May I just clarify something regarding royalties paid on the public performance of recorded work. For example I mentioned in a posting above a recording by the Cantwells. If or when this recorded work is played on radio or television or in a pub, club or similar then the radio station, tv station club or pub pays a licence fee to (in the UK) PPL, Phonographic Performance Limited. The amount collected if any, is paid out to the actual performers on that recorded work. By imposing their accompaniment onto a performance - and obviously a producer would only do this to improve it's appeal ho ho - then the producer becomes a performer and can also claim royalties. OK so we are not talking vast amounts in the folk field but that is the way it works. The copyright on the recorded work runs out after fifty years but if the company re-masters the recording and re-issues it then it starts all over again. There is an effort being made by some long lasting pop singers to have this increased to 75 years but I believe that this has been covered in another thread.
This doesn't happen in the USA as there is no similar licensing body for the public performance of recorded work, or if there is then it is only recent within the last say two or three years. Before anybody mentions ASCAP, this is for royalties of a different nature.