Money
..makes the world go round
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/cabaret/money.htm
The UK's performing sights society PRS for Music recorded a slim profit of £1.4m last year on turnover of £73.9m. The society collects and distributes royalties for songwriters and music publishers from radio, physical venues and plays on the internet, as well as the “mechanical” – a small proportion from the sale of a sound …
Truly an epic song as true today as it was back then! A most excellent find El Reg.
Considering how aggressive and devious the PRS has been pursuing small business' with regard to 'music in the workplace', I'm amazed that their turnover is 'only' £73.9m. And, considering they're really only a collection agency, that CEO's pay-packet is obscene.
I worked for another agency doing the same sort of work, but not music. They paid the workers pitiful amounts, really shockingly little, but the 'officers' got into a turf war and started paying themselves more, buying hugely expensive office furniture, etc. The Board went along with it (I presume they got money, but don't have the information). We'd have recipients writing with gratitude for £70 or so, and I always wanted to write back to say 'if you saw the percentage of what they took in 'admin fees', you'd be writing a letter that flamed around the edges.' These CEOs etc only work in these sort of agencies because they can't really hack it in a commercial environment. They don't need to do anything important. But these agencies are monopolies and are a law unto themselves.
Cry Me a River - Justin Timberlake
If your song is very successful, you can make millions in songwriters royalties. If only a handful of people listen to it, you won't make much. Just like pretty much every artistic field, it's only the exceptional talents that make the big bucks. Deal with it, or get a proper job.
How it won't be so very long from now that they laugh at us for selling
A bunch of 15 year olds made from dinosaur bones singing "oh yeah"
Again and again, Right up to the end
Seems like everybody's got a price,I wonder how they sleep at night
When the sale comes first
And the truth comes second.
Its quite common for the executives of non-profits in the US -- organizations like health systems and hospitals -- to make very generous amounts of compensation. Sometimes things go completely wrong as with Blue Shield of California, a large health insurer, who got bumped from non-profit (i.e. tax exempt) status by the tax authorities because they were making excessive profits.
Wherever you've got an income stream you'll have plenty of people who will help manage it -- for a price.