Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website.
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The Chronicle-Herald, the daily newspaper from Halifax, Nova Scotia, ran a story Saturday, November 28, describing a situation where Canada’s national composers’ society (SOCAN) is wanting to be paid for the music used by local gymnastics groups. (See story here.) Gymnastics Canada has refused to pay songwriters for their music, calling SOCAN’s position “immoral.” But in my opinion, SOCAN is in the right.

Yet again, professional songwriters and other composers are placed in the all-too-familiar position of having to explain that, for them, songwriting is a profession. It’s what earns them their bread and butter. They create a product, and people buy that product. And there are guidelines for that product’s use. To use an analogy, buying software created by professional designers requires the purchaser to enter into a licensed agreement with the software company, and there are rules that govern the use of that software. Music, in this instance, is no different.

SOCAN, like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and a host of others, is a performing rights agency. It is through SOCAN that Canadian songwriters are paid. For most, it’s not a bonus; it is, for most, a vital part of how they’re paid. They receive payment for each CD sold (pennies!), and then they are paid a tiny amount for each time that music is broadcast. And yes, as Gymnastics Canada has been told, running your program by using the original work of composers requires payment.

Three things really bother me about this situation. First, take a look at the photo in the article. Do you think that the power company has donated the power that keeps the lights burning for the dancers? Unlikely. What about the mats, the clothing, the blaster? All donated? Possibly, but unlikely. Is the janitor who cleans the room after use asked to donate his/her services? Unlikely. Are they all accused of making a money grab, as SOCAN is? Unlikely.

There’s something else even worse that’s really bothering me about this: Let’s say, for the moment, that you couldn’t afford to buy an item in a store. Would you consider it acceptable to steal it? If you’re questioned about the theft, would you reply, “Well, I thought the price for that was unreasonable, and so of course I stole it.” If neither Gymnastics Canada nor Gymnastics Nova Scotia can afford to buy the music they’re using, the proper course of action is to not use it, to ask for donations, or to negotiate. SOCAN is on the record as saying, “Whatever their issue was financially, we would work with them to ensure that they abided by the copyright law.” The improper course of action is to take it and use it anyway.

And there is a third, even worse aspect to this whole story. Gymnastics Canada is raising an entirely new generation of young people that will now believe that if you can’t afford music, it is perfectly acceptable to steal it. Gymnastics Canada and Gymnastics Nova Scotia have a moral duty to correct this problem, explain to their young members that they were in the wrong, and start paying professional musicians if they want to use their music.
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Gary Ewer has written several e-books designed to get you writing the kind of songs you’ve always known you could write! Click here to read about those e-books.

Já que não tem jeito, e o Brasil vai lançar mão desse recurso totalmente poluidor, bem que poderia resolver de maneira mais justa. Agora, o problema que está deixando a Câmara Federal atordoada é a briga pela divisão dos royalties do petróleo do pré-sal.

Dez estados brasileiros produzem petróleo, só que em uma camada mais profunda, chamada de pré-sal, foi encontrado mais petróleo, e já tem empresas com direito de exploração da nova riqueza na área de Santa Catarina até o Espírito Santo. A briga entre os estados produtores e não produtores é pela divisão do lucro dessa exploração.

Cada deputado está defendendo o seu estado. Os produtores não querem repartir os valores com o demais estados por acharem que estes não tem direito, e se quiserem ter algum proveito caberia à União ceder parte dos seus 40% aos estados não produtores de maneira a não prejudicar os estados que produzem o petróleo.

Provavelmente o “abacaxi” vai para o Governo Federal descascar. Agora, por mais que os estados produtores sejam os “abrigos”, o Brasil é uma Federação! Deixar os lucros apenas com quem produz é dar às costas à estados do norte, por exemplo, que ainda precisam de bastante investimento, em comparação ao eixo centro-sul. 

Agora como fazer isso “entrar na cabeça” desses governadores? Só mandando eles darem uma voltinha pelo interior do Pará para que possam se sensibilizar?

O que me deixa indignada (como sempre) é que além de ser um recurso anti-ambiental, poluente, que vai ajudar a acabar com o planeta, todo mundo fica brigando (como sempre) pelo dinheiro, esquecendo de que nós por aqui, quase sempre ficamos esquecidos, pensem no Acre, em Rondônia, Amapá, minha gente! Vale lembrar que também mandamos energia de Tucuruí para parte do centro-sul sem pestanejar! 

