Reply #196: Some background on the RIAA...

[GReedDiamond]

The Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA) is a trade group that represents the major labels of the recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of a large number of private corporate entities such as record labels and distributors, which the RIAA claims "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States".<1><2>

The RIAA was formed in 1952 primarily to administer the RIAA equalization curve, a technical standard of frequency response applied to vinyl records during manufacturing and playback. The RIAA has continued to participate in creating and administering technical standards for later systems of music recording and reproduction, including magnetic tape (including cassette tapes and digital audio tapes), CDs and software-based digital technologies.

The RIAA also participates in the collection, administration and distribution of music licenses and royalties.

The association is responsible for certifying gold and platinum albums and singles in the USA. For more information about sales data see List of best selling albums and List of best selling singles.

The RIAA's goals<1> are:

1. to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists;
2. to perform research about the music industry;
3. to monitor and review relevant laws, regulations and policies.

LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riaa
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My comment on the RIAA:
I remember when I'd purchase an LP on vinyl, way back when, and on the back of the record would often times see the RIAA statement regarding the technical standards adhered to in the engineering, recording, mastering, etc., of the record.

The RIAA should stick to "enforcing" technical standards in music rather than chasing after file sharing individuals, generally speaking, when the downloads are for personal use, especially in those cases where, let's say, the person has previously purchased a copy of the song, on an LP, cassette, or CD, and that hard copy has worn out or become lost or damaged (for example, I've never owned a cassette that maintained over time the quality in playback that it originally had, and I've worn out quite a few vinyl records and repurchased some multiple times).

I do agree, however, that those who illegally download copyrighted material and subsequently REDISTRIBUTE to thousands of other individuals via file sharing networks have crossed a line and may very well deserve the legal ramifications that may follow for doing so.

In any case, as has been pointed out numerous times by others here, most artists make their real money from touring and merchandise sales, not from royalties on sales of CDs.

When an artist is signed to a label, the artist usually receives an advance payment that can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is to be used to record and turn in a finished master (or masters, depending on the number of releases stipulated in the contract with the label). That money can be used for almost anything, as long as the finished masters are turned in to the record label. Usually that means paying the producer, the engineer, the recording studio, session musicians, etc., but the money may also be used to some extent for living expenses of the artist(s), food, musical equipment, drugs(!) etc. When all is said and done, and the artist turns in the master to the label, the artist now owes the money received up front back to the label. Let's say the artist received $250,000 in advance to record two records. The artist will not make one penny back from sales until the $250,000 is recouped (if ever) by the label, at which point they may start getting some small royalties from CD sales.

And yes, I am an independent musician for thirty years now, I've got a discography of around twenty releases ranging from vinyl 45s and LPs, to CDs, on which I have composed songs, engineered, produced, and performed. I also have my own BMI affiliated publishing company, and I'm a member of NARAS.