ABSTRACT
Copyright exists to protect the interests of songwriters and music publishers. The staff of performing rights organizations (PROs) is not only involved with songwriters and music publishers, but they interact constantly with record and film companies. Many songwriters have little understanding of how the PROs collect and distribute money to publishers and songwriters. Radio stations have lobbied strenuously, and thus far successfully, against paying performing rights to artists. Performing rights can be worth a tremendous amount of money. The key to earning the highest income streams is to have a crossover hit, a song that tops the pop charts, but also performs well on country, R&B, or hip-hop stations. Radio stations have lobbied strenuously, and thus far successfully, against paying performing rights to artists. In 2013 renowned artist-manager Irving Azoff started a fourth performing rights group, called Global Rights. Initially Azoff started by representing his own major league management clients for performing rights.
