--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not want and will not take a royalty…" description: "\"I do not want and will not take a royalty on any record I record. I think paying a royalty to a producer or engineer is ethically indefensible. The ban..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/steve-albini-10003_band_i-do-not-want-and-will-not-take-a-royalt_2742491.jpg" --- # I do not want and will not take a royalty on any record I… ![“I do not want and will not take a royalty on any record I record. I think paying a royalty to a producer or engineer is ethically indefensible. The band write the songs. The band play the music. It's the band's fans who buy the records. The band is responsible for whether it's a great record or a…” quote by Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/steve-albini-10003_band_i-do-not-want-and-will-not-take-a-royalt_2742491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/steve-albini-10003_band_i-do-not-want-and-will-not-take-a-royalt_2742491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/862/steve-albini-10003_band_i-do-not-want-and-will-not-take-a-royalt_2742491.jpg) > “I do not want and will not take a royalty on any record I record. I think paying a royalty to a producer or engineer is ethically indefensible. The band write the songs. The band play the music. It's the band's fans who buy the records. The band is responsible for whether it's a great record or a horrible record. Royalties belong to the band. I would like to be paid like a plumber. I do the job and you pay me what it's worth.” [Steve Albini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-albini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Albini argues that royalties should go to the creators—the band—rather than producers or engineers, likening payment to a trade like plumbing. **In simple terms:** Royalties belong to the band, not producers. Key Takeaway Pay musicians directly for their work. Themes fairness artist rights industry ethics Mood critical analytical Type industry philosophical When to use this quote - record label contracts - studio sessions - indie music production - royalty negotiations Key Concepts intellectual property music economics Questions to Reflect On - Should producers ever receive royalties? - How to balance fair pay for all contributors? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex production contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Royalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/royalty/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't earn that much in record royalties. You've only got to look at my sales in 1980 to figure that one out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/i-didn-t-earn-that-much-in-record-royalties-you-ve-only-got-to-look/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I do work a lot. I mean, most of my income, I would say, comes from live performances. And then you've got publishing, you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-do-work-a-lot-i-mean-most-of-my-income-i-would-say-comes-from-live/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [The writer who can't do his job looks to his editor to do it for him, though he won't dream of sharing his royalties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-writer-who-can-t-do-his-job-looks-to-his-editor-to-do-it-for-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The real piracy wasn’t downloads. It was contracts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-colapietro/the-real-piracy-wasn-t-downloads-it-was-contracts/) Jason Colapietro > [Those of us who had a perfectly happy childhood should be able to sue for deprivation of literary royalties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-patten/those-of-us-who-had-a-perfectly-happy-childhood-should-be-able-to-sue/) [Chris Patten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-patten/) > [Let's crowd source, curate, and add royalties to books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/let-s-crowd-source-curate-and-add-royalties-to-books/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [That an author takes a bow is not humility but presumption. What does the paleface want on the stage afterwards? 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