CAN YOUTUBE SAVE THE MUSIC BUSINESS?
September 22, 2011
Every time I see a video by Lady GaGa, Justin Beiber, or Katy Perry and their millions of views on YouTube I wonder how much each of them are getting paid per play. I’m not so naïve that to believe that videos are just for promotion. I know that everybody is treated differently and it’s about time somebody speaks up about a money making machine that could save the entire music business!
Why can’t YouTube spread the wealth a little and give smaller artists, writers, and publishers a chance to participate in the gold rush?
Ironically, I was prompted to write this article by what happened to me with one of my songs “LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE” (CLINTON, JR./WAYNE) by one of the biggest artists in the world, Michael Jackson. Last Christmas there were 27 different videos using my song up on YouTube, including Michael’s son Blanket’s version using his private family photos. The total views of all the versions were over a half a million and how much did I make out of it? NOTHING! NOT ONE PENNY!
I believe that videos can be the salvation of the music business, breathing new life into copyrights and perpetuating music that we love for generations to come, but it’s not going to be at my expense!Fortunately, I have quite a few friends who feel like I do and over the next few weeks you’re going hear a lot more about the brewing controversy and what we’re going to do about it!
In the meantime, I asked several friends of mine what they think about the future of music videos.
Russ Terrana, engineer or mixer of 89 #1 records for Motown, says, “it’s amazing the buzz you generated when you put up the MOTOWN VIDEO JUKEBOX. Artists, producers and musicians are reminded of great songs that are seldom played on the radio. What music publisher wouldn’t be thrilled to have a new way to get their their copyrights exposed?”
Russ…You’d be surprised!
My friend, and video director of my recent projects, Wedigo Watson, tells me stories about some of his videos that have been unfairly taken down off of YouTube and how he got them back up! http://restlessheartwanderings.blogspot.com/2011/09/slow-unraveling-of-you-tube.html
If you want to join the effort to get YouTube to treat everyone fairly…just leave a comment below or contact me privately and tell me your story. artiewayne@gmail.com
2011 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
EXTRA! EXTRA! NOW YOU CAN BUY MY NEW BOOK ,“I DID IT FOR A SONG” AT AMAZON or Barnes & Noble or from Smashwords
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SEE AND HEAR RUSS TERRANA’S 89 #1 HITS ON THE MOTOWN VIDEO JUKEBOX https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/the-motown-video-jukebox/
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Artie Wayne On The Web 
September 23, 2011 at 12:51 am
I had to file a dispute with UMG and You Tube because they had blocked Sending My Good Thoughts To You from playing on my website. You and I co-wrote it, Artie. I own half the publishing, and the record was licensed to the UK for sale and play. They reinstated it after receiving the dispute. So while it’s good for them to pay for play, if copyright owners or licensed companies want to display it, they should be allowed to. They are doing blanketed blocking without checking the source of the post first, which is a headache for creators.
September 23, 2011 at 2:26 am
It’s like illegal file sharing that was shut down on Napster. The copyright owner should be allowed to determine if it can be played for free on YouTube and copyright holders should receive some sort of compensation. YouTube is profiting from the exploitation of other persons’ copyrights, whether it be songs, videos, etc.
September 23, 2011 at 5:46 am
This is quite an article and I hope that people out there will see it.
The music business can use a change in direction.
When all this technology came about and the changes came like a flood, a tsunami crashed upon the entertainment industry. A lot changed, and even hanged us, This is a Culture Shock story and it’s posted at my website: http://cultureshocktv.com/index.php/recent-articles-from-2011/256-can-youtube-save-the-music-business
Maybe we can make some news Artie.
September 23, 2011 at 11:05 am
Great article ! I was just thinking about this the other day, myself with varying degree’s of music video’s on youtube. I watched a family friend do her home work while picking the songs from her head she wanted to hear and then finding them on youtube. And I thought. Just imagine if the artists got paid for the plays of their videos. Yes !! Bravo !!
September 23, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Great article Artie; thanks for sharing information that many folks who watch You Tube videos usually aren’t aware of or don’t think about right away.
September 23, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Hey Artie, not to disagree with everybody, but I love YouTube!
September 23, 2011 at 5:02 pm
SO DO I JOEL…BUT DON’T YOU THINK THAT YOUR EFFORTS ARE WORTH COMPENSATION? WOULD YOU BE HAPPY IF YOUR SONGS WERE PERFORMED ON RADIO AND TV AND YOU DIDN’T GET PAID? I DON’T THINK SO!
September 27, 2011 at 3:43 pm
I spoke to BMI about this very issue and they have been in meetings for months about what to do about it. I have a meeting with them next week and I’ll find out if there’s any progress on the subject-but I totally agree with you.
Mark
September 27, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Artie, you’re absolutely correct….!!!. ASCAP, BMI, and the other collection agencies should negotiate
a fair, small, internet rate per play and police the hits on each video. It’s also more revenue for them.
Best regards, Trade.
September 27, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Hey Artie, good points here. You may know that the three main PRO’s (ASCAP, BMI, & SESAC) have instituted policies whereby live performances of a song (in nightclubs & other venues) can be documented by the writer after the fact & earn royalties.
Well, if the PRO’s can do that, why can’t they negotiate a royalty for the creators of songs that play on YouTube?
When YouTube versions of my hits started proliferating some years ago, my first instinct was to have them remove these videos. But in hopes that they might keep me “on the map” as a songwriter & artist, & possibly result in sales, I decided to stay silent. Some of them even had elements of creativity. Now I notice that many of the clips just show the title & one image throughout the whole video. Obviously it’s just a way to stream the audio without having to pay for it.
I hope your article, & the responses, will generate more interest in correcting this unfair situation!
Thanks,
AO
October 2, 2011 at 5:01 am
Hey! I loved the blog, it was captivating right to the finish.
October 10, 2011 at 11:15 am
[…] CAN YOUTUBE SAVE THE MUSIC BUSINESS? […]
October 17, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Artie,
I know the Youtube fiasco has to be frustrating. Please don’t give up or decrease your insistence on getting what you and the other ‘little guys” deserve. There’s not many people who’d spend their time seeking justice for us.