Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
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Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#2Wow I had no idea this was taking place. It reminds me a little of the fight hollywood screenwriters have fought to get equal billing and recognition. I always assumed that the writer got the most money!
Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#3I'd argue that the producers/composers are far more important to pop songs today than the writers.
Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#4I'd argue that the producers/composers are far more important to pop songs today than the writers.
That's beside the point. The performers are starting to demand a portion of the revenue stream that should be going to "people who aren't the performers".
Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#5I mean, I have sympathy for the writers, but I also don't believe that it's necessarily equitable that a songwriter receives all the money when a song is played on the radio but the performer receives nothing (that is my understanding, please correct me if I'm wrong).
Consider the case of "I Will Always Love You", written and originally performed by Dolly Parton but made globally famous by Whitney Houston. I mean, Parton is a pretty legendary songwriter, but let's be honest, the only reason that song was played over and over on the radio was Houston's voice. When Houston died and the song was again put in rotation on the radio, is it really fair that Parton received all the benefit of that and Houston's estate nothing?
Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#6I'd argue that the producers/composers are far more important to pop songs today than the writers.
I think in the context of music, composer and writer are essentially the same, but maybe you meant specifically text writer?
Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#7I'd argue that the producers/composers are far more important to pop songs today than the writers.
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Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#8I'd argue that the producers/composers are far more important to pop songs today than the writers.
I think in the context of music, composer and writer are essentially the same, but maybe you meant specifically text writer?
Yes. I was thinking more along the lines of songwriter === lyricist.
Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#9Wow I had no idea this was taking place. It reminds me a little of the fight hollywood screenwriters have fought to get equal billing and recognition. I always assumed that the writer got the most money!
Maybe in Christopher Nolan's case that may be true. Even in the rare case of an original script i doubt that the writers get any significant slice of the pie. It would be interesting to know more about how the film industry pays its contributors.
Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write
#10I mean, I have sympathy for the writers, but I also don't believe that it's necessarily equitable that a songwriter receives all the money when a song is played on the radio but the performer receives nothing (that is my understanding, please correct me if I'm wrong). Consider the case of "I Will Always Love You", written and originally performed by Dolly Parton but made globally famous by Whitney Houston. I mean, Pa…
In this case the writers are talking about "publishing" rights which are distinct and separate from the sound recording (I believe those are called the "master" rights).
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Copyright is split into two main sections: copyright in the song (known as publishing rights) and copyright in the sound recording (known as master rights). The publisher only deals with the publishing right, which is the songwriting side and includes the music and lyrics.
Traditionally, a record label will own the master right, which is basically the right to use a particular recording of that song, but if you’re a self-releasing artist or producer then you will most likely own this right yourself.
https://dittomusic.com/en/blog/music-publishing-explained-fo...