Van Dyke Parks on How Songwriters Are Getting Screwed In The Digital Age

This is an issue right now, in the music industry, especially with all the digital means in which to obtain music.  Yours truly is not against the existence of programs like Spotify (hence the weekly listings on this blog).  However, Spotify, even though they do pay artists, the amount of money paid for each time you click to listen to a tune is ridiculously miniscule.  A pittance.  I have no qualms with digitizing music, though.  People have to understand, that when records are made, the money is split all the way around, between artists, record companies, music publishers, and PRO's (Performing Rights Organizations, such as:

ASCAP: The American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers)
BMI: Broadcast Music Inc.
SESAC: Society of European Stage Authors & Composers

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/04/van-dyke-parks-on-how-songwriters-are-getting-screwed-in-the-digital-age.html

The only trouble here, it seems, is that the writer of the article... Mr. Parks, exaggerates the numbers as to how low the payouts are.