Quer dizer que, na hora de repartir o ônus (poluição) todo mundo é responsável, mas o bônus (desenvolvimento) é só para alguns? Na-na-ni-na-não, senhor governador do Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral! Se liga!

START HERE:

Dear Stock Photography Professionals, Amateur Photographers, Illustrators and Graphic Designers

“Success” is relative …

It was just over two years ago I started to research how to sell my photography when I caught “The Bug” to start selling my images online. In September of 2007 I decided to dedicate two years to explore the possibilities of the incredible world of stock photography. I felt that two years would be enough time to give me a chance to sink my teeth into training myself from any and all sources and to get up to speed, starting basically from scratch, on this rapidly expanding and growing industry. At the time I had never even picked up a photography book or taken a photoshop tutorial. It is now two years later, and while I feel I have come very far and achieved many successes, I find that there is always more to learn. I absolutely love this work !

In July of 2007 I relocated to Washington State after accepting a transfer to work at The Boeing Company’s Commercial Airplane Headquarters in Renton, Washington just outside of Seattle, Washington. Analyzing Market Research was my specialty. Driving out to Washington from Colorado during the course of my relocation I captured a few thousands pictures on a Canon SD750 camera. At that time I was interested in seeing if I could market my images by selling prints of them at festivals, art shows and galleries. It was during this period of research that I discovered the world of commercial stock photography.

My first site that I was approved as a contributor at was BigStockPhoto in September of 2007. For that reason alone I will always have a special place in my heart for them. I found that their entry criteria was not as strict as some of the larger sites. The same applies for 123rf so these are both excellent places to get your first exposure to in selling your photography online. That being said you will want to get into Shutterstock and iStockPhoto as soon as possible. This took me many months to achieve as I was starting from nearly complete scratch with the exception of strong information technology background.  FYI: Recently BigStockPhoto was acquired by the subscription based microstock giant Shutterstock .

Stock Photography Sites are often referred to by short abbreviations. It was more than a little confusing to myself when I first started researching microstock on the various forums so I will list a few abbreviations that you may find useful to know your first time encountering them:

• SS = Shutterstock
• IS = iStockPhoto
• DT = Dreamstime
• FT = Fotolia
• BSP = BigStockPhoto
• MP = MostPhotos
• BME = Best Month Ever
• WME = Worst Month Ever
• BDE = Best Day Ever
• MSG = Microstock Group
• EL = Extended License
• RF = Royalty Free
• Glass = Camera Lens for a DSLR Camera ex. Canon 55-250 IS
• IS = Image Stabilization

My first sale came from the second site that I was approved at as a contributor which was Dreamstime. I initially sought out DT during a time when BigStockPhoto was halting uploading over the weekends. This is just one small example of the kind of roadblocks one faces when it comes to trying to build up an approved portfolio at a microstock agency.

At its most basic level, getting started in microstock photography takes just a few basic steps …

• Check-out the various stock photography links on this blog
• Browse the microstock sites and become familiar and get a feel for the photography on them
• Prepare 3-10 of your best images in accordance to the respective standards of the site you wish to join
• Submit your applications to become a contributor (a.k.a photographer) and get approved to contribute
• Shoot Pictures. Post Process Images in Photoshop. Upload Photos to all sites for review. Repeat.
• Collect the revenue from sales made each month across all sites over the years for the life of the image. Large subscription based sites such as Shutterstock will ultimately produce daily sales for you after your portfolio of approved images grows to a modest size of a few hundred images however credit based sale sites such as iStockPhoto will yield higher commissions at a much slower rate. There is constant debate over which is best. Most stock photographers submit all of their work to each of the most profitable microstock sites.
• Receive your payout after reaching a threshold for each respective site. (ex. $50, $75, $100)

I believe a quick recap of where my interest in photography as a child came from will prove insightful to some readers …

