From GospelMusicChannel.com, May 27, 2009, "Performance Rights...Or Wrongs" By Lou Carlozo:

"The [musicFIRST Coalition] claims that 45 percent [of the royalties] would go to featured artists," [NAB's Dennis Wharton] says. "But if you know anything about how record labels have abused artists in the past, you have to question whether they'd actually get any of this money."

THE FACTS: Both the House and Senate Performance Rights legislation require all royalties paid by AM and FM radio stations to go directly to SoundExchange ("SX"). Based on the detailed play list information SX receives from services that monitor AM and FM airplay, SX would distribute 50% of the royalties to artists and 50% to the Sound Recording Copyright Owner. Specifically, by legislation and under existing law, SX would distribute the royalties as follows:

• 50 percent - Sound recording copyright owner (while often a record label, some artists own the copyright for their master recordings)
• 45 percent - Featured artist
• 2.5 percent - non-featured artist (for example: background vocals) [AFTRA]
• 2.5 percent - non-featured musicians [AFM]