That's not true. I am friends with a number of songwriters who receive substantial income from their PRO (ASCAP/BMI/SESAC).
Where is the accounting? Bands put together set lists and don’t run them by the owner of the establishment. There is no history of what was played, just the faulty memories of those in attendance.
CD jukeboxes aren’t paid out to the artists either.
Perhaps with the new internet jukeboxes you see in bars there is such accounting. But the bar owner can’t add a local album to the rotation as he once did.
I thought that only applied to playing a recording.
Until they don’t. This money is doled out through patronage and not any equitable system to the writers. They must be substantial successes in radio air play and/or song sales online or otherwise. It just isn’t equitable and this is how they get the money in the first place. Pretty safe to say that Jack’s in Amityville isn’t playing their songs.