MusicAnswers
AbouT US
mu sic an swers
[myoo-zik- ˈænsərs] noun.
- a movement uniting songwriters, composers, performers, and producers designed to foster a new generation of informed music creators who receive the respect and compensation they and their work deserve
2. a non-profit organization that educates and advocates for music creators
3. a trusted source of information that enables our community to grow and
prosper.
Thank goodness I found MusicAnswers, now i’ll never have to wonder what the MLC is.
that being said...
"We believe that the artists who are the primary creators of profitable work should be primary beneficiaries of the financial pie. We believe that industry fiduciary transparency and legal intervention and protections are the way to a fair compensation model for the often-overlooked creator of wide-spread assets used to concentrate wealth at the top of an unsustainable pricing model."
Our Declaration of Principles
WE COME TOGETHER as music writers, performers, and producers to assert our right to just compensation for the use of our work in all media.
WE OPPOSE the practices of video streaming services, internet service providers, and other businesses that appropriate the value of our music in order to make huge profits selling advertising and data.
WE BELIEVE that like uses of music should be treated alike; that the work of music writers, performers, and producers deserves equal treatment and equal protection in all media.
WE REQUIRE complete transparency regarding the use of our work, including the terms of and revenue from the business arrangements between digital music services, video streaming sites, and the publishers, record labels, and other entities that administer our work.
WE CALL for an immediate end to the discriminatory and secret practices in which some digital music services, vertically-integrated music corporations, and others engage. These include unallocated advances, breakage, equity stakes, side and non-disclosure agreements, and black box payments.
WE SUPPORT the report of the United States Copyright Office, which calls for a more equitable, efficient, and transparent music marketplace.
WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST that our elected representatives swiftly adopt legislation in harmony with the spirit and recommendations of the Copyright Office report.
WE INVITE all those interested in music and its future to endorse this campaign.
Music has never been more popular, more accessible, or more valuable. Billions of people around the globe rely on it to enhance their lives. Overall revenue from the use of music has increased exponentially, but only a tiny fraction is finding its way to the people who actually create the music and recordings. The business of music has become unsustainable for those who make it. Therefore:
are you in?
now that thats out of the way...
Meet our team
Our Founders
Phil Galdston is a songwriter/producer whose many and varied efforts have made him one of the few in the field to score hits on virtually every major Billboard chart. Over 175 million copies of his songs and productions have appeared on more than 110 million records worldwide, in recordings by artists ranging from Celine Dion to Sheryl Crow, from Chicago to Beyoncé, from Brandy to Esperanza Spalding, from Yolanda Adams to Kurt Elling. His work has appeared on recordings that have received 20 GRAMMY nominations or Awards.
In addition to his ongoing songwriting and producing, he is or has been a music publisher, film and TV composer, film and TV music supervisor, producer of comedy records and videos, theatrical producer, and playwright...
David Wolfert is a Grammy and Emmy nominated composer, arranger, songwriter, orchestrator, producer and instrumentalist who has worked in all areas of music, including film, records, advertising and television.
David's songs have been recorded by Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield, Eddie Murphy, the Four Tops, Cher, Lynn Anderson, Julio Iglesias Jr., and many others, and has also written music for thousands of television and radio commercials for virtually every major advertiser...
Composer, producer and music rights advocate, Doug Wood is the Writer Vice Chair of the ASCAP Board of Directors. He has written and produced music for hundreds of television programs and commercials, including Saturday Night Live, Dateline NBC, Conan O’Brien, sports themes and promos for ABC, CBS, ESPN and NBC, national spots for Coca Cola, Volkswagen, Verizon and scores of others.
A classically trained pianist and oboist, and composition major at Manhattan School of Music (as well as rock guitarist and band leader), Doug is the founder and CEO of the Omnimusic Production Libraries, along with several other organizations and initiatives.
Our Board Members
Derek Fawcett has shared stages with Peter Frampton, Ben Folds, America, Lifehouse, Pat Benatar, Colin Hay, Gin Blossoms, Blues Traveler, and backed up Chance The Rapper at Lollapalooza. Across five albums with Down The Line, and three as a soloist, he has toured across much of the U.S. and parts of Canada, Europe, and South Africa.
His most recent releases “Runnin’ Outta Somedays” and “Sticks & Stones” ft. Dev. feature Kevin Joaquin Garcia (Wheatus, Duncan Sheik), Joe Ayoub (Miley Cyrus, Shakira), Brett Farkas (Lord Huron, Rihanna), and Ben Butler (Sting, Lucinda Williams). EDM collaboration “Puppeteer” (Alfons, B3nte, Jessica Chertock, w/B3VA, co-written by Fawcett) has netted more than a million streams.
