There is no doubt in the mind of a musician who was displaced to Little Rock from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina that all artists, including musicians, are underappreciated. But Ted Ludwig isn’t sure that getting a performance royalty from a radio station would be better than simply getting ON the radio station. He realized that the name recognition necessary to make a comfortable living as a performing artist mainly comes from radio.
Gannett’s CBS KTHV spoke with an exec with local radio group Crain Media, who knows that his stations help get musicians’ names out there. He also knows that the imposition of performance royalties will make being able to do that a much dicier proposition.
“All companies are going through a hard time and the more that they put a burden on us as far having to pay for these fees the harder it’s going to get for everybody involved,” Crain’s Sonny Victory told KTHV.
RBR-TVBR observation: The Ted Ludwig Trio has two CDs out, and is hardly a household name. What would be better, a tiny check months down the road from the labels – if they can find him – or some free spins on local radio that may help inspire people to attend his local appearances?
The Ted Ludwig trio is not a household name – is it not obvious that the free promotion is worth light years more than Ludwig would be able to pay with his royalty check, which would most likely amount to less than a dollar?
Labels and big name acts are the only ones who will benefit from PRA. The losers will be radio, any musician who is not an established headliner, and fans of both music and music on radio.
