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BMI Reports All-Time Profit High Despite Piracy

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the business-not-so-bad-after-all dept.

applemasker writes "Arstechnica is running a story chock full of links to other interesting things about BMI's amazing record profit and how the RIAA skews its sales statistics while strangling fair use." Phew, so the artists aren't really starving, but we still can't all go back to "borrowing" music from our friends instead of each purchasing our own copy.

4 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. I sense the potential for confusion by tepples · · Score: 5, Informative

    BMI != BMG

    BMG is a record label.

    BMI is a performance rights organization representing songwriters and their publishers. It handles royalties for radio play of over 4 million copyrighted songs. The other major performance rights organizations are ASCAP and SESAC.

  2. Re:What BMI will say by erick99 · · Score: 5, Informative
    This is not new, not that it changes the argument but I was taping songs off the radio in the 60's when I was 10 years old. I would agree that it's easier now and the quality is better but copying songs is an "old" practice and I just don't know that it has the effect that the labels believe. When I got older and got a job, I began paying for my music as I believe most folks do.

    Cheers,

    Erick

    --
    http://www.busyweather.com/
  3. Re:What BMI will say by shark72 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Why would they say that? BMI collects royalties on performance rights, not CD sales. CD sales have nothing to do with their revenue stream.

    Remember, BMI is a non-profit artists' rights agency, collecting royalties for composers and songwriters for performances -- not sales -- of music which was written or composed by their members.

    --
    Sitting in my day care, the art is decopainted.
  4. Re:What BMI will say by tigeba · · Score: 5, Informative

    BMI is a non-profit organization that collects royalties for performances on behalf of artists. ASCAP is a similar organization. The money is obtained from entities like radio stations and then is distributed to artists based on statistical sampling of compiled performance data. Artists (songwriters, composers, publishers) select an organization (BMI, ASCAP) and register their works with them, and in return for a membership fee, the organization sends them a check if their performances show up on the radar.