Pandora respects the members of the rock group Pink Floyd, however, when it comes to music royalties Pink Floyd has been given misleading information as part of a well-orchestrated campaign by the RIAA.
So says Pandora.
Radio World reported earlier this week that three members of the group penned an op-ed for USA Today in which they claim the Internet audio company is trying to cut musicians’ royalties by up to 85%.
Asked for comment by Radio World, Pandora says that’s not true. “We would never, ever support such a thing,” says a company spokeswoman. “In fact, Pandora has suggested solutions that would guarantee no reduction in artist payouts while also nurturing the growth of Internet radio — a medium that is crucial to thousands of independent musicians who don’t enjoy major label support or FM radio exposure.”
Pandora has been trying to lower it music royalty payments for a while. It says it wants a level playing field among all the Internet audio services. Pandora says to reach the exact same audience, the Internet audio music service pays over 4.5 times more in total royalties than broadcast radio for the same song. “In fact, at only 7% of U.S. radio listening, Pandora pays more in performance royalties than any other form of radio,” says the spokeswoman.