"Most of the composers are in that Long Tail"

I believe that we should not call it the long tail. Instead, we should call it the endless shaft.

Surely if it's a long tail the icon for the story should be a rat rather than a hamster?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longtail

Ashle you're right on the money, i can't say fairer than that.

i am friends with a number of artists who i'm sure wil fail to benefit from this deal...

This appears to be the best way for them to capitalize. While a large number of people are willing to buy music, a large number are not. Advertisement paid sites like youtube and such are analogous to radio. It should be possible to determine the ownership of all the music, and allow google who makes a tidy profit to share it as deserved.

...the "Chocolate Rain" guy will get PAID!!?!!?!?!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

Watch it if you dare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA

Though it sounds like a positive result (or at least the start of one, assuming that it eventually covers all songwriters not just those of the more popular songs) can anybody say conclusively that at least 90% of the money collected will actually go to the songwriters themselves?

Somehow, I suspect that once again the bulk of the money will end up with agents, middlemen and the collection company, and most of it will never find its way down to the songwriters.

The rest of us get paid once and thats it why should flipant 'entertainment' producers get endless payments.

I have produced numerous Assembler updates for my company which gets run every day for millions of people, but could loss my job tomorrow and get nothing more for it.

What makes them think they're work is worth more than mine. Go out and work for your money play gigs sell records of those gigs at the end sell T-Shirts with ur band logo or whatever, just don't expect to get payed for sitting on ur arse.

This model only allows people like Gary Glitter to go looking for young people in this twilight years

"I have produced numerous Assembler updates for my company which gets run every day for millions of people, but could loss my job tomorrow and get nothing more for it."

If you had a competent Agent and Manager such wouldn't be the case. Furthermore perhaps the world values art more than Assembler updates.

Sorry to get snarky but I'm getting a little sick of flippant techies who think that just because their job sucks everyone else's should too.

"If you had a competent Agent and Manager such wouldn't be the case"

Want a bet?

The nature of my work is irrelevant to the point i'm making, the vast majority of us just get a flat wage and thats it and if we want something to retire with we need to save.

In what sense is the production of overpriced entertainment providing anything to mankind. Bach, Beethoven and all had no such thing as royalites yet produced some very beautiful music. Please explain how modern 'artists' deserve substantually more renumeration than the rest of us.

Oh and if ur statement about agent means be contractor, they are nearly even more worthless.

Also i am making these comments as an 'artist' as well because i do produce my own music, far more entertaining than listening to the tripe that gets pushed.

For every lame big name signed 'artist' there is a 1000 unsigned acts that are twice as original, and i bet they get F all from royality collection agencies

LOL at value productive software less than art, they would value it if it wasn't there thats for sure.

My Job does suck :)

I don't vote either, but i will still complain. Its in my nature to pick out the badness in everything. :)

Happy Weekend all, i'm leaving this sweat shop now going to start busking instead, might get paid more :)