Do royalties trickle down to the small artists?

Here's a letter from a listener who is also an artist we play (and has several commercially released CDs):

This points out why webcasters need to provide SX with artist, track and album (if available) for EVERYTHING they play and not just for a census period (as much as possible). (The "census" method relies on taking several weeks of SomaFM playlists, and extrapolating annual royalty distributions on that sample period.)

Now in the defense of SoundExchange, the reporting requirements have only been in place for a few months, so all the data isn't in yet. Perhaps this artist will eventually receive some money from SoundExchange. Let's hope so!

I have gotten a fair amount of feedback from listeners who have discovered my music through SomaFM - for that I am eternally grateful.

But, things have really gotten screwed up here, haven't they? I would agree wholeheartedly with your feelings regarding royalty payments from small webcasters.

Maybe this will interest you, although it embarrasses and infuriates me: the only broadcast royalties I have EVER received from ASCAP are those for FOREIGN broadcasts. (I belong to SoundExchange too, but they only ever tell me that they have no records on any of my 'play', and definitely nothing in the bank that they're holding for me).

For my Echoes feature, my inclusion on three different Hearts of Space syndicated programs, my play on 365, somaFM, etc., etc. (not to mention all of the college stations which I guess we all are supposed to know by now "don't count"), I have received, since the release of Where the Earth Meets the Sky in 2001, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for any of my various forms of airplay.

This probably doesn't come as a surprise to you, but as I read Royalty Week over lunch, to read the piece on SoundExchange you'd think - if you didn't know any better - that the copyright holder and featured artist on a recording actually get paid by them for all non-interactive digital broadcasts.

I'm here to tell you I've gotten absolutely nothing, ever. Sucks, don't you think? (My paperwork is in order, titles registered, etc., of course).

At least, some of those who have heard me on somaFM have come and bought CDs from me. Regardless, I wish us all luck and I continue to be grateful for your support of my music.