The problem with song royalties is that the real profit is for the publishers that own the active copyrights on hits and in the performance right's societies (ASCAP and BMI) only the established writers receive a lot of benefit economically. The net broadcasterssmall indie labels , small restaurants and clubs as well as alternative stations are squeezed and I think unrealistically by these societies. The small and less-known songwriters are not represented in an important way. Those that try to promote new talent are penailzed.
It's a form of corporatism that places the musicians, writers/composers and those starting out on the extreme low end of the totem pole with nowhere to be heard or seen.

The solution is that ASCAP and BMI need to think about how they can encourage the "little guy/gal" by making allowances by not squeezing every last penny in the area of copyright use.

There is something that is contradictory about the folk process and copyright law, too.
No room for growth in the folk process area.
Frank Hamilton