Remember When ASCAP cried about declining revenues, late checks after COVID?

[Music1234]

Well…I do remember this very well at around this time last year. They Cried how “revenue will be declining in 2020 because no one wants to pay us since hotels, airlines, bars, concert venues, clubs, restaurants, etc…..were all shut down due to the pandemic.” They said “Your royalties will be cut” to all of us.
Well what do ya know! ASCAP is now bragging about “RECORD REVENUES” for fiscal year 2020. I wonder where they found all this money with all clubs, concert venues, sporting events, concerts, restaurants, hotels…etc. shut down?

Read Here:
https://www.ascap.com/about-us/annual-report-2020?utm_source=inside_music&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=annualreport&utm_content=

PDF here:

https://www.ascap.com/~/media/files/pdf/about/annual-reports/ascap_annual-report_2020_030821-compressed.pdf

[Vlad]

Not going to lie, this one really bothered me. My 2020 ASCAP revenue took a significant dip from previous years, which had all been on the increase. I feel like that release was a bit of a slap in the face.

[Chango]

Was definitely validation for me that ASCAP had been searching for a way to DECREASE those “ROYALTY CREDIT VALUE” numbers for awhile but couldn’t really figure out a way to do it without causing an uproar…AND THEN HERE COMES THE COVID SHUT-DOWN!! Spoke with numerous reps at ASCAP that informed me that ASCAP operates on a Cash-In Cash-Out model, with no Cash Reserve…HOW? How are you a multi-million (Possibly Billion) dollar business with NO CASH RESERVE? FOH!

[Tbone]

I’ve never really trusted the PROs and I feel like I trust them even less now. But there’s no other choice for collecting back end as far as I can tell.

[Chango]

Yea Tbone, I feel the same. When it comes to collecting royalties throughout the USA and all other countries, we really don’t have a choice. I just wish there was at least 1 PRO that was dedicated to collecting royalties only for TV & Film placements. A PRO that caters to tv and film composers only. Maybe then we would earn a bit more and be treated with a little more respect.

[LAwriter]

I just wish there was at least 1 PRO that was dedicated to collecting royalties only for TV & Film placements. A PRO that caters to tv and film composers only.

^^^^. That is really the only hope for change. It’s a well known fact that the PRO’s move monies around from slush funds to beef up royalties for : hi exposure writers threatening to leave, publicly visable “stars”, etc. – at the expense of the working man musician. There are some serious stories….. Especially at ASCAP.

[Music1234]

We definitely need a PRO that is solely dedicated to music for TV shows, commercials, internet media, and Film to cater to “production music” composers only. The fact of the matter is broadcast TV royalties are the highest paying royalties there are. Someone from SESAC’s royalties department told me that straight up.

I actually had my best year ever with ASCAP, but that was mostly because of a European payment that came through from a big ad campaign that ran over there in 2018. ASCAP “forgot” to pay in 2019, and pointed some blame at GEMA. After my co writer and I hit them up with a massive log of air dates / detections from TUNESAT and we dialed up our phone calls and emails to 100 (RED ALERT) and escalated the issue to some folks on the board, we did in fact see a massive payment.

This incident and example should be a lesson to all: do not be lazy, do not sit back and “hope” that royalties will come. When you land something big and you know, hear, and see the evidence of a lot of air dates, you must become very persistent until you collect those royalties.

PRO Royalty distribution is not an objective, easily traced process. I have to believe that there is a lot of subjectivity in those accounting offices at PRO’s determining who gets what from the $1.32 Billion dollar pie.

What I have learned over the years is that those who make noise, present claims, proof of data, proof of the actual production, and stick their necks out to hunt for their royalties from projects running a lot on air, they are the composers and publishers who will earn the most. If nagging, reminding, and presenting detection data is not something you are comfortable with, you may want to look for another job. Right Art? I remember your singlecare prescription drug spot! You had to remind, hunt, email, make calls, chase and chase some more. Those who chase are rewarded with checks!

[Art Munson]

Right Art? I remember your singlecare prescription drug spot! You had to remind, hunt, email, make calls, chase and chase some more. Those who chase are rewarded with checks!

Yep, so true! Congrats on that big payout Music1234!

[Andrea Perry]

I’m so glad someone brought this up! Yes, I remember it well and my payments were indeed lower. A statement over 100 pages long in 2020 brought in less money than a 60 page statement from the same quarter in 2019. I know different placements pay different amounts, but the placements seemed similar. I did feel, cynically, that ASCAP would use COVID as an excuse to devalue the music permanently. I was taken aback when they crowed about record revenues for 2020. Did this all go to the musical 1%?

[markjsmith]

My royalties took a significant dip as well! Don’t know the answer as we can change PRO’s for future works but we can’t move music that’s already registered at a PRO to my knowledge?

[LuvMusic]

Anyone else wake up this morning and NOT see the latest International Distribution in their bank account? I guess it’s next week.

[RM90]

Didn’t get mine, it must be next week.

[LuvMusic]

Thanks for the info!
We’re about a year and a half into this pandemic and ASCAP still can’t give us set payout dates. I wonder if the other PROs are like this as well.

[Author]

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