Music Publishing

3 Performing rights

The performing right

With nearly $2 billion collected annually for songwriters and publishers throughout the world for the “public performance” of their works, “performance rights” royalties have become one of the most lucrative sources of publishing royalties. For many writers and publishers, the performance rights royalties are their largest source of income. In the United States, the primary source of performance income is generated by music “performed”—played—on radio and television. Significant additional performance income is generated by music performed (live or recorded) in nightclubs, hotels, and retail establishments which use music in an effort to enhance their business. The U.S. Copyright Law, which has recognized ...