Who gets paid when “Respect” is played on terrestrial radio? You might think it’s Aretha Franklin, the artist whose soulfully commanding vocal made it one of the most indelible tunes of any era. Nope. Since the late Otis Redding wrote the song, his estate gets the spoils (as does his publisher). While no one would deny Otis his due, Aretha’s performance is a huge part of that recording’s success. Her contribution is recognized by satellite radio and webcasters, who pay a royalty to Aretha and her label when the tune is broadcast. Terrestrial radio, however, fails to compensate her. read more

In the United States, royalties for public performances are paid to songwriters, composers and publishers. But what about the person who performs the song? When you hear John Coltrane’s recording of ‘My Favorite Things’ on the radio in the US, the estates of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein — the composers of ‘My Favorite Things’ — are compensated through ASCAP. But the estate of John Coltrane receives nothing for this performance. However, if you hear the same performance on Sirius XM, or via a webcast, or on a cable music station — even on that terrestrial radio station’s webcast — both Rodgers and Hammerstein’s estates AND John Coltrane’s estate are compensated. Why the difference? US terrestrial broadcasters are exempt from paying a public performance right for sound recordings. read more