hennemusic

Pink Floyd have reunited for an editorial in USA Today regarding the actions of Pandora in attempting to dramatically reduce artist royalties from internet radio.

The band states that Pandora have asked the US Congress for an 85% pay cut in artist royalties, while simultaneously approaching musicians for their support of online radio through a carefully-worded letter that fails to mention the company’s goal of a royalty rate change that would take money directly out the signees pockets.

Calling Pandora’s actions “less than scrupulous behavior,” Floyd members Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason write, “It's a matter of principle for us. We hope that many online and mobile music services can give fans and artists the music they want, when they want it, at price points that work. But those same services should fairly pay the artists and creators who make the music at the core of their businesses. For almost all working musicians, it's also a question of economic survival. Nearly 90% of the artists who get a check for digital play receive less than $5,000 a year. They cannot afford the 85% pay cut Pandora asked Congress to impose on the music community.”

The iconic band reference a letter by Pandora founder Tim Westergren that was sent to artists this Spring “asking them to ‘be part of a conversation’ about the music business and sign a simple ‘letter of support’ for Internet radio.”

“Of course,” continued the group, “this letter doesn't say anything about an 85% artist pay cut. That would probably turn off most musicians who might consider signing on.”

Read the full letter by Westergen here.

“We've heard Pandora complain it pays too much in royalties to make a profit,” adds the members of Pink Floyd. “(Of course, we also watched Pandora raise $235 million in its IPO and double its listeners in the last two years.) But a business that exists to deliver music can't really complain that its biggest cost is music. You don't hear grocery stores complain they have to pay for the food they sell. Netflix pays more for movies than Pandora pays for music, but they aren't running to Congress for a bailout. Everyone deserves the right to be paid a fair market rate for their work, regardless of what their work entails.”

For more details, read the full Pink Floyd editorial in USA Today here.