I had a friend who is a song plugger/publisher, who ended up getting a song that was a top five song in GREECE. There was a female trio, who was the equivilent of America's "DESTINY'S CHILD". HUGE in Greece and throughout much of Europe. They were everywhere, television, billboards, on buses, etc. They were this sensation, and his song was their huge breakout hit.
He noticed that the next year, when he should have started seeing money, there was nothing. He thought it was just an intercountry thing. He waited 18 months, two years, and started calling ASCAP, started trying to check on where the money was. Every place led him to another dead end. Finally, in year three, he was put in contact with the ASCAP equivilent in Greece, and was basically told that "People were rioting in the streets. The PRO in Greece is owned by the state, as it is a socialist country." He never recieved a dime.

Basically you are pretty lucky if you get anything out of these people. When there is Civil Unrest, desrtruction going on, people dying, paying for a song is not quite the priority. And when you get money from different countries, you find out it's not quite what anyone thinking it is. Getting 100 million Yen ends up being worth about $20. To me, it's sort of amazing we're getting anything from anywhere. As I've said before,music is now endless and free. Ain't going back.

Another friend of mine showed up to a set I did last night. Had not seen him in years, and was pretty amazed he popped in. He was once the "PUBLISHER Of the YEAR two years in a row and 10 years ago had told me he was getting out of publishing and into CATELOG SALES. You know, the Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks" type sell outs of the entire catalog that we are seeing now? He is doing that for major country writers. That is where the money is and quite probably the end of the money in music.
Everything he told me ten years ago has come true.

You always hope, but to tell you the truth, I'm just not that optimistic "money for music" is even going to be a thing in the not too distant future. Do music because you enjoy it. Don't look for some huge pay off or even any pay off. Be apprecitaive for what you get, and remember, one day you'll look back and THESE will be the "good old days."

MAB

Last edited by Marc Barnette; 05/21/21 07:25 AM.