Hey! Let’s Not Pay the Americans!

21khz: The Art of Money In Music

“This is a labyrinth of rules…. “

Gino Olivieri, President Premier Muzik.

Are American Performers getting the money owed to them? In many cases – no, and it’s all perfectly legal.

Back on October 26, 1961, representatives from 26 countries signed the, “Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations”. Among other agreements, the treaty’s signers agreed that Broadcasters must pay performers (think singers and band members) for the use of their music – your song gets played on the radio - You get paid. Seems simple?

Yeah, Right.

The United Kingdom signed the treaty, Ecuador signed the treaty, Congo signed the treaty. The United States of America, however, did not sign the treaty and never has.

So for the past 55 years, while performers from Moldova, Fiji and Togo (all signatories) have seen money when their music is played on the radio. For Americans… nothing.

This is real money, over the years some billions (yes – “Billions”) of dollars have been left on the table. That is money going into everyone else’s pockets, everyone except the American performers who are owed that money.

Today we talk with Gino Olivieri, the President of Premier Muzik, a Canadian company who has made it their mission to see that all artists - especially Americans - get all the money, owed to them.

It’s a complicated, fascinating and lucrative listen.