total is at least $800 million. a lot. It will be split between the performers, their backing bands, and their labels, and to be honest, I stand to benefit personally as well.
Naturally, the big broadcasters (there are only a handful) are fighting this bill tooth and nail. They will say that this bill will hurt small businesses, but the bill is written in a way that will greatly benefit small stations, as well as religious and public radio stations. This is really about the big commercial chains that are making the big bucks.
Of course, the big networks still use the “exposure” and “promotion” arguments, which isn’t entirely wrong. I saw “Burning Down the House” play on the radio and it became a hit. But that kind of promotion is about introducing new music to the audience. Most of the music on the radio now is old, and record stores are hard to find these days. So where is the promotion?
I’m sure they’re worried that these big broadcasters might not like the lawmakers who voted for this bill. I’m just saying that. But consider how many musicians there are and how vocal they are. Do they really want to be at odds with the small business crowd?
I went to Washington a few years ago when a similar bill was introduced. It didn’t pass, but the good news is that this American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) is better. It’s a bipartisan bill, which is a rare thing these days. So that’s good news.
I’m grateful that this hasn’t become a political issue like so many other things. AMFA has support from both parties. Say it! Come on Washington, let’s do it.
Singer and songwriter David Byrne was a founding member of Talking Heads and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
