You know, when you hear a song being played on the radio, don’t you always think that the artist who created that song is getting paid? I guess that’s not always the case. I know it hasn’t been the case with me more than a couple of times.
 
Every month, I’m emailed the breakdown of where my music is begin downloaded, played, etc.  If you remember, I’ve made jokes about this kind of stuff in the past, sometimes on this blog, about like how I have this one song that has been played over twenty-five million times, and I’ve received all of like ten dollars U.S. for all those plays. I mean, come on…
 
In the monthly list I get, I’ve noticed that this one song that I created has, over the past year or so, been played tons of times by radio stations in Indonesia. Yes, several stations. It looks like they play it a lot. Money? As far as I can chart, I’ve received none.
 
I know it’s long been charted how there’s a disconnect between the creator and the sources that use and/or distribute music and other creative venues on the internet. I mean, it’s long been understood that the consumer gets it for free, feels all good about their receiving it for free, but the creator gets nada. As someone on the creative side of that equation, I’ve always felt the hit about that situation. Do you, the consumer, ever even think or care about that?
 
But, radio… That all seems so analogue. That all seems so twentieth centuries. But still and all, they’re not paying. Shouldn’t they have to???
 
Now I, obviously, don’t live in Indonesia. Though I have been there a few times. And, I think that it’s great that the people there are being exposed to the music I created, and, (I guess), are liking it. And, I’m sure those radio stations are making money and paying their staff and stuff or they would not be in business. But, what about the artist? What about the composer who created the music they are broadcasting out to the ears of their listeners? Shouldn’t they be paid too?
 
I’m sure most of you out there could care less about what I’m saying here. You’ve got your own life business going on, so why should you care? And, when you listen to music or watch movies or funny cat videos on Insta or YouTube do you ever even consider what the creator did/went through to create what they created? Probably not. You just consume. And, that’s life, I guess. But, if a creator is not compensated, if they are not appreciated, if they are not credited, if they are not paid, then what will this world be left with?