z>JE>  What's the deal with midi songs?  A cover is a cover is a
z>cover, right?
z>
z>Yep.
Had to make sure 
z>The bar owner is SUPPOSED to belong to either BMI or ASCAP, which
z>takes care of royalties.  I'm not sure exactly how they determine
z>what monies are owed.  In other words, I don't know how ASCAP/BMI
z>knows if a band plays a Pink Floyd tune or not, which would
z>determine if PF is owed royalties.  In all my years of bar-band
z>playing, I never thought to ask.
In San Antonio, there was a ruckus a while back about all that - now, if a 
business owner has music that's piped into the place (DMX, whatever) then the 
business has to belong to the special arm of either Ascap or BMI (as you 
suggested) that would allow them to do such a thing.
Juke-boxes have counters on them that let you know what record has played
"x" amount of times.  Helpful for the jukebox owners to find out what kind of 
music is popular in a particular location, and ALSO particularly helpful to 
pay those royalties to either ASCAP or BMI.
I -really- think, however, that the best way those two Music corps get away 
with it, is to just have the business owners pay a one-time initiation fee, 
then a yearly feed to cover all bases.
Regards,
-Jeff
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