HAPPY BIRTHDAY
August 16th, 2012 at 3:42:59 AM
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WOW! What an inheritance. A lady named Mildred hills wrote the song happy birthday. After Mildred died, her sister Jessica Hill was awarded the copyrights to the happy birthday song. When she died, her nephew inherited the rights to the song. Everytime the song is played or sung on the radio, television, movie or any public venue, $5,000 is paid in royalties. The song makes two million in royalties annually. "WOW" what an inheritance.
August 16th, 2012 at 12:05:55 PM
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Quote: duckston09WOW! What an inheritance. A lady named Mildred hills wrote the song happy birthday. After Mildred died, her sister Jessica Hill was awarded the copyrights to the happy birthday song. When she died, her nephew inherited the rights to the song. Everytime the song is played or sung on the radio, television, movie or any public venue, $5,000 is paid in royalties. The song makes two million in royalties annually. "WOW" what an inheritance.
Yet the copyright on Alice in Wonderland (published 1865) expired in 1907. So I can say the following and not have to pay anyone.
`Well, at any rate, the Dormouse said--' the Hatter went on, looking anxiously round to see if he would deny it too: but the Dormouse denied nothing, being fast asleep. `After that,' continued the Hatter, `I cut some more bread- and-butter--' `But what did the Dormouse say?' one of the jury asked. `That I can't remember,' said the Hatter.
August 16th, 2012 at 12:34:40 PM
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It's not the copyright, but the performance fees. Totally different governing body.
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August 16th, 2012 at 2:47:34 PM
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Once went to a taping of The Tom Green Show on MTV. As we're waiting outside, one of the producers tells us, DON'T SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY.. we have to pay for it. When the show started taping, it was the announcers birthday and they did a little bit about it, so that's why they had to tell us not to sing.
August 16th, 2012 at 2:59:35 PM
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Once I saw a full orchestra, a choir and five soloists brought on stage supposedly to work on a certain measure in one particular work, but only the first violinist fell for the deception as everyone else started off with Happy Birthday To You. I silently marveled at how much money would be going to pay for that little surprise.
August 16th, 2012 at 3:26:47 PM
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Hey, it's my birthday today. I saw the thread title and thought, "How did they know?" Bummer that is only about the song.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:10:51 PM
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Quote: duckston09Everytime the song is played or sung on the radio, television, movie or any public venue, $5,000 is paid in royalties. The song makes two million in royalties annually. "WOW" what an inheritance.
I wouldn't doubt that a song like Happy Birthday could make two million in royalties in a year but I would be willing to bet a coke that the royalty per performance is way less than $5,000. I think, based on reading the ASCAP site, that royalties differ based on the type of venue, type of license, etc. I'm betting the fee is pretty low...like a dollar or so...
i do know that royalties are important income to performers who have recorded over the years. Some of the back-up singers I know mention their royalty checks coming in each month. I'm sure they are not huge, but every little bit helps for a musician trying to make a living in the business!! I heard what one of my favorite singers is paid per performance...I could not live on that little income per day!!
