BROADWAY MUSICALS
One of the most lucrative markets for a song can be its use in a Broadway show, since, if the play is a hit, the income from live theatrical performances, soundtrack albums, singles, film rights, touring productions, home video, sheet music, and stock and amateur production rights can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars to the songwriter and publisher. Perennials like A Chorus Line, West Side Story, and Phantom of the Opera have generated huge revenues over the years.
On the other hand, considering that the vast majority of musicals presented on Broadway lose most if not all of the money invested and that getting a song into a Broadway play is extremely difficult, this is an area with which most songwriters and publishers, unless they're involved with songs actually created for the play, will have little or no contact.
Combined music and lyric royalties for the Broadway run and first-class national touring productions usually range between a 3% pre-recoupment of costs royalty and a 4% post-recoupment pro-rated share of the box-office receipts if a percentage royalty is negotiated (which can mean from $200,000 to more than $10 million per year for all songs in a hit show) or a fixed dollar amount per week (from $250 to $1,000, regardless of the success of the play) if a non-percentage royalty is agreed to.
Next: Recording Artist Royalties
Copyright © 2002 by Todd Brabec, Jeffrey Brabec. All Rights Reserved. Note: The figures and comments contained in this article are based upon the authors' experiences over the years with many specific situations. Ranges of fees, as well as comments, do vary based upon individual negotiations and situations. |
