|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883 |
Some things about songwriter's royalties that many folks might not know or don't consider... The last few days, I have been listening to a record that I really like. Jon Pardi's "California Sunrise". I highly recommend this one. I had not heard Pardi's music prior to this - as far as I know... This is new, current Country, but has a lot of "that older sound" (sort of makes it a "gateway drug" for modern Country). Some of the songs have that '90s sound and feel, some have today's sound and feel, some a hybrid. All are well-written and produced. A nice variety of styles. Wikipedia generally has information on artists and record releases that I find interesting - particularly for new music that I like and don't know a lot about. So, I looked this one up. Now... some numbers... (this all from Wikipedia) The album (released on June 17, 2016) debuted at No. 1 on the Country Albums chart, selling 24,000 copies in its first week. As of December 2016, the album has sold 87,100 copies in the United States. This is after a single being released prior to the album release: "Head Over Boots" - released to radio on September 14, 2015 and has sold 701,000 copies in the United States as of January 2017. ...and one after: "Dirt on My Boots" - released to radio on September 19, 2016 - has sold 250,000 copies in the United States as of January 2017. Last week, the album was #12 on the Billboard Country chart. This week it is #14. It has been on the charts for 31 weeks (and did debut at #1). Very surprising that these days, a record with these stats has only sold 87,000 records. So... if you had a cut on this record... how much did you take to the bank (not considering taxes, etc.)? The current mechanical royalty is 9.1 cents. So the songs on this record (that were not singles) each generated $7,917 ...(87,000 X .091). That is split 50/50 between songwriters and publishers - $3,958. As you can see below, most songs these days (that get cut) have 3 writers (on average). That's $1,319 for you as 1 of 3 writers. 1. "Out of Style" ...................Lynn Hutton · Jeff Hyde · Neil Mason 5:05 2. "Cowboy Hat" .....................Jon Pardi · Brett Beavers · Bart Butler 3:18 3. "Head Over Boots" ................Pardi · Luke Laird 3:23 4. "Night Shift" ....................Tofer Brown · Phillip LaRue · Billy Montana 2:52 5. "Can’t Turn You Down" ............Randy Montana · Corey Crowder · Jeremy Stover 3:24 6. "Dirt on My Boots" ...............Rhett Akins · Jesse Frasure · Ashley Gorley 3:23 7. "She Ain't In It" ................Clint Daniels · Wynn Varble 3:18 8. "All Time High" ..................Pardi · Butler · Brice Long 3:53 9. "Heartache on the Dance Floor" ...Pardi · Butler · Long 3:25 10. "Paycheck" ......................Pardi · Laird 3:08 11. "Lucky Tonight" .................Pardi · Jim McCormick 3:28 12. "California Sunrise" ............Pardi · Butler · Larry McCoy 4:14 Of course, if you get a cut, the likelihood is that you have a staff writing position - which means you have been getting an advance on future royalties (as your "pay"). That AND half the cost any demos the publisher has done of your song for plugging purposes goes back to the publisher from any royalties you make. You don't see any of that royalty money until you've out-earned what they have paid you. Now, if you are lucky enough (or, really, GOOD enough) to have writing credit on a single... "Heads Over Boots" (750k sales) generated $34,125 for 2 writers - $17,062 each - (and Luke Laird is his own publisher - so he gets another $17K) Now, this is peanuts compared to what airplay royalties would be - where the real money is... A #1 radio song can easily generate $1M in royalties for the writers - which they split - and the same for the publishers - which Luke also gets!. (I've seen a couple of writers blow through that in less than a year - some are ill prepared for such a windfall). Have a listen to the record.... 1. "Out of Style" ............... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmbW2_K7BMA2. "Cowboy Hat" ................. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us8nErZYtZo3. "Head Over Boots" ............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K0akU-Rdv84. "Night Shift" ................ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdV5CYTgNfQ5. "Can’t Turn You Down" ........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNw7VxgcmBQ6. "Dirt on My Boots" ........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCxbgqyC2Wg7. "She Ain't In It" ............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWjg65iMk-E8. "All Time High" .............. 9. "Heartache on the Dance Floor" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7RSc3RTYaM10. "Paycheck" .................. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiUUcjCY-Wo11. "Lucky Tonight" ............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ex25n6tHY412. "California Sunrise" ........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYt7-szoRUM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812 |
Interesting numbers. Yep.... unless the CD sells into the gold or platinum area, there's not a lot of money in the mechanicals. But as you point out, the airplay is where the money stacks up assuming you get into the top 10 or higher nationally.
