Songwriters understandably hate this, but they have almost no power to stop it. The reason is that despite incredibly low payouts, it’s nearly impossible for songwriters to remove their catalogs from Pandora, or even negotiate better terms. The complicated explanation has to do with a century of antiquated laws that basically force songwriters to license their content at fractional rates, and like it.
Last year, a number of prominent songwriters protested on Capitol Hill, with emotional performances designed to combat lower royalty rates. This year, they’re exercising the nuclear option by introducing legislation to change the laws. This bill, introduced this morning, is called the Songwriter Equity Act, with Congressman Doug Collins sponsoring.
Essentially, the bill attempts to plug two massive loopholes in copyright law that greatly benefit Pandora but essentially screw songwriters. ”Roughly two-thirds of a songwriter’s income is heavily regulated by law or through outdated government oversight,” National Music Publishers’ Association CEO David Israelite told Digital Music News. ”This legislation addresses two significant inequities under current copyright law that prevent songwriters and music publishers from receiving compensation that reflects the fair market value of their work.”
It’s safe to say that Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” is a major hit.
The alternative rock band’s song just made Billboard Hot 100 chart history, breaking the record for the longest run on the list.
This week, the song recorded it’s 77th week on the chart.
“It’s unbelievable,” Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds told Billboard. “There are few things more satisfying as an artist than seeing your music have longevity. But, we could never have expected to see one of our songs have legs like this.”
“People seem to be connecting to it in personal ways, which is exactly what we hoped for,” he continued. “We’ve been out on the road and focused on touring for a long time. Somewhere along the way, we started to realize the song was taking on a life of its own.”
Biggest Selling iTunes Artists within the last 24 hours
Kings of A&R Top 8 Emerging Artists
1) Maggie Chapman – Graffiti
2) Beth Spangler – Like A Bird
3) Radio Days – I’ve Got My Ways On Saturdays
4) Karra – Wild Love
5) Mike Deleasa – To Damn Beautiful
6) Tommy Burr – Lights Out
7) Brittany Ray – Love Is Worth It
8) Kris Orlowski – Believer
Maggie Chapman is a must listen. Check out the track Graffiti which comes off her debut EP which was produced by Luke Laird (Kacey Musgraves). Beth Spangler captured the eyes and ears of songwriters and producers after building a name for herself through a vocal competition. She peaked at #12 on MTV’s popular artist. Radio Days is a electro-indie-pop rock band from Holland and created a buzz after Coldplay mentioned the band on their website. Emerging Electronic/Pop artist, KARRA, has entered the scene with a captivating track called “Wild Love”, with its unforgettable melodies and its unique tribal-esq sound, it serves as a perfect breakout single for the artist. Singer-songwriter Mike Deleasa has toured with the Jonas Brothers in South America, performing Chicago’s House of Blues and NYC’s Irving plaza as direct support for Olly Murs. Tommy Burr who gained traction from our last post will soon release a new EP which features the new single Lights Out. Brittany Ray, a 18 year old country/pop singer-songwriter from Iowa is making noise with her the track Love Is Worth It which features Richie McDonald from Lonestar. Lastly, Kris Orlowski, having just performed at Sundance Film Festival, and is set to perform SXSW just released his new single Believer.
Kings of A&R Top 8 Emerging Artists
1) Maggie Chapman – Graffiti
2) Beth Spangler – Like A Bird
3) Radio Days – I’ve Got My Ways On Saturdays
4) Karra – Wild Love
5) Mike Deleasa – To Damn Beautiful
6) Tommy Burr – Lights Out
7) Brittany Ray – Love Is Worth It
8) Kris Orlowski – Believer
Maggie Chapman is a must listen. Check out the track Graffiti which comes off her debut EP which was produced by Luke Laird (Kacey Musgraves). Beth Spangler captured the eyes and ears of songwriters and producers after building a name for herself through a vocal competition. She peaked at #12 on MTV’s popular artist. Radio Days is a electro-indie-pop rock band from Holland and created a buzz after Coldplay mentioned the band on their website. Emerging Electronic/Pop artist, KARRA, has entered the scene with a captivating track called “Wild Love”, with its unforgettable melodies and its unique tribal-esq sound, it serves as a perfect breakout single for the artist. Singer-songwriter Mike Deleasa has toured with the Jonas Brothers in South America, performing Chicago’s House of Blues and NYC’s Irving plaza as direct support for Olly Murs. Tommy Burr who gained traction from our last post will soon release a new EP which features the new single Lights Out. Brittany Ray, a 18 year old country/pop singer-songwriter from Iowa is making noise with her the track Love Is Worth It which features Richie McDonald from Lonestar. Lastly, Kris Orlowski, having just performed at Sundance Film Festival, and is set to perform SXSW just released his new single Believer.
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