Culture

Gyms To Be Charged For Music Used During Workouts

by Yuliya Talmazan | August 27, 2009 at 10:38 am

821 views | 34 Recommendations | 2 comments

A new music copyright fee will be charged at gyms across Canada for the music played during workouts. A coalition of recording artists -- The Neighbouring Rights Collective of Canada claims they have a right to charge for the music used in gyms.

The Neighbouring Rights Collective of Canada wants to capitalize on that.

Its goal is to ensure record companies and artists are compensated when their music is played in public spaces.

President Ian MacKay is targeting spin classes and aerobics sessions.

The statement on the organization's official website reads:

NRCC issued a statement today on a proposal for the payment of music royalties by fitness venues and dance venues.

The proposed Tariff 6 (Use of Music to Accompany Dance and Fitness) would provide fair compensation to artists and record companies for the use of their recorded music by fitness venues and dance venues such as nightclubs.

Charging gyms for using someone's music seems like fair game based on the assumption that playing music at gyms enhances the experience of gym users, and hence results in more profit for the business.

Studies have shown that exercising with music is much more enjoyable.

"Certainly studies that we've seen have shown that music is pretty important. And it goes without saying that a fitness class without music is going to be pretty flat," said MacKay.

But, the additional copyright fee that gyms will be charged is likely to be delegated to gym users, which would increase the cost of the gym pass. But, is it fair to ask gym users to pay for the music they do not want to listen to? And, what about gym users who exercise listening to their own mp3 players and iPhones?

Seems the consumer is once again at the ulterior end of the copyright profit-making machine.

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Mary Richard

at 16:05 on August 27th, 2009

Don't nightclub/gym owners or DJs purchase this music for their venues in the first place? So I guess they just want to keep taxing them over and over ...

NRCC proposed Tariff 6 so that artists are fairly and accurately compensated for the use of their music by fitness venues and dance venues. Currently, fitness venues pay nothing to artists for the recorded music they play, even though the use of music provides significant value to these businesses.

franciskyle

at 16:42 on August 27th, 2009

If I purchase a CD I play it. The motivation for a gym owner to purchase music is in his business - without that, he would have no motivation, and the resulting transaction would likely never happen in the first place. What next? Will magazine publishers look for additional revenue by charging an outlet (gym/doctors office/etc) that purchases magazines to entertain patrons?

Either way, in the end it will backfire and turn gym owners on to satellite radio. The music industry has to accept change and stop fighting it.