iTunes royalties

Music managers will today wade into the row over with the claim that artists are being unfairly squeezed in the digital era. The Music Managers Forum is unhappy that artists typically receive less than 6 percent of royalties from stores like Apple's iTunes Music Store. Jazz Summers, the manager of the Snow Patrol, and chairman of the Music Managers Forum, said: “Sale prices and royalties have gradually been eroded to the point where an artist needs to sell in excess of 1.5 million units before they can show a profit, after paying for recording time and tour support.” The forum is hosting a special conference in Manchester today in an attempt to raise awareness of falling royalty rates, called the Know More! campaign. Headed by Mr Summers, the meeting will include managers behind acts such as Oasis, Radiohead and Jamelia.

by MacNN Staff