[BC] SESAC, BMI, ASCAP

[David Kaye]

--- On Fri, 6/29/12, Dwight Morgan <dmorgan at entravision.com> wrote:

> We own a bar/restaurant here in Fountain Hills, Arizona, and
> we usually have some live music in the Fall, Winter months
> when we are in our busy times.  We have owned the
> Saddle Bronc Grill for 2 1/2 years and have put up with the
> "shake down" of SESAC, BMI, and ASCAP and paid the dues
> every year. 

It's not a shakedown.  The music you present is what brings people into your venue.  Well, it turns out that real people wrote and published those songs.  The bands that play them are making money off those songs, so it's only right that the licensing agencies get royalties to distribute to the authors and publishers.

Don't want to pay the license fees?  Fine.  Start a policy of no ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.  There's a coffeehouse in San Francisco that has a no-cover song policy so that they don't have to pay royalties. 

In fact, the Bazaar Cafe has turned what might be considered a negative into a positive.  They have had many of their musicians contribute to CDs they produce and sell in the cafe and via the musicians.  Here's a link to the website:  http://www.bazaarcafe.com/

But don't ever call the ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC policies a shake-down.  You and the musicians are making money off people's work.  They deserve to get paid for it.  

> The only music we will
> play from now on is through the DIRECT TV satellite music
> channel.  As a radio engineer and restaurant owner I'm
> ashamed of the antics of ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.  I'm
> done with them!    

No you're not.  The fees you pay to your satellite service pay for royalties for the recorded music you present.  This is why you have to have a commercial account, not a home account for satellite and cable services in a bar.  The royalties are figured in.