Photography had been an interest of mine since I first began taking snapshot photos with “hand me down” cameras from my parents I was about 9 or 10 years old. It was probably around 1979-1981 ish when I first started using 110 film cameras that I usually borrowed from my mother. The first camera that I actually owned was a Polaroid One Step instant camera. I remember having to pay for my own film. Early on I mowed lawns and later on I worked for the family gas station starting at the age of 10 working for $2.00 / hour. At the very least I know I was responsible for paying for the cartridges of film which were very expensive for around ten photos if I remember correctly. This limited my ability to take pictures as I was saving up to pay my way for a $750.00 30-Day bus tour trip across the country with the Boy Scouts to the National Jamboree in Virginia in 1981. Since the film for my instant camera was so expensive my mother allowed me to borrow her Sony Disc Camera. I took both cameras on my 30-day bus tour “Reunion with History” to the Jamboree. The Statue of Liberty was getting a makeover during our tour but it was still amazing and one of my favorite subjects. However, when I went to the top of the “Twin Towers” World Trade Center, that was my favorite scene. The bridges and skyscrapers of New York City fostered my love for architecture and structures which I later studied at length. I plan to dig up a couple of those first photos of mine from that trip, scan them, and post them here as a point-of-reference …

TIMELINE FOR KEY EVENTS THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON MY STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY:

1981 “Reunion With History” 30-Day Bus Tour of various historical sites of United States with Boy Scouts. Kodak Disc Camera borrowed from parents when I was 12 years old.

1985 Exposure to Mac Paint Graphic Programs on first Macintosh which parents bought 1986 Drafting  1,2,3 Architecture & Architecture Classes 1987-1991 Travel the world while serving in the United States Navy taking photos every step of the way. 1991 Leave the Navy to study Architecture at the University of Arizona. Learn AUTOCAD. 1999 First Photoshop and Image Ready exposure working with web design. 2000 Graduate University of Phoenix Bachelor of Science in Business  Major: Information Systems

2005 May Bought Digital Camera: Canon SD750

2007 July: Relocate to Washington State road trip from Colorado. Research Selling Prints / Selling digital files online.  Research Selling digital negative files

2007 September: Accepted into BSP

2007 October: Accepted into DT / Forum participation

2007 November: Thanksgiving Day 2007 was my 1st Microstock Sale at DT Accepted into Fotolia . BME across all sites. Joined Microstock Group Forum (MSG). 1st SS Application Rejected. Read Photography & Photoshop Books. Study free tutorials from The MIZ and many others.

2007 December: Join Featurepics. Make plans to buy my first DSLR camera by April or May 2008. New BME across all sites. Bus Travel  from Seattle Washington to Denver capturing many photos on this journey. Caught severe flu and ear infections after many winter weather related travel delays.  That took me out of action for most of January and the first part of February …

Illness contracted from December / January travel …

2008 January: New BME across all sites. Stock sales happen even when your down and out sick …

2008 February: Joined MostPhotos . Joined Zymmetrical.  BME’s at DT, BSP, SXP, Met stock photographer suwanneeredhead (Stacey Lynn Brown) through interactions as two of the first few Americans on MP . New BME across all sites.

2008 March: set-up first home studio. Continue to improve work for next SS and IS applications as these are the two largest revenue producing sites for a microstock photographer.  BMEs at DT, FT, 123RF, MP . New BME across all sites. 5th BME in a row.

Got my first DSLR …

2008 April: Buy first DSLR:  a used Canon Rebel XTI a.k.a 400D continue to shoot and begin working with fractals for part of my SS applications.  Not a BME … streak broken …

2008 May: Accepted into Shutterstock the last week of the month after to many applications to count.

2008 May: BME at DT.

2008 June: BME’s at SS, BSP, 123RF, MP. First Full month of Revenue from SS. New BME across all sites.

2008 July: BME’s at DT, BSP, FP, FT. WME at 123RF. Begin using Cushy Stock management software

2008 Sep:  September 25th propose marriage to suwanneereadhead (Stacey Lynn Brown)

2008 Oct:  Mark Payne (mwp1969) & Stacey Lynn Brown (suwanneeredhead) married in Seattle, Washington. First Extended License Sale on SS …  it must have been a belated wedding gift

2008 Dec:  Canon 55-250 IS lens received as Christmas gift from my beloved wife

2009 April: Accepted into iStockPhoto

2009 May: Upgrade to DSLR Canon Rebel XSI a.k.a Canon 450D

2009 June: Began doubling and tripling my upload efforts to all of the sites that I was behind on …

2009 October: BME for number of sales at DT. Close to BME at SS & IS

2009 Nov: Achieve next level raise at SS . BMEs at both SS & IS. Roll-out initial microstock related blog.

I am always happy to help a newbie try to break into stock photography by submitting their work for sale online.  This is a painstaking task if you try to do it all on your own. I offer my own  trials and tribulations to you so that you might be able to avoid some of  them yourself along your way. Thank you in advance for checking out my image and design portfolios.

