Copyrights and the Radio

It's one thing to be the songwriter of a hit song that gets tons of radio airplay. But it's another thing if you're the singer and/or the band that performs the song but didn't write it. This article explains why. In a nutshell: due to a long-standing policy in the United States (but not Europe, for example), only songwriters and music publishers get to share in the royalties that are paid by radio stations when songs are played on the radio. The band and the singer doesn't. Musicians have been trying to get the law changed for years, but so far haven't had much luck. That may change if a piece of legislation in Congress passes.