Popular North Carolina Restaurant Sued For Refusal To Pay For Music

Never let it be said that you don't learn something new every day.  Especially is when you learn something you should have known already.  Time to pull back the curtain on Oz for you.  I've been working in the radio business for longer than I care to remember.  One thing that all radio stations have to do is pay to play the music for you.  Annually, licensing fees are paid to The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI).  This is one way the artists who write and make the music you love, get paid.

I was unaware that restaurants that play recorded music have to do the same .  And that's where "Moochies" in Matthews has gotten into some hot water.  ASCAP claims to have reached out to Moochies more than 50 time to try to rectify the situation, but the owner has refused to pay the fees.  Now, the licensing organization is taking legal action.  According to The Charlotte Observer, The songs named in ASCAP’s complaint are “Pony” by rap artist Ginuwine, “Crazy Bitch” by rock band Buckcherry, and “Gypsy Road” from the band Cinderella, which were all played by a live cover band at Moochie’s on Feb. 18, according to the document.

The annual licensing fee for a restaurant the size of "Moochies" is around $3500.  Here's what I didn't know.  Moochies mostly plays live music (see below video).  I can understand immediately having to pay for recorded music, but live?  I wouldn't think so.  However, the more I think about it, bands like the one below are playing cover songs (music from other artists),  so someone's got to pay for the usage, right?

I hope it all gets sorted out soon.  Moochies is a great hang.  It has good food and provides a stage for local musicians to entertain.

I have to have music, tv, or a podcast playing in the background while I work. Usually nothing I truly care about paying attention to, but the silence is deafening and much more distracting to me than the noise. And I feel like I'm not alone, most people listen to some kind of music while they are working. But what music makes the best workday soundtrack and helps you get the most done? A recent study by our friends at Workamajig has discovered the songs to add to your playlist to increase your productivity. They also figured out the most distracting songs to listen to while at you're at work. And there are some big-name artists and songs making that fit into that second category.

Luckily for me, two songs by my all-time favorite artist made the playlist for productivity. Like I needed another reason to jam out to Taylor Swift. This scientific study revealed that songs with beats per minute (BPMs) paced at 50-80 are best for productivity. This speed helps you to be calm and alert therefore increasing concentration. The study also found that the average length of a productivity-boosting song is around two and a half minutes. So Workamajig, a project management software company, analyzed the BPM from the current top 40 song chart to determine those that are the most distracting and which songs can actually help maintain focus and concentration.

Keep reading to see the 10 songs that will help you be the most productive. Add these to your playlist and your boss will be pleasantly surprised at how much you get done this week!

1. Lift Me Up (Rihanna)

2. As It Was (Harry Styles)

3. uh oh (Tate Mcrae)

4. SNAP (Rosa Linn)

5. Bad Habit (Steve Lacy)

6. Victoria's Secret (Jax)

7. Die For You (Joji)

8. Made You Look (Meghan Trainor)

9. My Mind & Me (Selena Gomez)

10. Sex, Drugs, Etc. (Beach Weather)