How to pay royalties for a live performance of a recording

[mazz]

Here's a little bit more info from ASCAP:

http://www.ascap.com/licensing/licensin ... px#general

I don't think the licenses to the PROs for clubs are any more onerous than a business license and certainly not a liquor license!! The PROs probably want more when they wander into a club that doesn't have a license and has been having live music. IMO the PROs could do a better job of educating venues instead of shaking them down. That certainly doesn't gain them much love and just feeds the misunderstanding of how the system works.

Musicians who play covers should, IMO, be supportive of the licenses since we are all in this together. If for nothing else than for the health of the business and to raise consciousness that music actually has value. If we don't value what we do, no one else is going to either!! In this case we are our own worst enemies.

[andygabrys]

FOr what it's worth, as performing musicians we hear from clubs that Ascap pops in from time to time charging clubs that have cover bands up to a blanket cost of something like $3000....never heard of a band paying the ASCAP fee. WOuld likely be the death knoll of the cover band. Is already the death knoll of some clubs who have live music... if a club is doing marginally o.k. by hiring live music, having to pay ASCAP may be (has been) the tipping point to discontinue live music.

but naturally, even playing a song off an iPod or a CD requires this license, otherwise its an un-authorized use. So if the venue thinks the got away with it by having a DJ or just an iPod, i don't think that works either.

[Russell Landwehr]

Anyway, my question was for a performance theater (but I did not make that clear, sorry) so I don't think they pay the fees. This has been a very enlightening post but I am now leaning towards the "dude, why not use your own music for this and avoid the hassle". - It was (and may still be) an underscore to my recorded MC intro for the production. When I posted this question it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, not so much.

Not the first time a good idea at the time morphed into: keep it simple, stupid.

Actually, Mike, it seems quite simple to call the venue and find out if they pay BMI and ASCAP. I was told in a forum geared toward people who are live sound engineers, that often venues such as convention centers and banquet centers and such will carry a license so that their butt(s) are covered when the DJ or band comes in for the conference or wedding reception. This may apply also to your theater. However, if it is part of the "show" then you are probably getting into the "sync" part of the business. If it is just background music while people enter the venue (such as that stuff you hear before a concert) then I would guess that it falls under the "performance" blanket.

rl

[mikeymike2000]

Thanks Mazz, Casey, Chuck, Andy and Russell (hope I got everyone)

My head is spinning but I am sure I will be able to figure it out now with everyone's thoughts and tips.