Audiam opens its income-tracking tech to all clients

Digital rights agency Audiam has updated its client portal with the technology it uses to find unclaimed money for copyright owners. The change means that artists, songwriters, publishers, and labels can see reports on every version of their works across services, including covers that they may not have known about. The technology is called Layla, and it offers a granular view for tracking income. Continue Reading

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Music industry joins forces in support of Music Modernization Act and other proposed legislation

Several U.S. music industry organizations have voiced their unified support for three pieces of proposed legislation. More than 20 groups issued a joint press release to endorse the Music Modernization Act of 2017, the CLASSICS Act, and the AMP Act. Continue Reading

Rights management and monetization startup nets seed funding, buys Dart Music assets

A Los Angeles-based startup called HAAWK, which specializes in rights management, copyright enforcement, and monetization for user-generated content, has announced two business developments. First, the company secured a $2.5 million seed round of financing. Second, it has acquired assets from Dart Music. Continue Reading

Congress introduces legislation for pre-1972 royalties; music industry parties react

Congress is preparing to address the topic of royalties for pre-1972 recordings, a move that sparked positive response from several music industry players. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the CLASSICS Act to establish royalty payments for the creators of music recorded prior to the advent of federal copyright laws in 1972. Representatives from SoundExchange, the RIAA, and Pandora have all reacted favorably toward this proposal. Continue Reading

Mechanical royalties debate sparked once again for Spotify

Songwriter and publisher royalties have appeared once again as a sticking point for the Spotify streaming service. The New York Post’s Claire Atkinson is reporting that music publishers and songwriters are looking to receive a portion of Spotify’s equity when the company either goes public or finds an interested buyer. According to her sources, the National Music Publishers Association has been deeply interested in the question of equity since Spotify has been more seriously preparing for a direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Continue Reading

Report: DMCA could be allowing up to $1 billion in royalty underpayments

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act has been a lightning rod for criticism from the music industry. There have been many calls to update the act, which took effect in 1999, to reflect the changes that have happened in the music industry over the past two decades. The most recent ammunition in the arsenal for those activists is an academic report from the Phoenix Center. Continue Reading