Quote:
Originally Posted by Evil Ernie
I see. So they're obligated to make the record, pay the expenses out of their own pocket, take all the risk, but if it's successful they get almost nothing compared to the composer?
Makes total sense.
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Doesn't seem fair, and it probably isn't, but it's true. In fact, copyright laws were started to protect music
publishers
In the "old" days, artists for the most part didn't write their own songs, and songwriters didn't perform or record them; the singer-songwriter is a relatively new "invention". Country music still works this way somewhat.
Ever heard of the Brill Building? Many hit records came out of there:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brill_Building
The Brill Building approach--which can be extended to other publishers not based in the actual Brill Building--was one way that professionals in the music business took control of things in the time after rock and roll's first wave. In the Brill building practice, there were no more unpredictable or rebellious singers; in fact, a specific singer in most cases could be easily replaced with another. These songs were written to order by pros who could custom fit the music and lyrics to the targeted teen audience. In a number of important ways, the Brill Building approach was a return to the way business had been done in the years before rock and roll, since it returned power to the publishers and record labels and made the performing artists themselves much less central to the music's production.
If simply being the performer is so lucrative, then why did Springsteen sue his former manager for (among other things) his publishing? He was almost dropped from his label, and probably would have been if "Born to Run" didn't sell, because he was so deeply in the hole with the record company. Sure, he has lots of money now, but it wasn't until "Born in the U.S.A." was a monster hit that he had very much at all. And, I'm sure he makes far more from touring than from record sales. I use him as an example, but his situation was far from unique.
I've read that Elvis Presley didn't record anyone's song unless they gave him half of the publishing- why do think that was?