Music Trade Review

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44
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
MAY
19, 1923
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
MUSIC PUBLISHERS' ASS'N WILL PERMIT BROADCASTING
Announces Permission to Broadcast Copyrighted Music Without Charge Pending Time When
Situation Is Stabilized—Permission Given Without Prejudice to Copyright Owners' Rights
Permission to broadcast copyrighted music
by radio without charge, pending the time the
radio broadcasting situation is stabilized and
placed on a commercial basis, is recommended
to publishers by the Music Publishers' Asso-
ciation of the United States in a report of its
special Committee on Radio Broadcasting,
which has been accepted and adopted by the
Association. This applies to all publishers,
members of the above body, who are not mem-
bers of the American Society of Composers,
Authors and Publishers.
M. E. Tompkins, of G. Schirmer, Inc., pub-
lishers, chairman of the committee, in a state-
ment issued this week, said: "Our Association,
which has been in existence since 1895, repre-
sents particularly the so-called 'standard' pub-
lishers, which make up a majority of its forty-
nine members, as distinct from publishers of
popular music, although a number of the latter
arc also members.
"Our committee has been carefully investi-
gating the broadcasting of copyrighted music
since last November. In our report, just
adopted ,by the Association, we point out that
music publishers arc vitally interested in radio
broadcasting as a great future user of music
and that our rights in the use of our copy-
righted music in public performances must be
protected. However, we appreciate the fact that
radio broadcasting is still in a chaotic and ex-
perimental state and that, while ultimately it
will have to be placed on a commercial basis
if it is to develop its potentialities, nevertheless
the commercial side of the broadcasting prob-
lem has not yet been solved.
"In view of these facts and also because we
desire to co-operate in developing the music
possibilities of radio, we believe that we should
allow the use of our copyrighted musical com-
positions for broadcasting without charge for
the present and without prejudice in our
rights."
While the action of the Music Publishers'
Association does not bind its members, but
merely recommends, it is understood that most
of the large standard publishers in its member-
ship will follow the recommendations of the
Association.
The following
representative
standard publishers have definitely decided to
follow the recommendations: Carl Fischer, G.
Schirmer, Inc.; C. H. Ditson Co., John Church
Co., P>ooscy & Co., and Hinds, Hayden &
Eldredge, Inc., of New York City; Oliver Dit-
son Co., and B. H. Wood Music Co., of Boston;
Paul A. Schmitt, of Minneapolis, and Clayton
Summy, of Chicago.
The action of the Music Publishers' Associa-
tion will make available over the radio a great
quantity of the best modern music by orchestra,
band, choral and individual performers and
copyrighted arrangements and orchestrations of
the world's best music of all time.
The decision of the publishers was based
largely upon the following facts and conditions
with respect to radio broadcasting, according
to the report of the committee:
"The outstanding fact about radio broadcast-
ing from the standpoint of both willingness and
ability of broadcasting stations to agree at pres-
ent to some practical form of compensation for
use of copyrighted musical compositions is their
failure, as yet, to find a method of collecting
a proper share of the expenses of broadcasting
from its beneficiaries, that is, from cither the
various elements of the radio industry or the
receiving public. This, of course, does not in
any way affect the merits of the question, but
it is clear that it does present perplexing dif-
ficulties to the broadcasting companies.
"While the possibilities of the radio as a
transmitter of educational and current informa-
tional matter are undoubtedly great, it is gen-
erally expected by those who have investigated
this question, including radio experts them-
selves, that entertainment must comprise the
popular feature of it. Music has been found
essential to the success of nearly every form
of public entertainment, and to this radio broad-
casting appears to be no exception. Music is
the one broadcasting possibility of almost uni-
versal appeal.
"Up to the present time the music broad-
casted by radio has not, generally speaking,
been of a sufficiently high quality to be a factor
of importance in creating a further public ap-
preciation and demand for music itself. Elimi-
nating the novelty feature of radio, it is very
doubtful if the musical side of it would as yet
have had any great public appeal. Much of
the music broadcasted is merely that of a
phonograph or reproducing piano, not a little
of which is really for advertising purposes.
With rare exceptions, no truly great artists have
performed over the radio.
"It is not unreasonable to expect, however,
that ultimately such scientific perfection of radio
broadcasting and receiving apparatus will be
attained and arrangements made with so much
of the world's best musical talent that radio
will be an established and important source of
music on a commercial basis. When and if
this time arrives, it will be vital to the welfare
of the music publisher that the radio branch of
the music industry should properly recompense
the publishing branch, upon which it will be
dependent for its existence and prosperity. The
failure of publishers in the meantime to safe-
guard their rights may make the future enforce-
ment of them difficult.
"The difficulties of establishing radio broad-
casting on a commercial basis, which appar-
ently is necessary before it can become an
important direct source of revenue to those
who participate in it, including copyright own-
ers, are great but not unsurmountable. While
it is impossible to predict how the problem
will finally be worked out, nevertheless there
arc several possible solutions. Many persons
believe that radio broadcasting must be placed
under government regulation and control.
Under such conditions all producers of radio
equipment who are the commercial beneficiaries
of broadcasting could be licensed and the pro-
ceeds used to pay the expenses of broadcasting.
Some even expect that the radio may ultimately
be of such universal use that the government
can undertake broadcasting as a public func-
SONGS THAT SELL
You Know You Belong
to Somebody Else
(So Why Don't You Leave Me Alone ?)
Down Among the Sleepy
Hills of Tennessee (new)
Dearest
(You're the Nearest to My Heart)
You Tell Her—I Stutter
Homesick
—
Open Yoar Arms, My Alabamy
Ivy (Cling to Me)
Choo Choo Blues
Some Day YOH'H Cry Over Someone
Some Little Someone
Every Wednesday Night
Come on Home
Don't Bring Me Posies
(It's Shoesles I Need)
Some Sunny Day
Truly
Just a Little Love Song
Yankee Doodle Blues
Early in the Morning (Bines)
Night
New Hampshire
Venetian Blues
Constantly
Kissing Time (Waltz)
—
—
Universal Dance Folio for 1923
IRVING BERLIN'S NEW
Music Box Revue
Crinoline Days
Lady of the Evening
Porcelain Maid
Pack Up Your Sins
—
— Will She Come From the East?
Little Red Lacquer Cage
— The
Bring On the Pepper
and Go To The Devil
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
tion. It is perhaps more likely, however, that
through the control of basic patents a few radio
companies can develop broadcasting and re-
imburse themselves by including the expenses
in the price of the patented radio parts or from
fees received for licenses granted to other manu-
facturers. Another possibility is that the radio
interests will be able to finance broadcasting
as a common promotional problem of the indus-
The Waltz Sensation Nearly as^ood a s
Three (TClockin iheMorninA'
FEIST Jon*."