Matthew Dylan Rose is an acclaimed composer, songwriter, and music producer renowned for his innovative work spanning music, film, and theatre. His compositions, characterized by intricate thematic connections and authentic pastiche, have garnered widespread acclaim, notably in his collaboration with playwright James Feinberg on the award-winning musical "The Oldenburg Suite." Matthew's diverse portfolio includes projects like "Doctor Glas: A Musical Play" and "Metropolitan," alongside undisclosed ventures. A graduate of New York University with degrees in Music Business and Music Theory & Composition, Matthew is recognized for his advocacy efforts in the entertainment industry, serving on the board of MusicAnswers and contributing to educational initiatives on music copyright and publishing. With a background in A&R at Chesky Records and The Audiophile Society, Matthew combines creative prowess with a commitment to music creator rights.
The Interns
Madison LaRae is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-faceted creative from the state of Georgia. With the release of her debut single “Ethereal Love”, followed by her recent debut EP It’s Just Music, Madison is making a name for herself in the industry.
Beyond her studio endeavors, Madison's talent has earned her the opportunity to perform on the radio station Sirius XM and well as at many performance venues along the east coast. She also has some live television background vocal performances in the works.
Alongside her musical pursuits, Madison is also heavily interested in music business and entertainment law. She believes that it is crucial for both herself, and all artists, to be knowledgable of their rights and advocate for themselves and the creations.
Victoria Princi is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from the suburbs of Boston, MA. Most renowned for her genre-bending skills on the violin, Victoria collaborates with an array of established global artists such as Cowboy Malfoy, Zola Simone, and Wolfacejoeyy arranging and recording strings. Her performances at 54 Below and Mercury Lounge showcase her prowess as a violinist.
Victoria now embraces her original music, preparing for her debut single release. Her fusion of gritty alternative folk rock, graceful baroque elements, and angelic melodies manifests a poetic and entrancing soundscape.
Victoria attends NYU’s School of Individualized Study, concentrating in music composition, philosophy, and entertainment business. Her passion, authenticity, and intelligence shine through in her diverse musical portfolio, establishing her as a rising force in the industry.
Nick Reichheld is a lifelong musician, songwriter, and composer with an M.S. in Audio Engineering from Belmont University, and multiple years-worth of credits in Music Theory & Composition from NYU.
Nick currently works and resides in West Harlem NYC where he runs Common Air Studios, an independent multimedia studio with ventures in video production, comedy writing, audio recording, songwriting, and music production.
But wait! There’s more…
More On Our Mission
Collectively, we now face some big problems in the music business:
- Low payments from digital music services like Pandora and Spotify
- Really low payments from YouTube and other sites that stream videos
- Rampant, unchecked piracy across the internet
- No performing right in a terrestrial broadcast for performing artists
- No statutory revenue participation for music producers
- Out of date government regulations – like the Consent Decrees of ASCAP and BMI
- Overall, reduced transparency for music creators and performers
- Use of the Copyright Law's Safe Harbor provision to shield companies from infringement liability
- The explosion of ineffective ad revenue models that offer free music but don't make enough money to actually pay for it.
- Some alarming new business tactics that some music companies are employing (e.g. music companies taking equity positions in digital music providers in lieu of higher royalty rates)
For far too long, music creators have been divided by our roles, rights, and royalties. But the interests that unite us are far greater than those that have been used by others to divide us.
These are just a few of the huge problems we face. Some of them can be worked out with industry partners, and some can be influenced by consumer behavior. But some solutions can only be achieved through federal legislation—that is, the copyright law.
Eventually there is going to be a battle in Washington, and we—the people who actually create the music the world loves—have to be ready.
- We have many things in common with publishers and record companies, but we want to speak for ourselves, not through their lobbying groups
- We want and deserve our own seat at the table.
The time to organize is not when legislation is finally introduced—it's right now!
The Copyright Office has produced a report on the music industry, Copyright and the Music Marketplace, offering the history of how we got where we are, the problems from both sides, and offering some opinion of how some of those problems might be solved. It's not perfect from any single party's perspective, but it sets out a basic framework we can work with. But it's gathering dust in Washington because it has no advocates.
We are those advocates!
Our opponents have lots of money and influence, but if we stand together we have strength and power.
So this is what we're doing. MusicAnswers is our campaign to organize ALL music writers, performers, and producers to support some immediate changes in the way things are being done, and work together for common sense changes to the Copyright law. It's based on our Declaration of Principles, which thousands of songwriters, composers, performers and producers have signed.
If we expect to win this fight for a fair and equitable music industry, we're going to need pretty much everyone to join in. Please sign our Declaration, and when the time comes, we hope you'll join us in Washington.
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