Forget the IRS..fear BMI

[harpinon]

Has anyone been told their band cannot play covers because BMI has required the club to pay monies to them for royalties.
Or even better, a band being asked to pay directly?
Yes , it happens

 

[MuseCafeChris]

Has anyone been told their band cannot play covers because BMI has required the club to pay monies to them for royalties.

Doesn't matter. BMI will still get its licensing fees.

Or even better, a band being asked to pay directly?

That's the work of a shady venue owner. Licensing fees are the venue's responsibility.

 

[lhallam]

How do you think ASCAP and BMI work?

That's how composers get paid.

 

[ksandvik]

Sounds like a silly urban tale. Bands play. Venues pay licensing to BMI/ASCAP.

 

[A-Bone]

Sounds like a silly urban tale. Bands play. Venues pay licensing to BMI/ASCAP.

Exactly.

 

[Powderfinger]

Echoing what the others have said. Nothing new here. Venues have always had to pay a licensing fee if they have cover bands.

 

[VanR]

There is no provision for bands to pay licensing fees. You can perform all the songs you want. Even if you wanted to license your band to play cover tunes live there isn't any provision with ASCAP/BMI to do so. So if anyone tells you you have to pay to play songs live they are scamming you. Don't fall for it.

 

[VanR]

Echoing what the others have said. Nothing new here. Venues have always had to pay a licensing fee if they have cover bands.

Venues have to pay licensing fees even if they play the radio.

 

[ksandvik]

I think I know what's going on. Seen that happening in the Bay Area. Cheapo places don't want to pay the licensing fee to BMI/ASCAP so they tell bands/artists to only play their originals. Which is fine --actually a rare avenue to play originals. Not that technically they should still play the licensing fee if the originals are registered by BMI/ASCAP. But from a practical point of view few low-key artists make any money from such venue-originated material.

 

[teefus]

there was a newspaper story in the local area (louisville, ky) where it was uncovered that the bmi/ascap "agents" were merely freelancers. they get a percentage of the "take". they can negotiate the payment to be lower but then their cut goes down. several area bar owners said the agents came in wanting $10k or so but when the bar owners laughed and said they would just hire original acts, the agents said they would take $5k. the agents cut went down but they did end up getting something.

 

[rumors of surf]

Man I wish it was true !! Imagine all the music that would be created with fewer uncreative cover bands.AWESOME [Write your own songs].

 

[greggorypeccary]

Man I wish it was true !! Imagine all the music that would be created with fewer uncreative cover bands.AWESOME [Write your own songs].

How are cover bands stopping people from writing their own songs?

 

[rumors of surf]

They dont but think of the venues that might become available to the creative musician that are currently clogged with the human juke box.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

if you play a song that is registered with ASCAP or BMI, no matter who wrote the song, the venue is obligated to pay. not the performer. doesn't matter if you use robots, radios, humans, or computers.

 

[gproud5150]

They dont but think of the venues that might become available to the creative musician that are currently clogged with the human juke box.

A lot of those venues would likely not have any bands then. Let's not turn this into the evils of cover bands. It's been covered ad nauseum.

 

[rumors of surf]

Your probally right..my bad

 

[harpinon]

Hmmm I see. Part of the issue is that I am not from a metropolis and I suppose these places we've played have been operating under the radar. In the past there was never an issue but in the last couple of years, the hole-in-the-wall clubs have been hit up and are trying to pass it on to the bands.