That also explains the seriously tough competition to get writing sessions and cuts with artists who are at the top of the charts.
Good info.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298 |
That's pretty amazing to see! So you're saying if you want to make money, write hits that get A LOT of airplay? That seems reasonable enough  I agree with you about JP's sound. There is actually A LOT of this kind of thing IF people actually listen. I find so many people point to the song or two they don't like from an artist and pretend that the market today. FAR from it. (sort of makes it a "gateway drug" for modern Country Careful They may just get their "hooks" in you yet Thanks for breaking that all down. VERY interesting!
Last edited by HearToLearn; 01/30/17 11:20 AM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812 |
Letting that album play.... nice music....
#7... She ain't in it.... wow... just wow!
I have heard the "Boots over" tune on the radio more than a few times...
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 01/30/17 11:35 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,073
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,073 |
That is a fascinating discourse on the state of royalties now days. What about Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube? I would think there would be some decent change there. I once familiarized myself with the payouts for Spotify but promptly forgot it. We still get the occasional small "digital check" from the 2002 CD we did with Randy. It was sold through CDBaby and they put it out in the digital world and to this day still track it.
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883 |
What about Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube? Streaming pays almost nothing to the writers. Millions of streams gets you, maybe, a couple of grand. There are articles out there that have the numbers... they aren't good... Here is a quote from this article http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/songwriters-royalties-streaming-1.3567947"American songwriter Kevin Kadish, who co-wrote the body-positive anthem All About That Bass with Meghan Trainor, complained to the U.S. Congress that he received $5,679 US for a song that had 178 million streams."
Last edited by floyd jane; 01/30/17 01:00 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
Yep.... unless the CD sells into the gold or platinum area, there's not a lot of money in the mechanicals. I thought the airplay royalties were where you made the bulk of your money. If you get heavy rotation at 10 stations per state, that'd be 500 stations playing your song 12-15 times a day. Does anybody know how much you make per play on commercial radio? I know the streams are close to nothing, like $.0004 per stream or something ridiculous like that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883 |
Yep.... unless the CD sells into the gold or platinum area, there's not a lot of money in the mechanicals. I thought the airplay royalties were where you made the bulk of your money. If you get heavy rotation at 10 stations per state, that'd be 500 stations playing your song 12-15 times a day. Does anybody know how much you make per play on commercial radio? I know the streams are close to nothing, like $.0004 per stream or something ridiculous like that. A song on a gold record generates $45,500 in mechanical royalties. That is split 50/50 between publishers and writers. $22,750 If there are 2 writers on the song, they split the writer's share. So they each get $11,375. So, no, actually there is not "big money" in gold. Platinum would be twice that - again, not "big money". If you've got 5 or 6 cuts on a gold record, you've made a decent living. For that year, anyway. There are only a handful of writers who get that many cuts in a year, much less on a single record. And gold records aren't a guarantee these days...because everyone can stream everything and never BUY a record. And...songwriters careers are a lot like pro athletes - 5 years is a good run. There used to be a handful of "superstars" who had 20 year careers (they aren't getting cuts now). The majority will have a good year or two. Here is a list of the current "active" sellers in Country: http://roughstock.com/news/2017/01/41331-top-10-country-albums-chart-january-23-2016There are 21 gold or higher. Most of those have been on the charts for a year or more to make those numbers. And if you notice, the really BIG sellers are all OLD GUYS - because their old fans still buy records (CDs). As they fall away and younger acts take their place, these number will continue to fall, because eventually, no on will buy albums anymore. Everything will be streamed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
What this tells me is this is good advertising for a tour. If you want to stay home and write and record without touring, good luck. It's also what you need to get booked in one of the few big name clubs in LA. A regular local act no matter now good gets nowhere around here without a serious resume with all this stuff on it.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812 |
I don't think I actually said "big money... in mechanicals"....
To a starving songwriter in Nashville, $10k is like winning the lottery. I remember how broke I was a various times in my life, especially when I first started playing in bands. $10k then would have been simply wonderful. I recall having a conversation with another musician who commented that if he had $10k, he would never have to work another day in his life.....
