[SA Chris]

I was contemplating Biffy Clyros' Xmas bonus is from a song of theirs getting covered by X Factor winner Matt Cardle.

Any idea how much they would actually make from this?

[Durbs]

I've forgotten all my music-college lectures on songwriting credit percentages - but they'll be doing pretty well from it.

Depends if they own their songs outright, or whether their label has a %-stake in it, but I *think* the songwriters take at least 40% of earnings - their label might take a cut of this, or possibly an other percentage on top of this (I haven't looked but it might be the same label who are producing Cardle as have Biffy)

On CD sales, Biffy and PsyCo will get the lionshare - with Cardle and any other instrumentalists getting a small performance fee - possibly nothing at all as they'll look to recoup any advance before paying him anything, and it's possible they didn't offer anything off the first single, not at all rare.
On radioplays, again - songwriters and producers will get the largest share (of a very small meal).
It's only really on live performances where Cardle will actually swing the balance in his favour, though they'll still have to pay a PRS fee to Biffy.

I think I'm right in saying of the £10-12 you might pay for a CD, about £0.30 actually ends up going to the performers, another £0.40 to the songwriter(s) - at least it was in 2001 when I was actually at music college.
For online sales/streams it's even less - my band has to have 1000 plays to make about 60p - and that's standard across mos of the board, with the exception of Napster who are impressively worse.

[andy popp]

My 16 year old son and all his indie mates are, to my great amusement, suitably disgusted and outraged that Cowell selected a Biffy Clyro song for the single. Very droll.

Cardle will of course be on Cowell's own label, very much doubt BC are.

[magpie]

What Durbs said basically, from my out-dated music business knowledge circa college about a million years ago. 

And, an exciting musical link for you all, when I was on the music course at college my class were the ones who worked on Biffy's first official EP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow

Actually, I have a couple of signed copies kicking about, could now be the time to cash in. 

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Doesn't answer your question but this shows how little artists make from online plays....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25541021@N00/4517668895/#sizes/o/

[slackline]

Probably goes someway to explaining why live events are so fucking expensive (or perhaps not since thats always been the case).

[boulderingbacon]

i just cant believe biffy have let that squeaky voiced twat ruin there song.

[granticus]

Probably goes someway to explaining why live events are so fucking expensive (or perhaps not since thats always been the case).

Almost true... but this is where artists make their big time money, as soon as you start filling arenas you start raking it in.  Generally they aren't on the road to promote their record sales, they are on the road for months on end because that is how they earn their living.  Record sales is small fry compared to stadium tours and record labels aren't in on the profits they make from live shows.  This is of course not the case if the record label is managing the tour which'd be the case for the X-Factor bods, so Cowell will be reaping the rewards from record sales and tour takings (and merchandise)

Besides aren't Biffy going pretty 'mainstream' nowadays anyhow?  I'm sure they don't give a monkeys about the squeaky voiced twat ruining their little pop tune. 

[iain_cbr]

"squeaky voiced twat"

Hahahaha!!!!!

[Andrew B]

i just cant believe biffy have let that squeaky voiced twat ruin there song.

Biffy don't actually have a say in it . As far as I understand it, as long as no music is changed, no words are changed and approriate royalties are paid any artist can cover any other artists song without needing to seek permission.

[SA Chris]

Pretty sure that's right. Some people ask permission out of respect, but there is no meed to obtain permission.

[slackline]

Tangent but there are tons of cover tunes played out on SomaFM : Covers (names a bit of a give away), some are rather amusing, some are actually quite good.

[Jaspersharpe]

B&Q play a loop of current pop hits but not by the original artists. I noticed it the other day. Fucking awful.