If your interested in submitting your own images and want to try and get started right away  you can do so through the links I have provided below.  These links will help you get started with some of the most favorable and profitable microstock photography sites. The commissions from the sale of your own images will pay you again and again for the rest of the life of the image so delaying your decision to start by a day only delays you getting paid by a day down the road.

Best of Luck !

My Referral Links to Top Producing Microstock Photography Websites:

http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery.mhtml?id=144463

http://www.dreamstime.com/Mwp1969_info

http://www.istockphoto.com/mwp1969

http://www.123rf.com/profile_markpayne

http://us.fotolia.com/partner/200479231

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/?refid=HW16kzhvJX

Midstock Photography Sites:

http://www.mostphotos.com/mwp1969

Our Website:

www.PayneImages.com

]]> http://diariodopresal.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/negociacoes-sobre-sistema-de-partilha-do-pre-sal-se-intensificam-no-congresso/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:18:55 +0000 Lucas K. de Oliveira http://diariodopresal.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/negociacoes-sobre-sistema-de-partilha-do-pre-sal-se-intensificam-no-congresso/ http://diariodopresal.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/fundo-social-do-pre-sal-vai-beneficiar-todos-os-estados-e-municipios-do-brasil/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:11:07 +0000 Lucas K. de Oliveira http://diariodopresal.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/fundo-social-do-pre-sal-vai-beneficiar-todos-os-estados-e-municipios-do-brasil/ http://newscomex.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/emenda-proibe-bloqueio-de-recurso-de-royalties-a-inovacao/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:08:28 +0000 newscomex http://newscomex.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/emenda-proibe-bloqueio-de-recurso-de-royalties-a-inovacao/

Os royalties do pré-sal destinados a investimentos em ciência e tecnologia devem ficar a salvo da chamada reserva de contingência usada pelo governo para amortizar os juros da dívida pública. “Eu quero proibir o contingenciamento desses recursos”, afirmou, em entrevista exclusiva ao DCI, o deputado Rodrigo Rollemberg (PSB-DF), presidente da Comissão Especial que analisou a criação do Fundo Social. Ele é ex-secretário de Ciência e Tecnologia para Inclusão Social do Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Secis/MCT) no governo Lula (2004/06).

New research published by Music & Copyright has revealed that royalty collections from the world’s authors’ and mechanical-rights collection societies increased 1% at constant-currency exchange rates in 2008, to US$10.91 billion, from US$10.81 billion in 2007. The rise was lower than the previous year. Music & Copyright has also stated that the increase in 2009 will be just 0.1%, to US$10.92 billion. Total distributions in 2008 were US$9.31 billion, and a marginal increase is expected in 2009.

Although the estimated rises in royalty collections and distributions are small, they do provide the music industry with a rare bit of good news, particularly as recorded-music sales are expected to fall again in 2009. In 2008 recorded-music accounted for 71.8% of the combined total, with authors’ royalties taking the remaining 28.2%. But this share is steadily rising; in 2007 authors’ rights had a share of 26.2%, up from 24.1% in 2006. For 2009, the continued demise of recorded-music could push the authors’ share to 30%.

However, as is customary with all music industry good news, there is a down side. Some collection societies have forecast that total collections will be lower in 2009 than 2008. Those societies that collect both authors’ and mechanical reproduction royalties have achieved growth through higher broadcasting and performance royalties, compensating for the fall in mechanicals. But the global financial crisis and its effects on advertising revenues and live performance events will limit broadcast and performance-related collection growth. This means they are less likely to be able to counter the mechanicals’ decline, which is caused by the decrease in recorded-music sales. Music & Copyright has calculated that total mechanical collections were down 9.1%, to US$2.37 billion, in 2008, from US$2.61 billion in 2007.

Music & Copyright is a fortnightly research service published by Informa Telecoms & Media

In case you missed it, author Lynn Viehl had the guts to post online her royalty statement for a book of hers that made the New York Times Bestseller list.   Go read her post “The Reality of a Times Bestseller” and look over the statement for a dose of reality about book sales.

A few days ago she was kind enough to post the second royalty statement so that people can track sales over time.

Another helpful source, though it is skewed towards the romance genre, is author Brenda Hiatt’s “Show Me the Money!” web page.  She’s been collecting advance and royalty data to share with Romance Writers of America members for ten years.

