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Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#71

Post by TigeriusKirk »

dcanelhas wrote: post #9
Simulacra wrote: post #2

Wow 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.

Screenwriters have a good union and are paid pretty well for movies that get made. Not star money, and usually not director money, but more than just about any other roles. Their residuals can also be substantial for a successful show/movie.

They also have very prominent credits, second only to the director (notice it's the second to last in opening credits or second if it's closing credits).

Their biggest issue is all the unpaid work they get asked to do. They can do months and even years of work without any compensation with projects that aren't really moving forward.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#72

Post by andrewzah »

aantix wrote: post #67
S_A_P wrote: post #54

It seems as though this is not a well understood issue from reading the comments here. This isn’t artists doing interviews and saying “I wrote this”. The problem is that the artists are bullying their way into getting points for the song writing credits (publishing royalties) when they had little(change a word in the lyrics) or no input into the song. I fully support artists getting as much of the live performance/me…

This parallels my entire experience with comp-sci and "group" projects.

This is a large reason behind why I switched to programming after receiving a bachelors in media arts. I’ve had bad experiences with people claiming work they didn’t do, and getting away with it because they knew people.

...and programming pays better, anyhow.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#74

Post by jahnu »

zikzak wrote: post #61
hashkb wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With these types of "manufactured" performance groups I don't think there's any question that they are not composers. The Lady Gaga case (she promotes herself as a composer / guitarist / pianist) is much more of an intentional mislead, in my opinion.

I have no dog in this fight and am not even really a fan but always thought Gaga was a legit artist. Do have any proof she's not?

Performers who don't write or produce their own material are still artists and are as legitimate as any others!

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#75

Post by skeeter2020 »

S_A_P wrote: post #54

It seems as though this is not a well understood issue from reading the comments here. This isn’t artists doing interviews and saying “I wrote this”. The problem is that the artists are bullying their way into getting points for the song writing credits (publishing royalties) when they had little(change a word in the lyrics) or no input into the song. I fully support artists getting as much of the live performance/me…

>> If they did not write a song they should not be getting paid for songwriting.

What does "write the song" mean though? You hear lots of remix and cover versions of famous songs which are obviously derivative works, but what if that happens before the song is ever published? What if a song writer creates a song specifically for an artist? Do these stylistic influences count for writing credit? The line is not well defined.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#76

Post by Kaze404 »

SamBam wrote: post #52
bioinformatics wrote: post #17

Who's taking claim for WAP?

Several people, all listed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAP_(song) . The song has topped numerous charts, for instance Pitchfork and Rolling Stone's best song of 2020. Why wouldn't they want to take credit?

I'd be proud even if it wasn't a massive hit. It's an insanely catchy song, performed by two women who deliver the lines perfectly, on top of a very creative production (I especially like the repetitive "there's some hoes in this house" line that plays throughout the entire song).

I don't think it's fair to the people involved to paint it something it's not just because the sexual language makes you uncomfortable.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#77

Post by analog31 »

S_A_P wrote: post #54

It seems as though this is not a well understood issue from reading the comments here. This isn’t artists doing interviews and saying “I wrote this”. The problem is that the artists are bullying their way into getting points for the song writing credits (publishing royalties) when they had little(change a word in the lyrics) or no input into the song. I fully support artists getting as much of the live performance/me…

Indeed, and it goes back before Elvis. Screwing popular songwriters of their royalties has been a fixture of the music business since time immoral. From what I've read, Jelly Roll Morton's publisher added his own lyrics to Morton's instrumental tunes, to get a cut of the royalties. And it goes back before the recording industry. Before the phonograph, the "music business" was sheet music, there were "stars," and sheet music composers experienced all of the shenanigans that we associate with the music business today.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#78

Post by TwoBit »

SamBam wrote: post #52
bioinformatics wrote: post #17

Who's taking claim for WAP?

Several people, all listed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAP_(song) . The song has topped numerous charts, for instance Pitchfork and Rolling Stone's best song of 2020. Why wouldn't they want to take credit?

Seems primarily like Cardi B's writer started it and Cardi B modified it.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#79

Post by bena »

SamBam wrote: post #52
bioinformatics wrote: post #17

Who's taking claim for WAP?

Several people, all listed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAP_(song) . The song has topped numerous charts, for instance Pitchfork and Rolling Stone's best song of 2020. Why wouldn't they want to take credit?

You know what he's about. He's just a boring old culture warrior who has to inject his personal politics into every situation while simultaneously decrying how everything is now political.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#80

Post by reedjosh »

teknopaul wrote: post #15

Everyone loves the free market up the point of monopoly. Same ol story different bizniz. IMHO since the fall of the Wall Conservatives have stopped bothering to justify the free market as providing for all and have adopted Monopoly as a right of the rich. As if they earned their monopoly. The truth is more that government corrupt^M^M^M lobbying, has permitted it.

If it were a truly free market the entire music business would have to collapse or adapt as copyright wouldn't be a thing.

I personally just try to exit the whole system. I love https://freemusicarchive.org/.

I would love it if culture wasn't driven by pure profit and homogenized into bland predictability.

FMA also provides a way to donate directly to artists.

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