Sheryl Crow and Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am have joined calls for musicians to be paid radioplay royalties - even if they didn't write the songs themselves.

Broadcasting regulations currently dictate that - unlike in television - AM and FM radio chiefs must only pay royalties to songwriters, not performers.

It means artists who record versions of other acts' songs which feature heavily on radio stations' playlists receive no extra money.

But a host of stars including Dionne Warwick and veteran jazz pianist Herbie Hancock are demanding a change in the rules, insisting their work should be paid for despite not personally penning the track.

Hancock says, "People deserve to be paid when somebody else uses their property."

Officials at the National Association of Broadcasters, who are fighting the move, claim more royalty fees would put thousands of radio jobs at risk.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)