“IMNZ, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and WHK Business Growth are banding together to
make possible fully funded business training for the music industry.” Read on here.

Independent Music New Zealand are offering music industry training for New Zealand record labels and music managers. The course takes half a day…

This seems too quick, but according to the article they cover lots of sticky topics for musicians like ownership rights, royalties and common tax deductions, which are useful to anyone who is contracted or owns a small business.

Who had rights to royalties from the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book and other books written by Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson?

According to Pulitzer Prize winner Nan Robertson, “Royalties from [AA co-founder] Wilson’s books would ultimately give him and [wife] Lois a comfortable home.”  (Getting Better: Inside Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 69)

Robertson notes there was also “…1.5 percent for Helen W., Bill’s last and most enduring mistress.” (pg.69)

Fixing the music royalties system

Songwriters get royalties but not recording artists. Bills now being considered should pay performers fairly, protect against abuses by powerful industry players and promote the availability of music.

November 20, 2009

The founders gave Congress the power to bestow on authors and inventors exclusive rights to the use of their work, and those rights have been expanding ever since. Among other things, lawmakers have stretched copyrights to cover not only the reproduction of original works but their performance in public. But that expansion has benefited some creators and not others. When it comes to music, songwriters have broad performance rights, but recording artists do not.

As a consequence, businesses that play music to help attract or entertain customers pay royalties only to songwriters, not to the bands and labels whose recordings they use. Musicians and record companies have been trying to obtain performance rights since the 1930s, when bandleader Fred Waring sued a radio station in Pennsylvania for playing one of his recordings on the air. He ultimately lost the case, and subsequent standard-bearers for the cause (Frank Sinatra among them) have not been much more successful on Capitol Hill. In 1995, lawmakers did create a performance right for recordings played by digital satellite and online radio services, but specifically exempted local radio stations’ over-the-air transmissions. The main reason: Local broadcasts have traditionally been the most powerful engine for promoting record sales, and that was considered sufficient compensation for airing the songs.

Now, however, artists and labels are gaining momentum in Congress, with the Judiciary committees in the House and Senate having approved bills (HR 848 and S 379) to end the exemption for over-the-air broadcasts. Although the National Assn. of Broadcasters is still opposed, it acceded to a request from senior members of the two panels to meet with representatives of artists unions, the Recording Industry Assn. of America and congressional staff. Those sessions began Tuesday in the Capitol.

The chances seem slim that a compromise will emerge from the meetings, considering that the broadcasters’ lobby has waged a full-throated campaign in Washington against the legislation. In the broadcasters’ view, imposing performance royalties for artists and labels now would be a death blow to minority-owned stations and other small radio outlets that are struggling with the current advertising downturn. They also argue that radio airplay remains the strongest force pushing releases up the sales charts. Besides, they say, the bill proposes that only half the royalties go to musicians; the rest would enrich a group of entertainment conglomerates that mistreat artists and customers alike.

We’ve been critical of the major record companies too, but we don’t see why recording artists’ copyrights should be weaker than those afforded songwriters, authors and other creators. Nor do we see the fairness in forcing online and satellite services to pay royalties while the terrestrial stations they compete with are exempt. The amount that radio stations pay for the privilege of airing music should be calibrated to reflect the promotional value of the airtime, as well as a station’s reach, audience size and revenue. But as the plummeting sales of CDs indicate, it shouldn’t be assumed that artists and labels receive as much benefit from having their music played as the stations do from playing it.

That’s one of the main problems with the current system: It’s tied to a business model that’s withering, at least for recording artists. Granted, recognizing broad performance rights for those artists could raise new issues: Would major labels be able to secure their dominance of the airwaves by accepting less than the industry standard royalty rate, underpricing smaller labels? Would powerful radio ownership groups be able to pressure artists and labels to waive their royalties in order to have their music heard? Why should nightclubs, bars and other businesses that play music to entertain their customers continue to be exempt, as they would be under the bills now pending? And why should the power of copyright holders be increased yet again, with no attempt to balance those powers against the public’s interest in having access to creative works?

Those issues are all worth exploring as the bills move forward. Instead of rehashing decades-old arguments about royalties, broadcasters, artists, labels and lawmakers should use their time together in the Capitol to find an approach to performance rights that compensates performers fairly, protects against abuses by the most powerful players and promotes the availability of music, while imposing a burden on local stations that’s light enough for them to carry.