[Organizers] ASCAP and BMI

[Amy Carroll via Organizers]

I'm treasurer for the Seattle folklore society.  We pay ascap and bmi for our concerts but NOT for dances.  My understanding is our argument is that the dances are educational events, with the workshop before the dance being  the most educational part. I don't know that we've had a big discussion with them.  I think the dance committee decided to go this route. 

Do not think that because it's a traditional dance form that the music is all public domain.  A huge amount of contradance repertoire is copyrighted material.  If you think otherwise, I suggest paging through any of the Portland Collection books (common contradance repertoire) and looking for the copyright symbol.  

You can get a blanket license with ascap for less than $300 annually.  It's not for the venue, it is for your events. (Unless you own your building maybe.) We don't and other things happening there are not part of our Licensing agreement. 

Thing is, if you want the artists who hold the copyright getting paid, you have to submit set lists to ascap and bmi.  That is the troublesome part, and you can ask the artists to give one to you if they want. It doesn't change what you owe ASCAP and BMI  it just means they have to redistribute the funds.  

Hope this helps 

Yours, 
Amy
206 330 7408
Amy at calleramy.com

> On Jun 15, 2016, at 10:26 AM, Lex Spoon via Organizers <organizers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> 
> I've been curious about the same sort of question. My experience so far is that the contra dance world pretends there is no ASCAP, and usually vice versa.
> 
> If you don't mind sharing, Rob, what kind of rates are they asking you for? Also, are they asking about your dance in particular, or about the venue? I had thought that an event couldn't really buy their own license; it has to be a license for the whole venue, for anything that happens there 24/7.
> 
> Lex Spoon
> 
> 
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