NPR confirmed that it has withdrawn from the MIC Coalition. A representative from the public radio team confirmed the departure, but did not provide a reason.
MIC, which stands for “music.innovation.consumers,” was formed earlier in 2015 with the stated goal of creating “a predictable, balanced and transparent music marketplace.” However, according to Billboard, there have been accusations that the MIC Coalition may in fact be working to reduce payments for music use. Several artist-centric groups responded positively to NPR’s choice to break ties with MIC. “SoundExchange applauds NPR for taking this stand for the future of music and artists everywhere,” the group said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our long-standing, positive collaboration with NPR.” RIAA, musicFIRST, and the Content Creators Coalition also issued statements of support for the decision.
NPR is the second member to depart the group since its launch. Amazon withdrew last month as well, stating that the organization was focusing too much on music rates and not enough on transparency. The group’s remaining members include the National Association of Broadcasters, Pandora, iHeartMedia, and Google.