[Dixielandjazz] CD costs

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Ed, this has been a gripe that I have had for years although not with 
recordings.  Mine is with bands that don't pay taxes.  I have been cut for 
years by groups that pay no taxes.  A group can charge $100 a man and I have 
to charge $200 to make the same amount. (25% federal, 6% state, 15% SS)  I 
deal a lot with corporate people and there isn't an issue there but when you 
are booking to private individuals they can do anything they want and do.

I think it's a never ending battle.  The music business is a battle no 
matter how you cut it and there will always be those out there unfairly 
competing.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Edmetzsr at aol.com>
To: <Vaxtrpts at aol.com>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 3:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] CD costs


>
> In a message dated 2/2/2006 3:49:02 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> Vaxtrpts at aol.com writes:
>
> Recording/Studio
> Musicians
> Art work
> CD pressing
> CD  cases
> Etc.......................
> Most of us (again especially big bands)  never recoup all the costs of
> recording, even selling CD's at $15  each.
>
>
>
> Mike, how about the new one (at least to me) - mechanical licenses? We're
> doing a new CD with the Bob Cats which requires me to obtain mechanical 
> licenses
> from publishers/administrators, assuming you can even find them, which 
> will
> add  nearly $2.00 to the cost of each CD. All of the major replicators (CD
> Production  Houses) now make it mandatory to have mechanical licenses 
> before they
> will  commit to stamping out copies. The lawyers seem to have won again. 
> My
> concern is  that it will lead to even more piracy and illegal copying.
>    Further, I'm seriously considering starting a  movement to require
> festival promoters to make it mandatory that all new CDs  being offered 
> for sale at
> their festivals require evidence that the CDs were  produced in compliance
> with the new licensing laws. Why should I be required to  have a $2.00 per 
> item
> cost, when the CD next to mine on the sales table,  produced by a fly by 
> night
> replicator, not have it? Fair is fair, isn't it.  Stay tuned.
>    I've just spent two solid weeks of my time  wrestling with this issue -
> yes, that's at least 80 hours. I know of only one  other band now active 
> on the
> festival circuit who is in compliance at this time.  Any feedback?
>    Hope to see you in Monterey next month.    Ed Metz
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