AIMP shares with our members and our members share with us... This is YOUR area to post your thoughts on subjects of interest to our members.  

by J. Cate

This is true, and retroactive to 2011.  If you have "incidental" vocal placements collected by ASCAP, your rate is now at the instrumental rate, or half of what it was. I was surprised to learn that many of you were not aware of this, and we need to get this issue out in the open. This "reapportionment",  which I heard about in February and was announced earlier this month, was allegedly done in the interest of "fairness" to composers and purportedly would "bring up" instrumental rates while "bringing down" vocal rates. Another publisher told me on Monday that, in fact, their statement showed instrumental rates had gone DOWN.  ASCAP has not been transparent about this issue, and it would seem that this drastic and untimely reduction is now "top loaded" to feature performances, unless the money has been allocated to "operating costs".  AIMP needs to bring some clarity to this issue and PRO's must become more transparent.  I also heard SESAC is having similar discussions.  In a very hard economic environment, "the rich getting richer" is the LAST thing any of us need.  Or, as a screen writer friend said on Monday, "Our Guild is always about how much our annual rate will INCREASE; there is NEVER a discussion about a DECREASE." Our PRO's exist to represent us-- all of us.  Or do they?  I am also aware through another organization I participate in that because new & conventional media are increasingly being delivered "over the top" (via the internet), ISP's and others are beginning to look at the notion of replacing PRO's, as they can do so more efficiently and transparently, just as TuneCore and others have with distribution. Please help me to encourange AIMP to get this issue out in the open so we can have a voice with the PRO's, who have unilaterally taken 1/2 our income away.  I can be reached at johncate@comcast.net or by telephone at 617-312-3335.  Thank you.