Just got my BMI check. My music got played in: Argentina, Australia, Czech Republic,
Canada, Finland, France, German, Ireland, Israel (!!), Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Spain,
UK, Greece, and it was played on Jetblue, ExpressJet, Frontier and Airtran. And
BOWL FULL OF STARS is on Muzak! It has joined PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS and I COULDN’T
HELP MYSELF!Woo-hoo! I don’t know why that thrills me so much, but there is something
really cool about knowing my music has been gentrified for the elevator riding masses!
I do have questions, though.
For example, it says here on the statement, one of my songs (which one, I wonder?)
was played in:
ARGENTINA SADAIC: American Idol The Search for A Superstar
Unreported Work (as a FILM)
and I was paid .01.
Hmm.
Then, my song, “Shadowboxing”, always shows up as part of the film “Happy, Texas”
but from what I understand, I didn’t make the final cut. So, is it in the trailer?
Is it in the credits? Is it on the soundtrack? It must be in the film somehow
because it gets a lot of play in Europe, and that’s where the money is being
reported from. Hmm, again.
Lastly, how come on Pandora when they play “My Mama’s Hands”, which I
wrote 100% of, if it is played 70 times, I make .02 cents, but when it is
also played an additional 155 times (in the byline right underneath!),
I only get paid .01 cents? And I own the master as well
as the song’s publishing?
Because when I look further for Pandora payouts, “Coolness by Mistake”, which I am
a co-writer on at 50%, for 52 plays, I still get paid .01 cents.
Isn’t that wierd?
I’m thinking internet pay out is sucky, because if we go over here to television,
I see in Italy I got paid $103.62 for play of “In the Fields”, which I wrote 100%
but share the publishing with Universal.
Digital audio services pay alright…Look at this:
For 50 plays of RADIATION MAN, I received $61.54 on XM Satellite.
Hmm. Again and again, when I get these BMI statements, I am always
excited to see the envelope because I know there will be a check inside.
And I NEVER know how much it will be. Sometimes it is HUGE and sometimes
it is teen-niney. But they come in twos four times a year, for me as the songwriter
and me as the publisher (for the songs I own publishing on.) So, receiving this one,
I know there will be another one in the box tomorrow or the next few days.
This was the 3rd quarter of 2008, 123rd accounting I have received.
Aren’t you just wishing you were in the wacky world of music?
I am thankful I’ve followed up and put all these songs of mine in my BMI catalogue
(a lot to keep up with goes on around here in the little empire)…And it is ALWAYS
interesting to find out where your songs end up in this vast universe.
I’m still high that “Don’t Give Up” was on David Letterman.
That was the best BMI check EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charlie Dahan
says:Streaming media is based on both plays and listeners, so that is why it is low and different. Also, SoundExchange collects the sound recording royalties for you, not BMI – do you have an account with them? If not, you need to get one ASAP, they might have a few bucks for you.
Tilman Müller
says:Hi! Still high of the best BMI check for the EARNINGS OR for feeling honoured having been played at DAVID LETTERMAN? I guess: both of it, after seeing the David Letterman-shrine clip. // Found it first as a hidden track on your “Journey”-DVD. And as there were mentioned Eastern bunnies I looked straight through to find some REAL bunnies –until I found one at this blabla-interview with you. There was a strange guy in the background, first showing his dirty finger and then his dirtier rear parts. He was so well placed beside you in the camera background I thought: could it be a faked joke about boring journalist-questions? So if the weather is too worse for the kids at Eastern this year to look for eggs in the garden, here is a funny alternative in education to become real cool big kids… / The BIG kid from Germany
Greg Kolanowski
says:So, of course, I was curious and started Googling and poking around. I found out that SADAIC is Sociedad Argentina de Autores y Compositores. You probably already knew that. There is a Latin American Idol show, one of the judges is Jon Secada. So I’m thinking they are holding auditions for the next season and one of the hopefuls sang your song. I’m going to guess “Comets Over Costa Rica!” I hope they did it justice, you really rocked it at Party on the Plaza here in Houston a few years ago!