The whole point being, yes, mechanicals are nice if you get a big cut... but that $10k gets a 20% or so hit for taxes and what's left goes fast....you'll probably have enough to catch your rent up, pay on your car payment and buy some food for the next week, and maybe pay off your credit account at the music store.
Airplay is where the money is hiding for the writers, but getting those airplay spins is the trick. There has to be some sort of buzz going on in other areas to get the attention of those who compile the airplay charts for the radio stations.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,812 |
Yep.... unless the CD sells into the gold or platinum area, there's not a lot of money in the mechanicals. I thought the airplay royalties were where you made the bulk of your money. If you get heavy rotation at 10 stations per state, that'd be 500 stations playing your song 12-15 times a day. Does anybody know how much you make per play on commercial radio? I know the streams are close to nothing, like $.0004 per stream or something ridiculous like that. Apparently, the PRO you are with gets to make those numbers up as they go. Well maybe not exactly... but kind of seems that way. Of course, they have a formula that varies depending on a multitude of factors. Factors include: Length of the performance, market area, number of stations playing the performance, time of day of the performance, how many times the performance airs, etc.... All works in the BMI repertoire that are performed on radio will be eligible for a Current Activity Payment. BMI calculates a unique royalty rate for each work, which is based upon the license fees collected from stations that performed that work in combination with the number of times each work aired on those stations. For example, if one of your works was performed on 200 radio stations during a quarter, its unique rate is calculated based upon the license fees collected by BMI from those 200 stations. If another work in your catalogue was performed on 2,000 stations in the same quarter, that work’s rate will be different because it will be based upon the license fees collected from those 2,000 stations. All works that were reported to BMI as having been performed on radio during a quarter, regardless of how many times each of the works was performed, are eligible for the Current Activity Payment. The substantial majority of the amount available for distribution each quarter will be used to make Current Activity Payments.The full BMI info page is here>>> http://www.bmi.com/creators/royalty/us_radio_royalties[i][/i] NOTE: that info ^^^^^ is for airplay of songs like you hear on any given radio station. Airplay for TV and film is a bit different. Still collected and paid by the PRO but rates can be significantly higher. For example.... on my PRO statements, I have a number of cues (song snippet) that played for 5 seconds in a TV show that earned 5 cents each. That's 60 cent a minute. I have others that earned several dollars and played in a show for about 70 seconds, and everything in between. Those rate scales are different from radio station airplay.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 01/31/17 03:07 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298 |
I know this was mentioned a bit in passing, and not the larger point being made in the thread, but this point has had me thinking... This is new, current Country, but has a lot of "that older sound" (sort of makes it a "gateway drug" for modern Country). I think that gateway is two ways. I've seen a lot of kids get turned on to older country from these types of situations. All the way around I feel it's a good thing.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,073
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,073 |
...Airplay is where the money is hiding for the writers, but getting those airplay spins is the trick. There has to be some sort of buzz going on in other areas to get the attention of those who compile the airplay charts for the radio stations. They had an effective way of doing that back in the late 50's 
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883 |
They had an effective way of doing that back in the late 50's Don't think for a second that that is not still the case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
They had an effective way of doing that back in the late 50's Don't think for a second that that is not still the case. Yeah, except it's paid in white powder these days.  Regards, Bob
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,883 |
They had an effective way of doing that back in the late 50's Don't think for a second that that is not still the case. Yeah, except it's paid in white powder these days. Wasn't it always? The more things change....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298 |
Is that why they sing about "sugar shakers?"
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 408
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 408 |
Great analysis, Floyd! Really interesting how little writers actually make from the royalties as opposed to airwave (and crazy how little they make from streaming!).
Will - PG Music
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,034
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,034 |
They had an effective way of doing that back in the late 50's Don't think for a second that that is not still the case. Yeah, except it's paid in white powder these days. Wasn't it always? The more things change.... This reminded me of the payola episode on WKRP in Cincinnati, not sure if you ever watched that show? The guy giving Carlson a bag of Cocaine to play some records and Carlson, being totally naive about payola, thinking it was foot powder
Last edited by BlueAttitude; 01/31/17 08:37 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,073
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,073 |
Great show and yeah that episode was memorable!
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,088
Posts800,042
Members40,031
| |
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean