AM-in-Vehicles bill advances slowly … slowly …
The AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act — proposed legislation which, if made into law — would require American car makers to put an AM radio into every new car, is in the news again. Continue Reading
Copyrights & Legal
All about copyright, understanding music licensing, and government regulations.
ASCAP follows BMI with new radio licensing rates
Two days ago we posted news of a settlement between performance rights organization (PRO) BMI and the Radio Music Licensing Committee. That hard-won agreement resulted in a rate increase for BMI. Today, ASCAP puts out news of a similar agreement, following a similar lawsuit. Continue Reading
Tentative: TPX notifies creditors of possible bankruptcy
TPX (The Podcast Exchange) has reportedly sent a letter to creditors notifying them that the company plans to file a Notice of Intention (NOI) under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. Doing so creates a protective one-month time period in which to negotiate new terms with creditors. Continue Reading
AccuRadio Seeks Chapter 11 Protection, Citing Broken Royalty System and SoundExchange Litigation
Venerable streaming service and RAIN News sponsor AccuRadio is starting the process of bankruptcy protection in Chicago. The action comes after several months of negotiation with government mandated music royalty collection agency SoundExchange. That negotiation is at an impasse, according… Continue Reading
Vimeo perseveres over major labels in copyright lawsuit with DMCA decision
Video/audio streaming site Video has prevailed in a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by major music labels Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music. This is not the first time Vimeo has tangled with labels over the same issue, as RAIN reported in 2016 in Capital Records vs. Vimeo. The fulcrum in both cases is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), enacted in 1998.
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Kobalt invests in Slipstream, creating synergistic partnership covering the entire music ecosystem
Kobalt, the world’s largest independent music publisher, has acquired an equity stake in leading music licensing company Slipstream. The result is a licensing/content behemoth. The announcement from Slipstream says the deal “brings together complementary technology and expertise to serve the entire music publishing ecosystem, from the world’s top songwriters to brands and creative businesses of all kinds. This significant alliance comes on the heels of Slipstream’s acquisition of Anthem Entertainment earlier this month, also covered by RAIN. Continue Reading
UMG sues Warner-owned Believe, parent of TuneCore, claiming infringement
Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s largest record company, has sued Believe, the global distributor of music recordins. Believe is also the parent company of leading music distributor TuneCore, which is a popular on-ramp for indie musicians putting their music into global streaming platforms. Click for quotes and link to the court document. Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: September 27
— Leaping (Standard Media Index)
— Ratings Excitement (Jacobs Media) Continue Reading
RAIN Notes: September 23
— Dead Or Alive? (Hear Me Out podcast)
— A Happy Return (Matty Staudt) Continue Reading
BMI takes legal action in royalty conflict with SiriusXM
“Years of negotiations.” That’s how performing rights organization (PRO) BMI describes its patience and perseverance in royalty dealings with SiriusXM. With patience and perseverance evidently expired, BMI filed a legal action to determine what it calls “fair and appropriate fees.” Click for details — all from BMI’s perspective. No public word from SiriusXM at posting time. Continue Reading
Spotify to hike subscription rates in France in dispute with a targeted tax hike
In what seems like a protest action in addition to a logical finance decision, Spotify will raise its subscription rate in France to compensate for a new tax levied by the French government. A public blog post which is both aggressive and defensive makes a case for the streaming giant. “Se simply can’t absorb any additional taxes.” Spotify also disputes whether taxed revenue in France gets where it is supposed to go — assisting artists. Continue Reading
ASCAP reports record-breaking revenues for music creators in 2023 annual report
In ASCAP’s just-released annual report for 2023, the performing rights organization announces record-breaking royalty collections on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publisher members. Click for details and charts. Continue Reading