New fees for use of music

Slides
Photos

By Lan Tian (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-16 07:37

Television and radio stations will have to pay royalties on the use of Chinese music under a regulation being drafted by the State Council.

Under the current system, broadcasters pay a flat annual fee to the copyright holder for use of local music.

The new regulation would install a fee of 2.5 yuan ($0.4) and 0.3 yuan per minute for television and radio stations respectively, said a National Copyright Administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Music producer Gao Xiaosong said the move could save the Chinese songwriting industry.

"I hope the public understands that the fees would benefit songwriters and composers instead of pop stars," he said.

Dai Yijie, program director of music radio channel Hit FM, said the station made similar royalty payments on its use of western music.

"The system would ensure the domestic music industry could develop in a sustainable manner," she said.

Karaoke bars have paid royalty fees on Chinese music since 2007.

Although broadcasters pay an annual fee there is no standard on how the fee is set or guidance on how it should be paid.

"In China, a pop star could earn 300,000 yuan for singing a song, but the composer and lyricist get nothing," Gu Jianfen, vice-chairman of the Music Copyright Society of China, told Beijing Youth Daily recently.

"Chinese songwriters do not feel respected," Gu said.

"European and Japanese TV and radio stations are charged 160 yuan and 960 yuan per minute respectively in royalties (for the use of western music)," she said.

(For more biz stories, please visit Industries)