Music Trade Review

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46
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
OCTOBER 15, 1921
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
ROYALTIES ON MUSIC ROLLS TO BE REDUCED SHORTLY
Arrangements Now Under Consideration Whereby the Present Royalty Paid to the Publishers by
the Music Roll Manufacturers Will Be Reduced to Eight Cents Per Roll
It is understood that the majority of music
publishers who have, for the past two years,
received royalties of ten and twelve cents from
player roll manufacturers for the use of the
lyrics of songs on word rolls are shortly, by
special arrangement with various player roll
organizations, going to reduce these royalty fig-
ures. It is thought this will result in an agree-
ment for a new royalty rate of eight cents per
roll.
Several of the larger player roll organiza-
tions, who have, during the war and post-war
period, manufactured their goods to sell at a
retail price of $1.25 per roll, are seriously in-
tending to reduce the retail and wholesale prices.
Those who do not reduce the present roll prices
will, without doubt, manufacture a new roll to
sell at a dollar.
It is the player roll manufacturers' conten-
tion that a reduction in retail prices at this
time will do much to create new activity in the
demand for word rolls. They state, however,
that, owing to the present royalty arrangement,
it is almost impossible for them to make a
reduction in wholesale prices followed by a
smaller retail figure without the co-operation
and assistance of the music publishers.
Naturally, the publishers are giving the mat-
ter their deep consideration and the result of
the actions of the various individual publishing
houses will be announced shortly. That a
smaller royalty rate will be acceptable to the
majority of publishers is a foregone conclusion,
inasmuch as they will make every effort to add
to the sales activity of player rolls.
While it has long been the publishers' con-
tention that the difference in the royalty rates
from a standard set by their organizations to
what is proposed by the player roll manufac-
turer should make practically little or no dif-
ference in the quantity of sales, they feel that
at this particular period any encouragement
given the player roll organizations has its value
and the contemplated action, as outlined above,
will, without doubt, be the result.
Royalties received by publishers have, during
the past year, been reduced from very substan-
tial amounts to at times almost little or noth-
ing. The player roll manufacturer is to take
a portion of the savings which will result from
the new arrangement and devote the same to the
exploitation of his rolls and, with the Fall sea-
son upon us, the improved situation, from his
viewpoint, will prove most valuable.
MUSIC SALES GOOD IN PITTSBURGH
brisk sale in Pittsburgh music shops are:
"Cherie," "Peggy O'Neil," "Two Sweet Lips,"
"Absence," "Winning Ways," "Mammy's Little
Sunny Honey Boy" and "Underneath Hawaiian
Skies."
Sheet Music Dealers Report Several Good Sell-
ing Numbers in Current Catalogs
PITTSBURGH, PA., October 10.—Miss Emily
Bishop, of the sheet music department, stated WITMARK OCTAVO CATALOG ISSUED
that the best sellers in popular songs were as fol-
lows: "All by Myself," "Alone," "Frankie," "My New Volume Lists Over 1,500 Titles Embracing
Practically All Classes of Music
Man," "I'm Nobody's Baby," "Tuck Me to Sleep
in My Old 'Tucky Home" and "My Sunny Ten-
nessee."
M. Witmark & Sons have just forwarded to
An attractive display of three of M. Witmark the trade the new "Witmark Octavo Catalog,"
& Sons' latest selections, "Jabberwocky," and, in view of the fact that there has been a
"Fancies" and "AH for You," the latter by very real and active demand for octavo music,
Ernest R. Ball, was shown by Volkwein Bros., the new catalog will create much interest. It
one of the largest sheet music and small instru- is a most comprehensive work with well-ar-
ment dealers in the State. The entire back- ranged lists arid information and includes the
ground of the large show window was arranged listing of over 1,500 titles covering every con-
with the music of the three songs in a very ceivable style and type of vocal quartets, as
pleasing manner and in a way that compelled well as abundant material in the shape of duets,
pa6sersby to stop, look and read. J. C. Volk- trios, quintets, sextets, choruses and cantatas,
wein, of the firm, stated that since the middle all arranged for male, female and mixed voices,
of September there had been a marked increase including both standard and popular ballads,
in sheet music and small instrument sales.
sacred, novelty, comedy and dialect songs of
Some of the Feist songs that are having a every description.
SONGS THAT SELL
Irving Berlin's
Song Hit of the Hour
All By Myself
Cry Baby Blues
Birds of a Feather
My Mammy
Home Again Blues
1 Wonder Where
My Sweet, Sweet Daddy's Gone
—
Drowsy Head (Waltz)
Oh, My Sweet Horfense
Once in a Blue Moon
You're Just the Type for a
—
Bungalow
When the Sun Goes Down
I've Got the Joys
The New Sensational Hit
Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old
'Tucky Home
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1587 Broadway,
New York
The best numbers of the Witmark "Black and
White Series," arranged in quartet form, occupy
an important place in this catalog. To the
dealer who now makes a specialty of catering
to the interest of choirs, glee clubs, etc., as
well as community choruses, or those who in-
tend to take up such activity, this new catalog
will be most welcome.
THE COUNTRY'S QUICKEST "BLUES" HIT
EVERYWHERE IS HEARD THE
Ta De Da Da Dc
Already obtainable for player-piano
and any talking machine
Publisher* J. W. JENKINS SONS MUSIC CO., Kansas City, Mo.
Also Publishers of "12th Street Rag," "Sweet Love/' "Colleen O'Mine"