German artists push record labels for bigger revenue share in streaming economy

A group of performers in Germany is staging a legal case to get a larger share of money in the streaming economy from record labels. Fourteen managers and lawyers representing some of the nation’s most notable stars have written to the heads of multiple labels. They questioned if the current basis for setting streaming payments is “legally compliant” and presented an “urgent and fundamental need” to review the methodology that underpins historical contracts with the major labels. Continue Reading

Survey: A quarter of Germans pay for streaming, smart speaker ownership reaches 14%

Germany has been one of the slower markets to transition to streaming music, and a new study found that the trends toward new technology is continuing to gradually rise. A study conducted by the University of Hamburg for a collection of music industry bodies found that about a quarter of German listeners are paying for a music streaming service. Continue Reading

Infinite Dial Germany sees online audio and podcasts on the rise, while radio remains strong

The Infinite Dial survey has been growing its international footprint, with the latest set of information about audio consumption habits coming out of Germany. RTL Radio Deutschland commissioned Edison Research to complete the study, which found heavy usage of radio and audio platforms across ages and devices in the country. Continue Reading

Stream-ripping site loses legal appeal in Germany

A German court has issued a ruling against a stream-ripping site. ZeeZee sought out user-requested tracks in online radio streams and then made copies of those songs available for download. Universal Music Group brought a lawsuit against ZeeZee in 2014 and successfully won an injunction against the site from Regional Court of Hamburg. The same decision was reached by the Appeal Court of Hamburg following an appeal from ZeeZee earlier this month. Continue Reading