How much do musicians earn from Radio air plays?
Discussion
I was listening to a Paul M'cCartney penned song on an local radio station the other day, and got to thinking, I bet every second of every day his music is played on the radio somewhere in the world.
Even if he only gets a tenner, the income must be mind boggling.
Anyone in the business (Steve?) have any inside info?.
Even if he only gets a tenner, the income must be mind boggling.
Anyone in the business (Steve?) have any inside info?.
Don't think I'm the Steve you were after but I know a little about this, having run a radio station previously.
The amount varies enormously and depends on what stations the songs are played. The amount isn't paid directly to the artist but to the Performing Rights Society (PRS) who channel the money to the record company / publisher who then pay the songwriter and artists.
The amount a station pays is linked directly to the number of listeners it has (verified independently by an organisation caller RAJAR). I'm going back around 7 years so these figures may have changed but Radio 1 pays in the region of £14 per minute, Radio 2; £25 per minute, 6 Music pays £5.
There used to be PPL (the licence to broadcast music, with a proportion of the licence fee distributed to the artists on top of the PRS but again linked to airtime and listeners) as well but I think PRS and PPL merged a few years back so the fees are now combined so likely to be a lot more than those I quoted.
How much is paid to an artist then depends on how long a song remains on a playlist and what playlist (there's usually 3). A song on the Radio 2 'A' playlist will get played at least 5 times over a 24 hour period and remain on list for 2 weeks. This would generate around £7k for the song and by the time everyone's taken their cut, the band might see £2k - £3k of this with the lion's share going to the song writer.
That's just Radio 2. When you factor in all the Global, Bauer and Indie stations, the amount can become quite meaningful. And if you write a song that sticks around, that's when the big money is made (I think Oasis will earn more from plays on Radio X than they will from their gigs next year!! )
The big earners from radio play are in the US. Bon Jovi, Keith Urban, etc (this is because the audience size and how radio works there is significantly different).
As I say, been a while since I was in amongst all this so things may have moved on but that's the general gist from what I can recall.
The amount varies enormously and depends on what stations the songs are played. The amount isn't paid directly to the artist but to the Performing Rights Society (PRS) who channel the money to the record company / publisher who then pay the songwriter and artists.
The amount a station pays is linked directly to the number of listeners it has (verified independently by an organisation caller RAJAR). I'm going back around 7 years so these figures may have changed but Radio 1 pays in the region of £14 per minute, Radio 2; £25 per minute, 6 Music pays £5.
There used to be PPL (the licence to broadcast music, with a proportion of the licence fee distributed to the artists on top of the PRS but again linked to airtime and listeners) as well but I think PRS and PPL merged a few years back so the fees are now combined so likely to be a lot more than those I quoted.
How much is paid to an artist then depends on how long a song remains on a playlist and what playlist (there's usually 3). A song on the Radio 2 'A' playlist will get played at least 5 times over a 24 hour period and remain on list for 2 weeks. This would generate around £7k for the song and by the time everyone's taken their cut, the band might see £2k - £3k of this with the lion's share going to the song writer.
That's just Radio 2. When you factor in all the Global, Bauer and Indie stations, the amount can become quite meaningful. And if you write a song that sticks around, that's when the big money is made (I think Oasis will earn more from plays on Radio X than they will from their gigs next year!! )
The big earners from radio play are in the US. Bon Jovi, Keith Urban, etc (this is because the audience size and how radio works there is significantly different).
As I say, been a while since I was in amongst all this so things may have moved on but that's the general gist from what I can recall.
Edited by StevieBee on Tuesday 10th September 21:00
Kinky said:
StevieBee said:
Don't think I'm the Steve you were after ....
I'm guessing Mr. Carter 
As an aside, Jem and Shane (RIP) from the Pogues each earn ~£220k per year for 'Fairytale'
Mind you, he doesn't know everything, he still thinks Mick Hucknall can't sing for toffee.
Vaguely related, and sorry for the thread hijack, but how do publishing rights relate to songwriting royalties? If I wrote some songs and they got published and loads of radio play, but I then sold my publishing rights to someone, do I still get songwriting royalties? Or is that what the other party is buying when they buy my publishing?
First up... Let's get one thing straight. Mick Hucknall can't sing for toffee! ;0)
As stated above, it's PRS that pays. PPL still somewhat exists independently and I get money from them and NRG twice a year, not for the composing, but for the playing instruments on my own music. Some countries levy royalties for that (not many).
The amount Paul McCartney gets from PRS will be MASSIVE. Many many many millions.
Just for an example. I have about 10 seconds of music on one episode of 'Friends' and that earns me thousands of pounds in royalties a year. I have a theme tune on BBC TV and radio at the moment and it earns far less. It's all about how many countries and how many people hear the music.
We can only imagine what McCartney earns.
As stated above, it's PRS that pays. PPL still somewhat exists independently and I get money from them and NRG twice a year, not for the composing, but for the playing instruments on my own music. Some countries levy royalties for that (not many).
The amount Paul McCartney gets from PRS will be MASSIVE. Many many many millions.
Just for an example. I have about 10 seconds of music on one episode of 'Friends' and that earns me thousands of pounds in royalties a year. I have a theme tune on BBC TV and radio at the moment and it earns far less. It's all about how many countries and how many people hear the music.
We can only imagine what McCartney earns.
