Artists Recording Rights

[Haydn]

Bit of shady ground here for some but would like to hear any info on this, let me explain..........

As a pub dj in the '80s, i was under the impression that the playing of music anywhere had to be licenced by some authority or another or you weren't allowed to play the sounds to the public, now....

While national radio stations et al are paying to play certain sounds, how do the small time dj's stand? We can all have a private party and listen to music in our own homes but is there any do's and donts about having a publicised night without the aspect of copyright rearing its head.

Every day you hear that such and such plays cd's but some folks don't even have the decency to buy an original cd, it is usually a copy, bought for cheap and discarded when the sounds are "out"

It just seems to me nowadays that with the advent of technology ie CD's, anyone can copy or download a tune that some DJ's have sold their skin for top notch sounds then to find that some small time downloader is playing the same sound and getting the credit for finding it, pah!!!

I only think of this because our scene revolves round the"hard to find" and most of us quite rightly travel to hear a DJ's particular sound, "what's the point of going to hear it? wee Bill's got a d/load of it".

I know myself that in the '80s , boots and re-issues were in abundance but being nieve, i wasn't in the position to find the good stuff. Now that i am older and hopefully wiser, i can pick and choose.

I know some folks who would say that it's alright to be playing this stuff but if some DJ's are doing it and getting away with it, then i am missing out on loadsomoney.

Throwaway music???????

Not my bag!!!

H.

[Guest Kolla]

I'm confused a bit about the points your trying to make H.

Ok - firstly music rights - Correct me someone but the venue / club / bar / pub you are holding the night in should have a music license issued by PRS, yes ? It's not down to the people putting on the do.

The performing rights society (https://www.prs.co.uk) collects licence fees for music use and pays royalties to the creators of works that have been performed in public. They've has introduced a continuous survey of clubs and festivals - asking any DJ who is approached by a researcher to co-operate by providing their track list details...... errr.. Do you seriously think they're going to track down all the artists played at an all-nighter though - bless 'em.

Back to the CD thing - i don't download personally but why get upset at anyone for downloading songs. If people are looking to blame anyone - look no further than the silly folk that are UP-loading the songs and allowing people access to the files to download them.

In any case - i can't see any DJ on the scene having the gall to play a CD of tracks that are obviously nicked from the internet (well, i can maybe think of one). One thing i've always loved about this scene is it's intolerance of Charlatans - and thankfully you can't teach this old dog new tricks.

[Guest]

Don't know about the current situation but you used to be able to get a license from the Performing Rights Society specifically aimed at the mobile disco market.

When I found out what happened to the license fee I refused to bother with it and never had any trouble. Apparently it was apportioned to the artist/writer/producer/arranger etc based on chart position and airtime BUT only if they were registered with PRS. Basically, if you license yourself in this way you'll be legal (assuming the system is the same today) but you'll be giving the likes of, erm, err virtually all the money.

[Guest micksmith]

kolla, we want that dj named and shamed. a dj playing cds of 45s that are on vynal are just sad cases. but if the track only come out on a cd i've no problem as long as they get an acetate of it. that's my pet hate.

[Haydn]

To be honest, my gripe is probably something to do with the wave of KFC and the like.

If i went out to a local pub or club for a drink, i knew the type of stuff that would end up making my ears bleed would be playing and nowadays there are young in-house DJ's that throw a smidgeon of Northern and Modern into there sets. I have nothing to fear with the rare sounds as they probably won't latch on to them, but to freely download onto a blank CD and throw it off as their discovery after we have lived the life is a bit much.

I am all for free movement of the scene but not if it means the fag and beer brigade, edging me off the maple-sprung.

cheers Haydn.