Gene Lobbies Congress for Songwriter's Rights!

[OHKISSFAN]

Good move on Gene's part!

KISS co-founder Gene Simmons is among the many artists who are supporting and participating in ASCAP's virtual "Stand with Songwriters" Advocacy Month, during which members of the performing-rights organization are encouraging members of Congress to support the rights of music creators.

Launched because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virtual "Stand with Songwriters" initiative is taking the place of the annual "Stand with Songwriters" advocacy day traditionally held on Capitol Hill, and the "We Write the Songs" concert, a partnership between The ASCAP Foundation and the Library of Congress.

As part of the campaign, Simmons recently met with select members of Congress to discuss a number of important issues affecting American songwriters and composers. Among the main topics was the issue of reforming legislation regarding the amount of money songwriters receive when their music is played via streaming and other digital platforms.

"The music that moves the world -- R&B, rock, blues, country western, various jazz -- was all invented right here in America by the people who now can't even quit their day job to devote their time to art," said Simmons. "There's not going to be another Lennon, McCartney or Gershwin or somebody else because -- even though the talent is out there -- most people don't realize every time you download a song, the songwriter is making minuscule amounts of one penny."

Other notable ASCAP members who also are planning on taking part in the virtual sessions include Pat Benatar and her husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo; former Styx singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung; Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth; Desmond Child; and renowned songwriter Paul Williams, who also is ASCAP's president and chairman.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 5:00PM by Matt Friedlander

[Mike5477]

Good!! As a member of ASCAP myself, I can tell you first hand how ridiculous how little money is made by the artists. Glad to hear Gene is involved in this.

[So Cruel]

Good on Gene. Using his celebrity will get this in the news and hopefully add pressure to make changes.

[Bruce]

Good to see.

[ClevelandRocker]

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment- ... P1hE5RYGls

Click the link to read more.

Sony Music has cancelled the debts of thousands of artists who signed to the record label before the year 2000.

It means that many will now, for the first time, earn money when their songs are streamed on services like Spotify and Amazon Music.

Sony said it could not name the eligible acts due to confidentiality agreements, but a source said it would "include household names".

It said some artists stood to receive "many thousands of dollars per year".
Musicians typically take on debt when they first sign to a record label. They are given a lump sum, known as an advance, to pay for recording studios, video shoots, distribution and other expenses. The money is then paid back when they sell their music.

However, many artists never earn enough to repay their advances, often because they get unfavorable royalty rates from their own record companies. Heritage black artists have been particularly affected.

And until the debt to their label is repaid, those artists are not eligible to receive income from streaming, and other royalty payments.

[Stlouisblue]

Really? This coming from a guy who would change a few words in a fully completed song and demand a co-writing credit when he was using up and coming writers for their talent?

[vantheman77]

I can see artists who signed with Sony wanting songwriters rights and no surprise about Gene being one of them.

[TwistedTaste]

Really? This coming from a guy who would change a few words in a fully completed song and demand a co-writing credit when he was using up and coming writers for their talent?

That sums up Gene’s writing credits on Creatures lol

[alanrosembung]

Really? This coming from a guy who would change a few words in a fully completed song and demand a co-writing credit when he was using up and coming writers for their talent?

And didn’t he get out of paying royalties on his box set by selling it privately? I heard something like that at the time. Also a reason why he was able to finally release those VH demos that were meant to be on the 2001 box set but he couldn’t get clearance.

[kwf484]

Don't they try to screw other songwriters out of credits and attach their names to songs they didn't write? Will they mention this before congress?

[sabresaxon]

And don’t forget not recertifying the catalog to avoid songwriters from putting their hands out for owed royalties for a trifecta of unethical behaviour.

[alanrosembung]

That’s a myth by KISS fans to try and explain why they haven’t sold as many records as they say they have.

Destroyer went double platinum in 2011.

The RIAA is still counting.

Gene and Paul are still lying.

[EasyCatMan]

And don’t forget not recertifying the catalog to avoid songwriters from putting their hands out for owed royalties for a trifecta of unethical behaviour.

That's the myth KISS fans have been saying forever.

The RIAA is still counting KISS sales. Look at 1996. Alive II hadn't sold anymore since 1977. Just the "double disc" got it bumped up to 2M in sales from the 1M in 1977.

Just think, since 1977 it had not even sold 500K copies so it would get 3X platinum in 1996.

Of course I keed. Some can't grasp the concept the RIAA can't "count" what they don't have records for. And they won't bother to do audits unless asked, paid and provided the records to back up the shipments.

Some still think KISS didn't do jack in the 70's but they somehow managed to land one of the biggest record deals at the time despite "allegedly" not selling anything.

[EasyCatMan]

Good!! As a member of ASCAP myself, I can tell you first hand how ridiculous how little money is made by the artists. Glad to hear Gene is involved in this.

They could keep their songs off streaming sites. Taylor Swift said screw you to Spotify for years. If more artists would do that, then it would be easier to get reform.

But the idea of Gene speaking on behalf of the "poor songwriters" is very ironic.

[Going Blind]

Yawn. Would much more valid on Gene's part if Kiss bothered to make music anymore. Gene only cares about Gene's wallet, he isn't standing up for anybody lol.

[lord71]

Is he talking on behalf of Sophie, since I have understood that they have sold their rights years ago to Universal? Or what's the point?

[Strutterer]

I think a lot of people see paying for streaming as the balm for their years of piracy via sites like Napster and Kazaa. Streaming certainly is better than stealing, but the industry has not been able to come up with a way to replace the income models from actual records/units.

Someone smarter than me may find a way. The collapse of touring post-pandemic is going to stress the new format of 80-90% touring income, 10-20% record royalties that many artists figured out in the last 15 years.

Kiss needs to be on Spotify and the like, though. It's the only way to build the next generation of fans and ensure some revenues come in from merch and ticket sales. Younger friends and family in my orbit are listening to Kiss, at least the hits, but doing so via Spotify almost exclusively.

I look at Garth Brooks, one my favourite artists, who is invisible on YouTube or Spotify and only streams via Amazon Prime. My view is that Prime isn't as popular as other services, and you can't be on just one platform anymore. Garth will be forgotten in 50 years because it's too hard to hear his stuff unless you have the CDs from the 90s or downloaded via some sort of paid marketplace like iTunes. Casual listeners won't know the full scope of his impact and catalogue.

[missingdiver]

Who are the members of congress he’s talking to? I heard DC is abandoned...FBI building boarded up.