AJRB Royalty Payments 2023
** The Following was sent to composers represented in the AJRB **
** Please email ausjazzrb@gmail if you did not receive this correspondence **
Hi AJRB Composer.
I hope you've had a cracking start to the year. "Surviving is The New Thriving" as I like to say.
Please forgive the length of this email, there's much to get to.
Thanks for being a part of the AJRB. Since it has existed; the AJRB has endeavored to preserve, protect and celebrate Australian Jazz in all its forms.
There has been a lot put into it; and it's fair to say that it needs a lot more work to get it where it needs to be in terms of representation; diversity, etc.
The work is ongoing! I think we're getting somewhere: nearly 1600 tunes from around 300 composers.
Time to pay you some royalties! The books have sold out and are no longer available; and are extremely unlikely to be reprinted in its current form.
There's a possibility of further volume(s) if people are interested in holding a physical book in their hands. Is anyone interested in the tangibility of an actual book? Or is it best to just keep going with the digital offerings?
In the meantime, efforts will continue to go into publishing the digital resource and expanding that.
AJRB Book Royalties:
- Composers who have their publishing administered by AMPD have already received their royalties, paid in advance
- The AJRB Volume 1 physical book is out of print and is unlikely to be reprinted. Royalties have been paid out on the books sold.
AJRB Digital Royalties:
- The AJRB only exists because music institutions from around Australia have subscribed to it; benefitting the next generation of musicians in accessing what has come before.
- University libraries (and the tertiary education sector across the board) are under financial stress and have had to cut back expenses significantly over the past 3 years.
- We're at the stage where some expenses are covered and some ongoing royalties can be paid yearly. It's likely not to be much, I'm sorry about that. It is important that royalties are paid however.
- As per the arrangements last year, it is proposed that $1 per tune in AJRB is paid yearly. We'll continue to trial that amount and see if it is sustainable long term.
Some questions answered:
To answer the obvious one:Is it worth doing the AJRB? Well, in a monetary sense, no. If it was a financially viable proposition someone would have done it long ago.Is it valuable to document intangible cultural heritage? Yes. Is it important that the scene benefits from the understanding of what has come before. How do you continue forging the path ahead if you don't understand the people who have laid down the path you are currently walking on?Why do I spend all this time on it? I think what we create in Au is worthy. I sincerely believe that we all stand on the shoulders of giants, and to be able to understand the past will help us take the artform forward into the future.
Telling, Valuing and Listening to our own stories helps us understand who we are. It is important to our national identity. We need to foster and nurture the fragile cultural confidence we have here before it disappears.
I am strongly encouraging you to fill out the form at the link below to indicate how you would like to be paid.
If you are not comfortable making this payment information direction online (ie providing bank details), please call me and I will record it manually on the spreadsheet.
There is absolutely no pressure to whatsoever: but some people have indicated that they would prefer to direct their royalties to their nominated charities; which I can administer. Charities available are Support Act; Unicef; Medicins Sans Frontiers; ASRC; Sounds of Change. I am also happy to send some support to independent radio that plays Au Jazz; such as PBS, RRR, FBI, etc. Again, no pressure or judgment whatsoever.
If you have any questions; I'm contactable by email, or telephone if you prefer.
I look forward to your continued involvement and representation in the AJRB. It exists to serve you: I'll do whatever I can to help your music be more well known in the Au Jazz community.
There's also some space in the form to have your say on what you'd like to have happen from here in this space. I'll be directed by your input on this. Say what you want to have happen!
Please complete this by 31 January 2023 Deadline
Thanks!
TN