ASCAP, YouTube ink new performance rights deal

ASCAP announced that it has entered a multi-year U.S. performance rights deal with YouTube. This arrangement is designed to help members of the performing rights organization to get paid for use of their work on the video platform.

In the latest version of their collaboration, the pair with use ASCAP’s musical works database and YouTube’s data exchange to identify compositions. According to the press release, the collaboration should enable new levels of monetization and transparency for ASCAP songwriters.

“This agreement achieves two important ASCAP goals – it will yield substantially higher overall compensation for our members from YouTube and will continue to propel ASCAP’s ongoing transformation strategy to lead the industry toward more accurate and reliable data,” ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews said. “The ultimate goal is to ensure that more money goes to the songwriters, composers and publishers whose creative works fuel the digital music economy.”

“YouTube is dedicated to ensuring artists, publishers and songwriters are fairly compensated,” added Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music. “As YouTube delivers more revenue to the music industry through a combination of subscription and advertising revenue, it’s great to see ASCAP take a progressive approach towards the long term financial success of its members.”

Anna Washenko