[net.music] A Question of Performance Fees

leads3@burl.UUCP (leads3) (02/25/86)

When a band/musician performs a cover of someone elses music
in a club/bar aren't they required to pay a performance fee
to ASCAP,BMI,...ect. which in turn pays the original composer?
I realize that this would financially burden a multitude of
bands/musicians but theoretically isn't this required by law?

so long,
Dave

leads3@burl.UUCP (leads3) (02/26/86)

> When a band/musician performs a cover of someone elses music
> in a club/bar aren't they required to pay a performance fee
> to ASCAP,BMI,...ect. which in turn pays the original composer?
> I realize that this would financially burden a multitude of
> bands/musicians but theoretically isn't this required by law?
> 
> so long,
> Dave

Whooops! After writing the above questions yesterday, I decided
to go home and read up on the subject. (should have done that first)
Anyway....The  way BMI collects these fees is by licensing the
places where bands/musicians play. (Hotels,restaurants,clubs,
bar,theatres....ect.) Evidently the bands/musicians don't have
to worry about doing cover songs as long as the establishment
where they are performing pays BMI the performance fee. Therefore,
the statement above about being "financially burdened" (blah, blah,
blah) was incorrect. (I lied. I didn't realize anything. My apologies)

so long,
Dave

kirsch@sjuvax.UUCP (P. Kirsch) (02/28/86)

In article <1053@burl.UUCP> leads3@burl.UUCP writes:
>When a band/musician performs a cover of someone elses music
>in a club/bar aren't they required to pay a performance fee
>to ASCAP,BMI,...ect. which in turn pays the original composer?
>I realize that this would financially burden a multitude of
>bands/musicians but theoretically isn't this required by law?
>
>so long,
>Dave

Technically Dave--you are right--playing covers is quite illegal. A lot
of bars that have all cover bands pay a fee to ASCAP/BMI and then they
are supposedly allowed to have all the covers they want.




-- 
"Run around in the radiation,
 Run around in the Acid Rain...
 Black, Black Planet..."

                              Paul Kirsch
                              St. Joseph's University
                              Philadelphia, Pa

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