GetCarter said:
First up... Let's get one thing straight. Mick Hucknall can't sing for toffee! ;0)
As stated above, it's PRS that pays. PPL still somewhat exists independently and I get money from them and NRG twice a year, not for the composing, but for the playing instruments on my own music. Some countries levy royalties for that (not many).
The amount Paul McCartney gets from PRS will be MASSIVE. Many many many millions.
Just for an example. I have about 10 seconds of music on one episode of 'Friends' and that earns me thousands of pounds in royalties a year. I have a theme tune on BBC TV and radio at the moment and it earns far less. It's all about how many countries and how many people hear the music.
We can only imagine what McCartney earns.
Cheers Steve As stated above, it's PRS that pays. PPL still somewhat exists independently and I get money from them and NRG twice a year, not for the composing, but for the playing instruments on my own music. Some countries levy royalties for that (not many).
The amount Paul McCartney gets from PRS will be MASSIVE. Many many many millions.
Just for an example. I have about 10 seconds of music on one episode of 'Friends' and that earns me thousands of pounds in royalties a year. I have a theme tune on BBC TV and radio at the moment and it earns far less. It's all about how many countries and how many people hear the music.
We can only imagine what McCartney earns.
Wacky Racer said:
GetCarter said:
First up... Let's get one thing straight. Mick Hucknall can't sing for toffee! ;0)
As stated above, it's PRS that pays. PPL still somewhat exists independently and I get money from them and NRG twice a year, not for the composing, but for the playing instruments on my own music. Some countries levy royalties for that (not many).
The amount Paul McCartney gets from PRS will be MASSIVE. Many many many millions.
Just for an example. I have about 10 seconds of music on one episode of 'Friends' and that earns me thousands of pounds in royalties a year. I have a theme tune on BBC TV and radio at the moment and it earns far less. It's all about how many countries and how many people hear the music.
We can only imagine what McCartney earns.
Cheers Steve As stated above, it's PRS that pays. PPL still somewhat exists independently and I get money from them and NRG twice a year, not for the composing, but for the playing instruments on my own music. Some countries levy royalties for that (not many).
The amount Paul McCartney gets from PRS will be MASSIVE. Many many many millions.
Just for an example. I have about 10 seconds of music on one episode of 'Friends' and that earns me thousands of pounds in royalties a year. I have a theme tune on BBC TV and radio at the moment and it earns far less. It's all about how many countries and how many people hear the music.
We can only imagine what McCartney earns.
droopsnoot said:
Vaguely related, and sorry for the thread hijack, but how do publishing rights relate to songwriting royalties? If I wrote some songs and they got published and loads of radio play, but I then sold my publishing rights to someone, do I still get songwriting royalties? Or is that what the other party is buying when they buy my publishing?
Publishing rights is the collective term for all revenue relating to a piece of music. So if you sell the rights, that's it. No more income from the songs you wrote. I'm sure some who have will have negotiated some form of 'commission', though.I've never really understood the drive to do this. I know the amount of money is significant but those who can sell the rights for such a high price have already amassed considerable wealth and retaining rights within your family ensures a constant trickle of gold for your future family. To me, it's akin to selling your soul.
Hub said:
What I don't understand is how PRS work out how to distribute income from music licenses (shops etc) as they won't know what has been played?
The whole thing must be an admin nightmare too!
So, if you register a work with PRS, and that gets played in Germany (or wherever), a log will be made sent to PRS, and royalties will be paid.The whole thing must be an admin nightmare too!
However, if a cafe in Spain (or wherever) wants to play music, they pay a yearly fee to PRS, and that money is allocated to all PRS members, related to the amount they earn. So even though my music is probably never played in cafes, I probably earn a few quid each year from them. Even if Paul McCartney's music is never played in that cafe, he will earn a bunch. More than me, that's for sure.
Hope that makes sense.
(And if anyone from PRS is here and I'm wrong, I'm happy to be corrected, but that is how it was explained to me when I joined PRS a million years ago).
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 13th September 13:01
GetCarter said:
Hub said:
What I don't understand is how PRS work out how to distribute income from music licenses (shops etc) as they won't know what has been played?
The whole thing must be an admin nightmare too!
So, if you register a work with PRS, and that gets played in Germany (or wherever), a log will be made sent to PRS, and royalties will be paid.The whole thing must be an admin nightmare too!
However, if a cafe in Spain (or wherever) wants to play music, they pay a yearly fee to PRS, and that money is allocated to all PRS members, related to the amount they earn. So even though my music is probably never played in cafes, I probably earn a few quid each year from them. Even if Paul McCartney's music is never played in that cafe, he will earn a bunch. More than me, that's for sure.
Hope that makes sense.
(And if anyone from PRS is here and I'm wrong, I'm happy to be corrected, but that is how it was explained to me when I joined PRS a million years ago).
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 13th September 13:01
Reasonably straight forward today but pre-computers and internet, it would have indeed been an administrative burden.... and also prone to abuse.
One our presenters used to work at Radio 1 in the 70s and 80s (a radio techie) and told some eye opening stories of pluggers; record company 'salespeople' who'd turn up at a station seeking to get a record played and put on a playlist. Such was the financial returns then, all manner of tricks and treats would be used including the provision of ladies of dubious morals who'd provide certain services to DJs and Producers whilst the show was live, carrier bags of cash and various powders. John Peel was one of a few DJs that would be not be tempted by such approaches, refusing to see anyone other than the band themselves.
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