So why does the RIAA feel like they need so much of it? In a quote taken directly from the RIAA's 'about' page, they define themselves as the following:
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes our members' creative and financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States.
In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists; conduct consumer industry and technical research; and monitor and review - - state and federal laws, regulations and policies.
Sounds pretty noble. Basically they are trying to say that they are watching out for American record companies, who are watching out for their bands. But in reality, this is far from true.
Most bands never make money off the sale of their CD's. When bands sign to labels, they sign a contract that can barely be defined as English which gives the band a few things. They get an advance (basically a loan, because they DO have to pay it back), time in the studio, and promotion by the record company. Most bands don't understand that they have to pay this money back by way of royalties.
Dictionary.com defines Royalties as follows: an agreed portion of the income from a work paid to its author, composer, etc., usually a percentage of the retail price of each copy sold.
So this all doesn't sound to unreasonable so far, does it? The record companies give their artists a loan, produce their albums, and promote their music. Then once all these costs are recouped through royalties, the artists start to see a percentage of the profits from their CD's.
But when artists average a total of $1.00, after all the fees are deducted, from the sale of one CD or tape, most will never pay off the exorbitant costs they have already incurred from signing their initial contract.
In summation, if you want to support local artists or artists that have not yet been signed to a record company, purchase their albums. But if you want to support artists that are popular and signed to the record labels that the RIAA protects, go see their live shows and buy their merchandise.
For a more extensive read on this topic, head over to Music Law as it is the primary source on the internet for such information.
And remember...
2 comments:
I feel silly that I thought that music artists make the majority of the money when I buy a CD. More and more, at least it seems like it, that the laws we have in the U.S. benefit big business instead of the 'little guy'. And yes, the pursuit of money is evil because humanity is lost in the quest. Thanks for keeping it real.
Wow, shame on the RIAA for robbing well deserving artists of their pay. You would have never known that musicians made so little with the way they go about living their lives. Interesting post though. Thanks for the information.
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